Finance Minister K.M. Mani has said that Inter-Church Council for Education chairman and former Metropolitan Archbishop of Changanassery Mar Joseph Powathil has made significant contributions to the reforms and experiments carried out in the State’s education sector.
He was speaking after inaugurating a programme to felicitate Archbishop Powathil here on Wednesday.
Mr. Mani hailed the Archbishop’s contributions to the education and ecumenical fields.
“Archbishop Powathil redefined social justice in education and remained a staunch supporter of minority rights in education at a time when the reforms in the State’s education sector, especially self-financing institutions, had come under severe criticisms,” he said.
Mr. Mani said that protecting the minority rights was most pertinent in a democratic set up and Archbishop Powathil had been engaged in this endeavour for years.
The felicitation programme was organised in connection with the sacerdotal golden jubilee and episcopal ruby jubilee of Archbishop Powathil.
Syro-Malankra Church Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram Latin Archdiocese M. Susaipakiam, Palayam Imam Jamaludeen Mangada and Mayor K. Chandrika were present.
In his reply speech Archbishop Powathil said that he was humbled by the felicitations showered on him.
Changanassery vicar general John V. Thadathil, Samuel Karukayil Cor Episcopa of Orthodox Syrian Church, chevalier Koshi M. George of Jacobite Syrian Church and Changanassery vicar general Joseph Mundakathil were present.
