Philipose Mar Chrysostom: The Kerala priest who made us snicker

It spoke volumes of the recognition and authority of Chrysostom that he might publicly poke enjoyable at a serving chief minister minutes after the latter introduced him with an award. At a church-organised operate in Pathanamthitta in May 2014, a time when Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was weathering scandals each inside and out of doors the social gathering, Chrysostom checked out him and mentioned, “There was a time when a Puthuppally-born boy would issue orders as a student leader and everyone heeded to him. He could make the state tremble in fear. But today, I’m hearing that the state is making him tremble in fear.” Chandy and the remainder of the viewers burst out in laughter.
In the early hours of Wednesday, Philipose Mar Chrysostom, who regaled audiences along with his uncanny knack for wit and humour, died at a non-public hospital in Pathanamthitta on the age of 103.
The longest-serving bishop in India, Chrysostom was the patriarch of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, a neighborhood which is believed to have been transformed by St Thomas (or Mar Thoma in Malayalam), one of many 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. Though the Church itself ranks as solely the sixth-largest Christian neighborhood within the state as per the 2011 Census, the type of acceptance and adoration that Chrysostom commanded was maybe not loved by any Christian priest within the state.

And that’s primarily attributed to Chrysostom’s capacity to transcend non secular and political disparities, to succeed in out to at least one one other utilizing the language of affection and humanity. Rather than staying throughout the confines of a strict theologian, he believed in conversing with whomever he might discover, regardless of the sphere or sector they labored in. And so, there are reams of transcripts and tons of of hours of footage of Chrysostom’s conversations with personalities of various hues, from politics to cinema, literature to social work and sports activities to spirituality. On the centenary of his delivery, acclaimed movie director Blessy produced a documentary on the life and beliefs of Chrysostom that gained entry into the Guinness Book of World Records within the class of ‘longest documentary’ ever, working over 48 hours.

Chrysostom was born as Philip Oommen in 1917 right into a household close to Thiruvalla which has produced many clergymen. Following within the footsteps of his father, who was the vicar of an area Mar Thoma church, he accomplished his graduate research in Kerala, occurring to check theology in Bengaluru the place he started missionary actions in 1940.
Even earlier than India obtained Independence, Oommen was ordained as a deacon with the Bengaluru parish. And in 1953, he was given the episcopal title ‘Philipose Mar Chrysostom’, the one with the golden tongue, an outline he conformed to until his final breath.
He remained a bishop for 67 years and 11 months, the longest-ever inside any church within the nation. He was put in as Metropolitan in 1999 and retired as Metropolitan Emeritus in 2007. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the nation’s third-highest civilian honour, in 2018 for his excellent contribution to society and communal concord.
The outstanding side about Chrysostom is that even because the world’s best honours got here on the lookout for him, he owed his achievements to probably the most primary folks whose work and livelihoods formed his life. Often, in interviews and speeches, he has credited his Bishophood to an unlikely coconut plucker named Shanku. When folks sat up considering how that was doable, he would clarify, “When I was studying, my family’s sole source of income was through coconuts in the field. Only if Shanku came and plucked coconuts, could the money be used to pay the college fees. If he hadn’t come, studies would get disrupted and I wouldn’t have become a priest. Without becoming a priest, one cannot become a bishop.”
Chrysostom has additionally rallied in opposition to social evils like habit to alcohol and medicines, calling it one of the vital issues in Kerala. When Chandy launched prohibition throughout his stint in energy, the Christian patriarch lauded him for his braveness to do it, though the coverage was reversed to a big extent after the Left events got here to energy. He has additionally been vital of the commercialisation of the Church amid allegations of its involvement in shady land offers. When the general public agitation in opposition to constructing an airport in Aranmula by destroying acres of paddy fields reached its zenith, Chrysostom too raised his hand and mentioned, “Nobody should fly over us by destroying our paddy fields and denying water to us. I don’t like it.”

But above all, it’s the good-natured, and generally sharp humour in his phrases that endeared him to plenty going past his religion and positioned him altogether on a unique pedestal. In the native media, he’s typically described as ‘chirippikkunna thirumeni’ (the priest who makes us smile) or ‘chiriyude thamburan’ (The Lord of smile). His humour was particular as a result of it was typically at the price of himself, his religion and even God. In a society the place poking enjoyable at God can elicit disastrous penalties, Chrysostom proved he might do it amicably and for good motive. The folks knew that he was solely making some extent.
“I tell jokes mainly to cement some of life’s most fundamental principles inside our people’s minds. When they remember a joke, they may recall the principle I talked about,” he mentioned in an interview.