Geevarghese Mar Ivanios, metropolitan of the Kottayam diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, has passed away after prolonged illness. He was 72.
His body was first taken to the Mar Kuriakose Dayara, Pothenpuram, and then to the Mar Baselius Dayara, Njaliakuzhy, in the afternoon. The mortal remains of Mar Ivanios will be interred in a specially erected crypt at the Mar Baselius Dayara on Saturday afternoon. Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose II and Catholicos Emeritus Baselius Mar Thoma Didymos I will lead the prayers.
A theologian, who counts among others the present Catholicos as his disciple and one of the leading monastic gurus in the Orthodox Church, Mar Ivanios was born into a family of government employees on November 14, 1940 in Madurai, where he spent his childhood till the age of four. He had an early initiation into the spiritual life and after taking his undergraduate degree from Fatima Matha National College, Kollam, he went to Oxford for his theological studies. Young Geevarghese lived with the Cowley Fathers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist when he was a student at Oxford. He had earned his degrees in Hebrew and Latin from Mansfield College, London.
He was made deacon in 1963 and ordained priest in 1971. He was elected as bishop in 1985 by the Malankara Syrian Christian Association and consecrated metropolitan of the Kottayam diocese the same year. Even as a deacon, he was made a faculty member of the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kottayam in 1971.
In order to spread the radiance of Orthodox spirituality and monasticism, Mar Ivanios founded the monastery Mar Baselius Dayara at Njaliakuzhy, Kottayam, where he used to live.
Mar Ivanios had a deep knowledge in iconography and was one of the few professionally trained iconographers in the Church. He was instrumental in rebuilding a number of old churches in the diocese and the newly built churches carried his unique style in architecture.
Orthodox Church authorities said Saturday will be a holiday for all institutions run by the Church.
