Geevarghese Mor Coorilose

Infobox bishopbiog
name = His Grace Geevarghese Mor Coorilose


caption = Geevarghese Mor Coorilose Metropolitan
religion = Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
See = Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch
Title = Assistant Metropolitan of Niranam, Metropolitan of St. Paul's Mission
Period = 2006 — present
Predecessor = His Grace Mor Markose Coorilos
Successor = incumbent
ordination = 3rd July 2006
bishops = None
post = None
date of birth = 1965
place of birth = Cheeranchira, Kerala
date of death =
place of death =

Geevarghese Mor Coorilose, Formerly Rev. Dr. George Mathew Nalunnakkal, is a Syriac Orthodox bishop, who is known for his works on Ecotheology. He is currently serving as the working president of Mor Adai Study Center, Moderator of Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of World Council of Churches, Metropolitan of Niranam Diocese, of Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church, and Chairman of Theeram, a children vocational training centers for children with Developmental Disablilities.

Early years

Mor Coorilose was born in Nalunnakkal, Kottayam, Kerala in the year 1965. He was brought up in the Syriac Orthodox faith since his childhood and was baptized at St. Adai’s Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church, Nalunnakkal, his home parish. His early schooling was done at St. Adai’s Primary School, St. Elias Upper Primary School and Jerusalem Mount High School, Vakathanam, . He passed his SSLC exams with first class and joined the prestigious St. Berchman’s College, Changanacherry where he did his Pre-Degree and B.A. in English literature. Alongside his secular education, he also pursued his Sunday School education. He stood first in the 10th standard examinations in Kottayam diocese and secured the Michael Mor Divannasios memorial gold medal.

Parents

His parents, Mr. P.C. Mathew (Karippal Puthenpurayil, Rtd. Principal Sub Registrar, Kottayam) and Mrs. Marykutty Mathew (both 80 years old now) have been a major source of spiritual influence on him. His two brothers (Jacob Mathew, working in Intelligence Bueraeu, Mumbai and Jaison Mathew, a civil Engineer in Kuwait) and four sisters (Kunjumariamma Thomas, Omana Korah, Lovely George and Mini Joshua) have also been very supportive in his spiritual and theological upbringing. He is very much proud to belong to his home parish (St. Adais Jacobite Syrian Church, Nalunnakkal) which was blessed by the Apostolic visit of the Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, H.H.Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, the Prince Patriarch of Antioch and all the East.

Theological Studies

After his graduation, he joined the reputed United Theological College, Bangalore for his theological studies. He completed his B.D in the year 1990 in first class and was appointed as Research Assistant in the department of Church and Society. By then Bishop, the late lamented Perumpallil Gheevarghese Mor Greegoriose, granted him permission to accept the offer and he completed the research project in 1991, the year in which he joined the faculty of our theological seminary in Kerala (M.S.O.T.Seminary). It was during his tenure as Registrar at the Seminar, that our seminary was granted the B.D. affiliation from the Serampore University. In 1992, he was offered a scholarship to do his doctoral studies in England and he joined the University of Kent at Canterbury, England to do his Ph.D in Ecotheology. He had the rare privilege to do his research under the illustrious Anglican Professor Dr. Robin Gill under whose proficient guidance he was able to complete his Ph.D in a record time of three years. On his completion of Ph.D, he rejoined our seminary in Kerala and resumed teaching.

He had the privilege of serving the Kerala Council of Churches as its Senior Faculty Member (1997-1998), the National Council of Churches in India as its Executive Secretary for Mission and Evangelism (1998-2001). At present, he also serve the World Council of Churches as moderator of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) and he is also a full member of the WCC’s reference group on Human Sexuality. He has attended several international consultations organized by the WCC, CCA, Pro-Oriente, WSCF, the Anglican Communion, the NCCI and other such ecumenical bodies. He has been a member of the Dialogue Commission of our Church. In all this, he has had the honor to represent our Church and he continue to do that with great sense of pride.

In the year 2001, he joined the teaching faculty of the prestigious United Theological College, Bangalore. He served the college as Associate Professor in the department of Theology and Ethics. He was the first member from the Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church to be on the faculty of this premier theological institution. He has also taught at other seminaries as visiting professor.

Ordination

He was ordained a deacon in 2001 and a priest in 2002 by His Grace Thomas Mor Themotheose Metropolitan. After his ordination, he has served two parishes in Kerala and one parish in Bangalore as Assistant vicar. He is served at the St. Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Church, Ithithanam, Kerala as its Vicar.

India Center for Social Change

Currently, he is also the chairman of Theeram, India Center for Social Change, a charitable trust, working for the welfare of mentally challenged children in Kerala, as its Chairman. Under his leadership, this institution now has established seven vocational training centers under the name “Theeram” where about 130 boys and girls who are mentally challenged are undergoing training.

Mor Adai Study Center

Currently, H.G is also serving as the working president, Mor Adai Study Center. He was the co-founder and the executive director since 2003 and when he was elevated as the metropolitan, he became the working president. Mor Adai Study Center has published 18 books including 2 of his works.

Published Works

He has published several books and articles both in English and Malayalam. Following are some of the major ones:

*Jeevante Akhosham(ജീവന്റെ ആഘോഷം) :Bible Studies, KCC/EDTP, Tiruvalla, 1998

*New Beings and New Communities: Theological Reflections in a Postmodern Context, KCC/EDTP, Tiruvalla, 1998

*Green Liberation: Towards an Integral Ecotheology, NCCI/ISPCK, Delhi, 1999

*Quest for Justice: Perspectives o Mission and Unity (co-edited) NCCI/GURUKUL/ISPCK, Delhi, 2000

*Re-routing Mission: Towards a People’s Concept of Mission, CCA/CSS, Tiruvalla, 2004.

*HIV/AIDS: A Challenge to Theological Education, (co-edited), BTESSC/Sathri, Bangalore, 2004.

*Sathya Vishwasa Padanangal(സത്യവിശ്വാസ പഠനങ്ങള്‍) :Essays on Oriental Orthodox faith in Malayalam, Co-Authored with V.Rev. Kuriakose Corepiscopa Moolayil, Mor Adai Study Center, Cheeranchira, 2003

*Kazhchapadukal(കാഴ്ചപ്പാടുകള്‍) :Perspecives, Essays in Malayalam, Mor Adai Study Center, Cheeranchira, 2002

ee also

Syriac Orthodox Church
Jacobite Syrian Christian Church