‘Your Shepherd in Christ,’ – that’s the line mentioned below the signature of His Grace Geevarghese Mar Coorilos, the Metropolitan of the Mumbai Diocese of Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church. Philip Verghese, a member of his flock, caught up with him to talk about the world at Christmas, At 62, Bishop Coorilos is not just the Metropolitan, but also the President of the Bible Society of India, president of the Mar Gregorious Orthodox Christian Student's Movement (MGOCSM), the students wing of the church, one of the patrons of St. Gregorios Orthodox Society, former president of NCCI (National Council of Churches of India), as well as MCCI (Maharashtra State Council of Churches of India) and other Christian organisations. We met this dynamic and optimistic Christian spiritual leader at the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers in South Mumbai this weekend just before Christmas, hours before he flew to Doha to preside over Christmas celebrations there.
“I KEEP traveling wherever my Lord wants me to go and spread the message of love. That’s what Christ wants all of us to do,” he tells us as we sit talking to him in the lobby of the hotel which was devastated by terrorists during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Dressed in his red cassock and a black skull cap (called ‘maskumsa' in Aramiac), amidst the beautiful Christmas decorations including a wondrous silver Christmas tree, he looked part o the joyous atmosphere that now reigns there.
"When I look at this place, I am saddened thinking of those people who lost their lives to terror. The people who died were those who were innocent. But they were killed. Terrorism is against the principles of Christianity," he said. As it is indeed against the principles of all religions.
And what is his interpretation of Christmas? "It is all about the celebration of the birth of Christ. God sent his own son in his own image to wipe out the sins which were being committed since the days of Adam and Eve. It’s the celebration of the new life!"
Does he think that Christmas celebrations have changed in recent years? “I don’t know whether things have changed. But we have lost the real meaning of Christmas in our insatiable pursuit for consumerist pleasure and happiness. Incarnation, God becoming human, was above all a great act of Jesus identifying with the poor, especially the victims of human rights violations. Jesus Christ, like millions of men and women around us, was denied the fundamental rights to food, shelter, and clothing. Yet he loved all because he proved that he is indeed the son of God.”
Mar Coorilos was born October 7, 1949 in god's own country. Not many know that he was affectionately called George Kutty in his young days. He did his college studies from CMS College in Kerala and later the Kottayam Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kerala and graduated in Sacred Theology. He had his B.A degree from Calicut University, a B.D. from Serampore University and an MA from Sri Venkiteshwara University. While serving St. Gregorios Orthodox Parish in London as it’s Vicar, he took the opportunity to take post graduate diplomas in Pastoral Theology and in Theology and Mission as well, His qualifications have stood him in great stead.
What was your priesthood like, we asked. "I did not particularly want to be a priest”, he says. “When my elder and younger brothers were Altar Assistants I was reluctant! Only later did I join them in serving the Altar. That is how I came to the first step of priesthood. When I was in the 12th, I thought that I would have become an engineer since I was good in Mathematics. But my elder brother made me join the seminary in Kottayam and then I felt being closer to God and never regretted being a priest."
A scooter accident left him bedridden for six months, but then he was up and about gain – and in fact ended up with him nominated for Bishop. Did it please him greatly? "Not really. But I have longed to have Monasteries and convents peopled by energetic and service minded youngsters for social reformations. But God’s will was like this and I happened to become a Bishop."
About Malankara services in Mumbai, Bishop Coorilos said, “The Orthodox Syrian service was held for the first time in Mumbai, nearly a century ago by the late His Grace Mar Gregorios of Parumala, who is the Saint of the Malankara Church. The need for a place of our own worship was felt as early as 1940. The Mumbai Parish was formed in 1943 and it came to bear fruit in 1951 when the late Catholicose Moran Mar Baselios Geevarghese II, consecrated the St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian church in Dadar. Now it is a Cathedral and is the first church of Orthodox Christians outside Kerala.
“Subsequently in many parts of Mumbai, parishes were formed and churches were built. The Diocese of Mumbai was officially carved out outside Kerala diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in the 1976. Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios was the first Metropolitan with the headquarters as St. Mary’s Church, Dadar”.
In 2002, he took over the reins of the Bombay Diocese, which had by now spread over the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, certain parts of Karnataka, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia! But before that, starting from 1991, he had the good fortune of serving along with Mar Theophilus as the assistant Metropolitan of the diocese. Today it has grown to be a giant among the rest of the dioceses in many ways, with more than 70 churches, schools, clinics, hostels etc which are being efficiently managed by 50 sincere and dedicated priests along with the lay representatives.
What is Christmas like for Malayali Christians in Mumbai? "Malayalis in Mumbai miss the way we celebrate in Kerala. Even I do. Christmas in Kerala is different from here. There is Midnight Mass there and that the main attraction. Christmas in Kerala is like Diwali in Mumbai. But here we have carol singing in all churches and make sure we get together because there are time constraints for all in Mumbai."
Finally, as time was passing and departure getting uncomfortably close, we asked him for a message for Christmas. "Christmas is being celebrated by all nowadays and I can see that more and more Hindus and Muslims are also joining in the festivities. We should pray that there be no terrorist activities anywhere in this world."
“Malayalis in Mumbai miss the way we celebrate in Kerala. Even I do. Christmas in Kerala is different from here. It is like Diwali in Mumbai.”