Priest Trustee


The position of Priest Trustee in the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is of paramount importance in the administration of the Church, together with the Malankara Metropolitan and the lay trustee. The priest trustee is a priest of order Kasheesha or Cor-Episcopa.

Origin

The system of governing the assets of the Malankara Church by the Community of Trustees was brought about by the historic Cochin Panchayath Verdict of 4 April 1840. The verdict insists that the three trustees who constitute the Community Trustees should be elected to those positions. In accordance with this, the first priest trustee was elected in 1869 and the Church Constitution of 1934 gives the definitive account on the election, term, duties and scope of the priest trustee.

Authority of the Priest Trustee

The priest trustee is, by default, a member of the Malankara Association Managing Committee as well as the Working Committee of the Association Managing Committee. As per section C in chapter IV of the 1934 constitution, the three trustees are entrusted with the trusteeship for the Vattipanam and the Kottayam Syrian Seminary and the income which have accrued or shall be accruing therefrom.

Election

Section C in chapter IV of the 1934 constitution goes on, giving the regulations for the election to the position of the associate trustees. Clause 93 states: The Association shall elect the Associate Trustees. The term of office of the Associate Trustees shall be co-terminus as that of the period of election of the Association members. The office of the associate trustee will continue until another trustee was elected and assumed office. The Association may remove them and appoint others without assigning any reason.

List of Priest Trustees

In the Association meeting held at Kottayam Old Seminary on 21 October 1869, presided by Malankara Metropolitan Palakkunnath Mathews Athanasius, Thazhath Chacko Chandypillai was elected as the first priest trustee.
During the Association meeting held from 11 to 13 September 1886 at Kottayam Old Seminary which was presided by Malankara Metropolitan Dionysius V, Konat Kora Yohannan was elected as the priest trustee.
From 21 to 23 November 1895, a meeting of the Association convened at the Old Seminary chaired by Dionysius V during which Konat Kora Mathen Malpan was elected as the priest trustee. He had been given the honorary title of Malankara Malpan in 1890. Later, during the dispute over the authority of the Patriarch of Antioch over Malankara, Konat Kora Mathen Malpan was a staunch supporter of the Patriarch, opposing the Malankara Metropolitan Dionyius VI. This led to the deposition of Konat Kora Mathen Malpan from trusteeship in 1911.
Following the removal of Konat Kora Mathen Malpan from trusteeship, the Association meeting held on 7 September 1911 at Kottayam M. D. Seminary elected Palappallil Mani Paulose as the priest trustee. He was the longest serving Priest Trustee in the history of the Malankara Church. As a solution to the threats faced by the Catholicos Baselius Paulose I in the administration of Kandanad diocese from the dissident faction, Mani Paulose played a central role in inviting the Catholicos to shift the Holy See to Pampakuda on 16 April 1913, from where the Catholicos reigned until his demise on 2 May 1913. Paulose I was interred in Pampakuda Cheriyapally. As Priest Trustee, Mani Paulose served to that capacity for 44 years until his demise in 1955. He passed away on 25 December 1955 and was interred at Pampakkuda Cheriyapally, the same Church where Paulose I is buried.
The Association meeting held at Puthencavu St. Mary's Church on 26 December 1958, presided by Baselios Geevarghese II elected Manalil Yakob as the priest trustee. Yakob who had served as secretary to Malankara Metropolitan Vattasseril Dionyius VI during 1925-1934 thus became fortunate to receive the interest of Vattipanam before and after becoming the priest trustee. In order to establish a particular duration for the term of priest trustees, he set a glowing example by resigning in 1965. In spite of being elected to the order of Metropolitan, he rejected the honor. From 1939, he served as a member of Malankara Association Managing Committee for almost five and a half decades until his demise in 1993. Manalil Yakob died on 17 January 1993 and was laid to rest at Yuhanon Church, Manthuruthel.
After the resignation of Manalil Yakob kathanar, the Malankara Association meeting which convened at Kottayam M. D. Seminary presided by Baselios Augen I elected Thengumthottathil Very T. S. Abraham Cor-Episcopa as the priest trustee. He remained stalwart at the side of the Malankara Metropolitan and played a major role in leading the Church safely through a period of several litigations. He died on 30 October 1984.
On 28 December 1982, the Malankara Association meeting held at M. G. M. School, Thiruvalla presided by Baselios MarThoma Mathews I elected Konat Abraham Malpan as the priest trustee. Born to Konat Mathen Chor-episcopa on 30 March 1908, he was a disciple of Baselios Augen I. The title of Malankara Malpan was bestowed on him by Baselios Geevarghese II on 3 July 1963. He had also served as the president of Pampakuda Panchayath for a long time. Abraham Malpan died on 2 March 1987, and was laid to rest at St. John's Valiyapally, Pampakuda.
The first competitive election to the position of priest trustee was carried out during the Association meeting held at Kottayam M. D. Seminary, presided by Baselios MarThoma Mathews I. Mathai Nooranal emerged as the winner in the third round and assumed the office of priest trustee. He served magnificently to this capacity until his demise on 29 November 2002 and his mortal remains were interred at St. Mary's Church, Sultan Bathery.
On 10 June 2004, the Association meeting held at Parumala Seminary presided by Baselios MarThoma Mathews II elected O. Thomas as the priest trustee. He served in that capacity till 2007. O. Thomas is a noted writer and theologian who has also served as a professor at the Old Seminary since 1981. In 2015, he was appointed as the Principal of the Old Seminary by Baselios MarThoma Paulos II.
Johns Abraham, Konat served as the priest trustee for two terms. He was re-elected for a second term by the meeting of Malankara Association held at Pathanamthitta on 7 March 2012, presided by Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan Baselios Thoma Paulose II. An authority on Church Canons, Liturgy and Syriac language, Johns Abraham Konat also serves as a professor at the Old Seminary.
Incumbent