Catholicate Vision and Mission - An Update
In 2008 , I wrote :
As we commemorate 100 years of the Spiritual wing of the Church to assist students MGOCSM and in four years 100th year of the Catholicate, it is high time that we turn our minds to understand what its mission and the tasks the Catholicate should undertake as priority.
I am planning to write a few articles fashioned by reading about some thoughts shared on it by Fr. V.C Samuel of eternal memory through his book “Truth Triumphs” published in 1986 on the life and achievements of Metropolitan Mar Dionysius VI. It will have shortcomings on the basis of my person, but pray it will be corrected with hope of better understanding and living out our faith by those who read these.
Please keep in prayer
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In 2016 , I participated in the Holy Qurbana on the 6th Sunday of the Holy Lent which is also designated as Sabha Dhinam ( Day of the Church ,Catholicate day etc.)
As usual the Catholicate day Song and Pledge of Alliance was read in the Parish and it frustrated me that this practise could develop to :
1. Proclaim and live out the heresy of Nationalism in Church when it takes precedence over the Orthodox Christian faith that we along with the other Orthodox Christian Communities proclaim in our Holy Creed -One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
2. Lead to an allegiance to a Person , be he the Catholicose of the East or any other , that could lead to forget to whom our love and allegiance is first due - Jesus Christ, our Lord and God
3. Absolute power of the Church centred on a Person , Body or Faction , which has shown to inflict the Church spiritually and temporarily negatively in the past , and could affect the Catholicate and Church as a whole unless checked.
Planning to share some thoughts soon to elaborate on these . I was not sure if I must, but lead by seeing my friend Steven Kurian who responded to this post in 2008 sharing thought in line with my frustration and dread for a few days
"-Catholicate Day: Pledge allegiance to everything we love about the Orthodox Church except, of course, the Orthodox Christian Faith " -
Please keep in Prayer the Catholicate ! Which prayer? - The prayer that has been on mind from yesterday from what I heard from Late Mar Ivanios Thirumeni - ' Karthave, Malankara Sabhayakunna Kuru Pravinne Kathukollaname ' ( Lord, Protect the Turtle Dove - Malankara Church') . When I visited once, all of our Bishops including our Catholicose were in a procession across Kottayam proclaiming the Catholicate as a visible entity that has come home , Mar Ivanios Thirumeni was teaching in his dayara to make this prayer as part of one's ceaseless prayer like the Jesus Prayer.
George Varghese
Calgary, Canada
March 14, 2016
In 2008 , I wrote :
As we commemorate 100 years of the Spiritual wing of the Church to assist students MGOCSM and in four years 100th year of the Catholicate, it is high time that we turn our minds to understand what its mission and the tasks the Catholicate should undertake as priority.
I am planning to write a few articles fashioned by reading about some thoughts shared on it by Fr. V.C Samuel of eternal memory through his book “Truth Triumphs” published in 1986 on the life and achievements of Metropolitan Mar Dionysius VI. It will have shortcomings on the basis of my person, but pray it will be corrected with hope of better understanding and living out our faith by those who read these.
Please keep in prayer
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2016 , I participated in the Holy Qurbana on the 6th Sunday of the Holy Lent which is also designated as Sabha Dhinam ( Day of the Church ,Catholicate day etc.)
As usual the Catholicate day Song and Pledge of Alliance was read in the Parish and it frustrated me that this practise could develop to :
1. Proclaim and live out the heresy of Nationalism in Church when it takes precedence over the Orthodox Christian faith that we along with the other Orthodox Christian Communities proclaim in our Holy Creed -One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
2. Lead to an allegiance to a Person , be he the Catholicose of the East or any other , that could lead to forget to whom our love and allegiance is first due - Jesus Christ, our Lord and God
3. Absolute power of the Church centred on a Person , Body or Faction , which has shown to inflict the Church spiritually and temporarily negatively in the past , and could affect the Catholicate and Church as a whole unless checked.
Planning to share some thoughts soon to elaborate on these . I was not sure if I must, but lead by seeing my friend Steven Kurian who responded to this post in 2008 sharing thought in line with my frustration and dread for a few days
"-Catholicate Day: Pledge allegiance to everything we love about the Orthodox Church except, of course, the Orthodox Christian Faith " -
Please keep in Prayer the Catholicate ! Which prayer? - The prayer that has been on mind from yesterday from what I heard from Late Mar Ivanios Thirumeni - ' Karthave, Malankara Sabhayakunna Kuru Pravinne Kathukollaname ' ( Lord, Protect the Turtle Dove - Malankara Church') . When I visited once, all of our Bishops including our Catholicose were in a procession across Kottayam proclaiming the Catholicate as a visible entity that has come home , Mar Ivanios Thirumeni was teaching in his dayara to make this prayer as part of one's ceaseless prayer like the Jesus Prayer.
George Varghese
Calgary, Canada
March 14, 2016
