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Campaign for God
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The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of
India
► He holds a Doctorate in Philosophy and entered into the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See on 15 April, 1979. ► He served in the Apostolic Nunciatures in Panama, Ethiopia, Australia, Turkey, Egypt, Yugoslavia and Ireland. ► On 28 November, 1998, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Rwanda. ► On 20 November, 2003, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia, and Apostolic Delegate in Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia and Brunei. ► On 8 May, 2010, he was appointed apostolic Nuncio to India ► He speaks English, French and Spanish
Cardinal Gracias and Cardinal Toppo Dedicate the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India to the Nation GUWAHATI, March 3 The publication of the three volumes of the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India is a worthy model for the world Churches and an incomparable achievement and contribution of the Church in India, stated Oswald Cardinal Gracias in Guwahati, dedicating the work to the nation. The publication of the third and final volume is something of which the Encyclopaedia team can be justly proud, but they should not rest on their oars but must continue their much needed work of service to the Church in India today, His Eminence went on to say. Telespore P. Cardinal Toppo dedicated the volumes to the world Christian community. The two Cardinals officially released the Encyclopaedia by exchanging copies of the work, in the presence of Archbishops and Bishops from all over India and members of the CBCI Commissions. Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, Prof. George Menachery the Editor of the Encyclopaedia, and Dr. George Plathottam the secretary of the CBCI Commission for Media also spoke on the occasion.
The Encyclopaedia comprises the
contributions of hundreds of well-known
scholars from all over India and abroad.
There are articles on almost every aspect of
Christianity in india, dealing with all
chronological, denominational, and
geographical divisions. The more than
thousand illustrations on art plates, half
of them on full colour art plates, in
addition to the dozens of maps including a
whole Christian and Linguistic atlas of
India, and the graphs, tables, figures, and
sketches go to make the work an exhaustive
reference tool. Each major article is
supported by bibliographies and inclusive
end-notes, making the encyclopaedia an
indispensible reference work for seminaries
and teheological colleges. universities and
colleges, and libraries of ecclesiastical
establishments and headquarters and
formation houses of religious congregations.
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The Syro Malabar Major Archbishop and Cardinal His Eminence Mar Varkey Vithayathil presents the first ever Syro Malabar Church Award instituted through the Liturgical Research Centre for "Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion of Syro Malabar Heritage", to Chevalier Professor George Menachery, editor of the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India and the Indian Church History Classics, at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad, Ernakulam, Kochi on 1st Makaram - 14th Jan., 2010, in the presence of the 36 Bishops and Archbishops of that Church. |
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Cardinal Vithayathil Better His Eminent Beatitude Mar Vakkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Major ArchBishop and Head of the Syro Malabar Church, and President of the CBCI, who was admitted to the hospital Monday night following a heart condition has registered considerable improvement in his condition and has been tranferred from the Ventilator. However His Eminence is still under active medical observation at the Lissie Hospital, Ernakulam. Visitors are strictly prohibited. -SARAS NEWS Cardinal Varkey Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil Critical
The condition of Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of the Syro Malabar Church, who was admitted to the Lissie Hospital on Monday night after a cardiac arrest, continues to be critical.
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Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church Mar varkey Cardinal Vithayathil honours Prof. George Menachery with a bouquet on the latter's being selected for the first Liturgical Research Centre Award of the Syro Malabar Church. Present on the dais were Bishop Mar James Pazhayattil, Archbishop Mar Andrews thazhath, Bishop Mar Thomas Chakiath, and Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt |
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Vatican City, Sept. 19 At Castel Gandolfo, Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Major Arch Bishop and Head of the Syro - Malabar Church, presents a copy of the third and final volume of the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India, the reference work on Christianity in India edited by Prof. George Menachery, along with the Alphonsa Coin to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
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"Heads and Fathers"
of all the Eastern Catholic Churches discuss Vatican city, 19 Sept. 2009: This morning in Castel Gandolfo Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil met the Holy Father along with other Catholic patriacrchs and major archbishops from the Oriental Churches. Participating in the meeting were Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, alongside the "Heads and Fathers" of all the Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with the Bishop of Rome. They are: His Beatitude Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, Patriarh of Antioch of the Maronites, Lebanon; Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, Iraq; Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halyc, Ukraine; Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil C.SS.R.; Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabars, India; His Beatitude Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Egypt; His Beatitude Gregorios III Laham, Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek Melkites, Syria; His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, Lebanon; His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians, Lebanon, Archbishops Major of the Rumanian and Syro-Malankara Churches and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. The Pontiff had Lunch with the representatives of the Oriental Churches. During the meeting the Head of the Syro-Malabar Church Cardinal Vithayathil presented the Holy Father with heritage articles of the Indian Church viz. the Alphona Coin and the third and final volume of the St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India edited by Prof. George Menachery.
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URGENT LETTER TO HIS GRACE
Syro Malabar Processions / Pradakhinams in NRK NRI Cities / Communities
May I humbly request your Grace to immediately issue a special circular to the NRKs/NRIs exhorting them to hold such a procession and celebration beginning with this July 3rd itself.
From
Prof. George Menachery
Ollur Thrissur City 680306
0091 487 235 2468, 0091 487 235 4398, 0091 98460 33713
Your Esteemed and Respected Grace,
May I humbly request your Grace to go through the following and take appropriate action if thought fit.
In the circumstances obtaining among the NRK/NRI Syro-Malabar communities in many Indian and foreign cities the Nazranies hardly get any chance to get together or to maintain their identity. Hence one possibility is for them to celebrate the Ormapperunnal of our father St. Thomas the Apostle with at least a public procession inside the church campus or if possible outside it, with all the cultural elements of our Pradakhinams or church processions.
It could be any one of the four types of processions we have - 1.intra-church procession, 2.procession rounding the open-air cross (this won’t be possible in most cases outside Kerala), 3.procession around the church building or campus, or 4. procession along the streets or Angadies.
I have found how happy our people are to congregate on such occasions - whether in the Americas or Europe or the Middle East, especially in the US and the Gulf, and how proud our people are of our cultural traditions and individuality.. A Syro- Malabar Mass may be said where ( and only where) the local hierarch permits it. Otherwise it can be a well attended religio-cultural event to which there could be no objection from any quarter. Such a programme, I feel - and am convinced from experience in different parts of the world - could and will go a long way to unite our people and to hold them together in the memory of our heritage and roots. AND it could be a first step in many ways.
These Pradakhinams or processions must have as many of the following elements as possible: 1. A gold(en) processional cross with the red (or other) sheath. 2.Two silver(y) crosses with sheaths. 3.Many colourful parasols or umbrellas viz. Muthukkudas. 4. At least one processional Roopakkoodu to carry the image of St. Thomas &c. typically decorated. 5.Band sets and typical Kerala Vadyams and Melams including drummers. 6. Fancy fire-works where permissible. 7. Public and common preparation and distribution of Kozhalappam, Achappam, Unni Appam, Neyyappam, and other Syro-Malabar confectionaries.
May I humbly request your Grace to immediately issue a special circular to the NRKs/NRIs exhorting them to hold such a procession and celebration beginning with this July 3rd itself.
Thanking Your Grace,
Your Graces’ obedient servant,
Prof. George Menachery.
p.s.Establishing a Bahya Kerala - Bahya Bharata Diocese for agreeable areas at least must be another priority.
p.p.s. Could we think of a reserve team of priests willing to serve these communities from time to time on special occasions and to give them cultural experiences and guidance in the form of seminars, video fests, power-point talks &c. occasionally?
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