100th DUKRONO OF MOR DIONYSIUS JOSEPH PULIKOTTIL

The 100th death anniversary of Mor Dionysius Joseph Pulikottil, the former
Malankara Metropolitan & regional head of the Syriacs in India, falls on July
11, 2009. The occasion will be marked with special prayers in remembrance of the
holy father, during the Sunday Mass on 12th July in all the Malankara Syrian
churches.

Mor Dionysius V Joseph Pulikottil is one of those illustrious fathers of the
Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church who is remembered with great reverence and
affection. For nearly four and half decades he led the Malankara Church; first
as assistant to the Apostolic delegate Mor Kurillos Yuyakim and later as the
'Malankara Metropolitan', the chief of the Malankara Archdiocese. The Syrian
Christian community of India owes a lot to this spiritual father for his able
and dedicated leadership. H.E. Mor Divanasios (Dionysius) Pulikottil is widely
acknowledged as the architect of the modern Malankara Church.

Born in the 'Pulikottil' family of Kunnamkulam, Mor Divanasios rose to the order
of Metropolitan in AD 1865. The sufferings he faced as Metropolitan to retain
the Syrian Orthodox faith in Malankara was unprecedented. In those period, the
British were the dominant force in India and they supported the Anglican Church
who tried to introduce their protestant faith among the Syrian Christians. As a
consequence of this, many of the churches in Central Travancore (Southern
Kerala) including the lone Seminary of the Jacobite Syrian Christians at
Kottayam, came under the influence of the Church Missionary Society (C.M.S).

However with the arrival of Mor Ignatius Peter IV, the Patriarch of Antioch and
all the East, in AD 1875, the situation changed for better. The discussions held
by the Patriarch with the British authorities at London on his way to India,
helped a lot in changing their attitude towards the Malankara Church. Since then
the Government and judiciary under British rule, started to function
impartially. But the internal administration of the Malankara Church remained a
complicated affair. So the Patriarch held series of discussions with the
representatives of the Syrian Christian community to find out a longstanding
solution to the problems pertaining the Malankara Church.

In June AD 1876, Patriarch Mor Ignatius Peter IV convened a Synod at the
Mulunthuruthy Mar Thoman Church, which gave birth to the popular and democratic
'Syrian Christian Association Committee'; a body comprising of representatives
from the Parishes of Malankara. As per the decision of this historic Synod,
Malankara Edavaka (Syrian Archdiocese in India) was divided into six new
dioceses for administrative convenience, and Metropolitans were ordained for
each (St.Gregorios of Parumala was one of those new Metropolitans ordained by
the Patriarch Mor Ignatius Peter IV). Decision was also taken to elevate the
senior most Metropolitan of Malankara Church 'H.E. Mor Divanasios Joseph
Pulikottil', as the first Metropolitan President of the newly formed Association
and as the chief of the local Synod, with the designation MALANKARA
METROPOLITAN. Since then His Excellency came to be called 'Mor DIVANASIOS V',
being the fifth Metropolitan of the Indian Church known in the same name. (The
first of the Malankara bishops who adorned the title 'Divanasios' was Marthoma
VI in 1770. He died in 1808).

His Grace Mor Divanasios V continued as the head of the Church in Malankara for
33 long years and by then, he was able to re-establish the lost glory of the
Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church. It was at his insistence many of the spiritual
organizations like the students movement, Sunday school etc. were organized in a
systematic order for the first time in Malankara. He is also the founder of the
famous Seminary at Parumala. His administrative capability was considered to be
extraordinary. Pulikottil Mor Divanasios V is undoubtedly one of the greatest
Metropolitans of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church.

Exclusive website by Malankara Syriac Christian Resources on the life of Mor
Dionysius Joseph Pulikottil:

http://www.syrianchurch.org/PulikottilII/Pulikottil.htm
http://www.syrianchurch.org/PulikottilII/Pulikkottil.htm