India’s ‘ longest serving Bishop’ , Dr. Philipose Mar Christostom, Metropolitan Emeritus of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian church , passed away on May 5. The funeral was held on Thursday, May 6.

 He had completed  103 years on April 27 this year.

The Metropolitan Emeritus was ailing for a while and passed away at a private hospital in Kumaband, Kerala state.

Regarded as the world’s longest serving bishop who served for about 68 years, he was called the man with the golden tongue and was well-known for his warm friendship with people cutting across religions, and his no-holds-barred sense of humour.

He had attended second Vatican Council summoned by Pope John 23rd as the official observer of the Mar Thoma Church.

The Mar Thoma Church sees itself as continuation of the ‘Saint Thomas Christians’, a community traditionally believed to have been founded in the first century by Thomas the Apostle, who is known as Mar Thoma (Saint Thomas) in Syriac, and describes itself as “Apostolic in origin, Universal in nature, Biblical in faith, Evangelical in principle, Ecumenical in outlook, Oriental in worship, Democratic in function, and Episcopal in character.”

 Mar Philipose was awarded with the Padma Bhushan, India’s highest civilian honour in 2018.

The Bishop was known as ‘humour king’  often interacted with political leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sonia Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and Pinarayi Vijayan, made them laugh during their conversations.

“Valiya Metropolitan Mar Chrysostom was a head of the church in whom there was a full measure of divinity and humanity. Through his scriptural appeals, he led thousands to God and to the service of humanity,” said Cardinal George Alencherry, president of Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council and major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

“His kindness and generosity provided solace to thousands and through the Maramon Convention, he strengthened the working of the church in the State. His sense of humour and humility endeared him to people from all walks of life. He worked for the unity of the church and provided a sense of direction to the church,” the cardinal said, adding that personally the Valiya Metropolitan loved him and was an inspiration for him.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the former head of the Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church had used the bishopric to better peoples’ lives.

“He was with the people in their times of pain and distress. The spiritual leader was progressive in outlook and humanist in nature. The Bishop had used his long life for the betterment of society. His refined sense of humour brightened Kerala’s cultural life,” Mr. Vijayan said.

Several prominent persons from all walks of life have expressed their condolences, and several newspapers across India have taken note of his passing.

Born in Karthikappally on April 27, 1918, as Philip Oomen, he earned a graduate degree from the Union Christian College in Kerala, before going for theological studies in Bengaluru in 1940.

 In the early 1950s, he did advanced theological studies at St. Augustine’s College, Canterbury. He was consecrated as a bishop in 1953.

The Mar Thoma Church’s website states Philipose Mar Chrysostom “was exalted to the positions of Suffragan Metropolitan in May 1978, Officiating Metropolitan on 15th March 1999 and Metropolitan on 23rd October 1999”.

In October 2007 , having attained the age of 89, the Metropolitan had handed over his administrative responsibilities to his successor, the late Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, and moved to the Maramon Aramana (Jubilee Home).

Young Philip Oommen was very popular for his down-to-earth character. Once he had been waiting for a train to Kerala for around three hours in Jolarpettai railway station in Tamil Nadu, when he noticed a quarrel between railway porters and commuters.

He approached them and requested the porters to behave politely to the elderly. Then, one of the porters told him that they didn’t want his advice and that he could understand their problems only if he worked as a porter. Oommen accepted it as a challenge and worked as a porter there for at least for three months and brought changes to the lives of porters there. [from a news report]

  Church, Mar Philipose Chrysostom, Mar Thoma Church