10-May-2004
Malankara Orthodox Church elects 4 Bishop designates & a Priest Trustee
The Association meeting of Malankara Orthodox faction held at Parumala to choose 7 bishops were able to elect only 4 from a list of total 18 candidates who contested for the office of bishop. Those who won this election are Very Rev. Augen Ramban (Vallikkattu Dayara), Very Rev. Yuhanon Ramban (Karunya Guidance Centre, TVM), Fr. Dr. K. Gabriel (Kottayam Seminary) and Fr. Dr. M. C. Cherian (MGOCSM General Secretary). Majority of the association members as well as others have high appreciation for the newly elected bishop-designates. Like in previous elections, all the successful candidates are from the southern dioceses. Compared to the 2002 association, this meeting was held in a highly tensed atmosphere because of the fierce campaigning by certain candidates.
It was Fr. Dr. O Thomas (also from the southern diocese) who got elected as the new Priest trustee. His term will be for about 3 years from now. This is the first time a priest trustee's term of office is restricted for a fixed term. Earlier a person once elected as a Priest Trustee or a Lay Trustee could continue through out his life term. Fr. Mathai Noorronal was the last of these Priest trustees who continued until his demise in 2003. However P C Abraham Padinjarakara, who was elected many decades before as the Lay Trustee will continue in the same position.
Most of the prelates who spoke on the occasion expressed their anxiety over the undesirable enthusiasm shown by many of the bishop-candidates for canvassing votes. This trend if continued will only weaken episcopacy, they said. A general disillusionment among the voters were also seen over the way in which many candidates canvassed for themselves. Lots of leaflets and small visiting cards were seen distributing near the venue asking to vote for their favorite candidates. Many complained that the whole process was like a college election. There was even advertisements in a major newspaper (Manorama) a day before the association election, asking to vote for certain candidates. Worried at all these, one bishop who spoke on the occasion asked the association members to be more disciplined or he warned that the next Catholicose election too may be politicized in the same manner. Its a very bad precedence for the Church, he said.
With regards to the court cases continued against the Jacobites, some of those spoke on the occasion asked for a thorough rethinking on the whole issue. Fr. K M. George (Kottayam seminary principal) who was earlier an ardent advocate of forcible reunion, indirectly asked for the ending of Church cases accepting the ground realities. He requested the association members to have a rethinking on the benefits the Church has said to have achieved all these years through the continuance of court cases. The claims such as that the Church has been victorious by conducting 2002 Parumala Association seems to be unacceptable to the majority. Many also complained about the bad practices that has been crept into the Church in the recent years.
As per the official release from the Malankara Orthodox Church, 900 priests (instead of 1319) representing different parishes participated in the association.
Advertisement in Malayala Manorama dt. 8-June-2004
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Mathrubhumi dt.11-June-2004
