Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan, born Philip Oommen, is an Indian prelate and the emeritus Metropolitan of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, and has been a bishop for. He is addressed and referred to as Chrysostom Thirumeni or Valiya Thirumeni. He turned 103 on April 2020. He was awarded India's third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan, in 2018.
Early life and education
Philip Oommen was born to Adangappurathu Kalamannil family which has produced several priests. Tirumeni's father was Vicar General K. E. Oommen, Kalamannil, Adangapurathu, Kumbanad. His mother was Sosamma of Nadukke Veettil, Karthikappally. He attended Maramon, Kozhencherry and Eraviperoor schools, and went on to graduate from Union Christian College, Aluva. He was ordained as a deacon of the Malankara Mar Thoma Church on 1 January 1944 and Kasseessa on 3 June 1944. He was ordained as Ramban on 20 May 1952.
Consecration
In 1950 the Church Mandalam consecrated three bishops, including Philip Oommen. On 23 May 1953, Philip Oommen Ramban was consecrated as Philipose Mar Chrysostom Episcopa. During his tenure he was the president of the National Council of Churches, India and attended World Council of Churches at Evanston in 1954 and Uppsala in 1968. He also attended the Second Vatican Council.
Status metropolitan
Episcopa On 23 May 1953, Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan assisted by Mathews Mar Athanasius Episcopa ordained Oommen as Episcopa and gave him the episcopal title Philipose Mar Chrysostom. M. G. Chandy and P.Thomas were ordained on the same day. In 1954, Mar Chrysostom joined St. Augustine's College, Canterbury, UK to further his theological studies. Suffragan Metropolitan He was designated as Suffragan Metropolitan in May 1978. Officiating Metropolitan After Alexander Mar Thoma Metropolitan stepped aside from the daily administration of the Church due to ill-health on 15 March 1999, Mar Chrysostom was designated Officiating Metropolitan. It was first time in the history of the Church that a Metropolitan become Metropolitan Emeritus. Metropolitan Mar Chrysostom was installed as Metropolitan on 23 October 1999 when Alexander Mar Thoma Metropolitan was made Valiya Metropolitan. Valiya Metropolitan On 28 August 2007, Thirumeni announced his resignation as supreme head of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church on grounds of old age and ill-health
Biopic
Indian film directorBlessy made a comprehensive biopic, about 48 hours 10 minute long, on Philipose Mar Chrysostom. The documentary may be the longest ever made.
Navathy Home Project
Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Metropolitan completed 90 years on 27 April 2008. As part of the birthday celebration, Mar Thoma Church devised a project, Navathy Home Project, to support and enable 1500 families in India, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, to build a home of their own.. The cost of each home was Rs. 1,50,000.. Each house consisted of a sit-out, a drawing room, a bedroom, a kitchen, a dining room and a toilet. Mar Thoma Church members donated so much that the project was a great success; it was extended from India to Mexico.
Centenary
On his hundredth birthday, on 27 April 2017, the Church officially inaugurated the Project among the Transgender Community.
