Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel

Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel (died 27 April 1681) was the Metropolitan bishop of Jerusalem and saint in the Syriac Orthodox Church.

Abdul Jaleel was born in Mosul, Iraq. In 1654 he was ordained Metropolitan bishop for the Ameed (Diyarbaker) diocese in Turkey by the Patriarch Mar Ignatius She'mun. In AD. 1664, he was elevated as the Metropolitan of Jerusalem with the title Mar Gregorios. Due to the significance of the city, the Metropolitan of Jerusalem is referred to as the 5th Patriarch in the Syrian Orthodox tradition. He traveled to India in 1665 to regularize the ordination of Mar Thoma I and to oppose the Portuguese. The Bawa died on 27 April 1681, and his mortal remains were interred in the St. Thomas Church at North Paravur. On April 4, 2000, Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I declared Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel a saint.

Mar Gregorios in India

St. Thomas the Apostle arrived in India in AD 52 and converted many to Christianity. The Christians in India were referred to as Nazranis and continued to maintain close contact with various Christian centers in the Middle East. After their arrival in India, the Portuguese used their military might and influence with certain local rulers to forcibly convert the Nazrani Christians to Roman Catholicism. The Indians responded with the Koonan Kurishu Sathyam proclaiming their unique and apostolic identity. After this incident, Archdeacon Thomas was ordained as bishop by the laying on of hands by twelve priests. This was considered necessary in view of the extraordinary circumstances. Appeals were sent to various Eastern Christian centers and Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel Bawa of Jerusalem was the first to respond.

Mar Gregorios reached Ponnani, then an important port on the south Western coast of India, in 1665. The 'Travancore State Manual' Vol II Page 187, records the arrival of Mor Gregorios as follows - "Two years afterwards, in 1665, the position of the Archdeacon Thomas altered by the arrival on this coast of a Bishop named Gregory, Patriarch of Jerusalem sent by the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius XXIII the quarter whence had come Ahathalla, thirteen years previously".

Knowing the prevailing political climate, he traveled further south by land in disguise until he came across some Syrian Christians from the North Paravur church. He revealed his identity showing them the 'Sthathikon' from the Patriarch of Antioch. They led him to their church and sent word to others. The Archdeacon and many people rushed to the place to welcome the Bawa. Soon after, Mar Gregorios canonically ordained the Archdeacon as Metropolitan Mar Thoma I. Together, they traveled to various churches reaffirming the Orthodox faith and traditions. In 1670 March Gregorios and Mar Thoma I together ordained Mar Thoma II as the second Malankara Metropolitan.

An important encyclical by Mar Gregorios dated 5th Kumbam 1668 gives us an authentic record of the Malankara Church during that period. Referring to the Synod of Diamper, it says "Most of the early records on the faith and history of the Malankara Church prior to the arrival of Portuguese were destroyed in the aftermaths of the Synod of Diamper. They did this in order to establish a new chapter in Malankara. The ultimate aim of the Synod was to transform the Syrian Christians into the Roman Catholic fold by use of force and in this process, they managed to destroy all the earlier records. The support of Portuguese military and the local Kings made their task much easier." [Extracts from this encyclical were later published in the book E M Philipose, "Indian Church of St.Thomas", 1907. The original is preserved at the Kottayam Valiyapally.]

On 27 April 1681 (M.E. 857 Medom 14th, Friday), His Holiness died. It is said that the holy father knew beforehand the exact hour of his demise. In accordance with his instructions, he was dressed in the pontifical habits with cross and staff in hand and taken to the church seated in a chair. A large number of people gathered at the church and as he breathed his last, the people witnessed a bright glow inside and outside the church and several other miraculous signs. His mortal remains were interred in the 'Hykala' of the St. Thomas Church at North Paravur which has since become a pilgrimage centre.

On April 4, 2000, His Holiness the Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I of the Syrian Orthodox Church declared Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel a saint. On 7 February 2006, the Patriarch issued a decree authorizing the recital of the name of Mor Gregorios Abdel`Jaleel in the Fifth 'TUBDEN' (diptych).

Relics

The relics of Mar Gregorios preserved at the North Paravur St. Thomas church include his Vestments, a golden Cross, a golden Chalice and Platen set and an 'Arulikka' worn by Mor Gregorios. The holy 'Arulikka' has 12 partitions of which 11 contain the relics of saints and the twelfth partition in the middle contains a piece of the cross on which Christ was crucified. The Chalice and Platen are still used in the Holy Qurbana celebrated on the feast of Mar Gregorios. The relics are ceremoniously taken out and exhibited for public veneration on the feast day.

Feast of Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel Bawa

The Perunal(Malayalam) or Dhukrono(Syriac) of Mar Gregorios Bava is celebrated for 3 days starting from 25 April every year and culminating on the 27th. During these days, the North Paravur is declared as a festival area by the Kerala government considering the large flow of pilgrims. Thousands of pilgrims from different parts of Kerala, mostly from the northern part of Malankara, travel by foot covering many miles to reach the tomb every year.

The Feast of Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel is also celebrated at Elanjikal Palli in Niranam on 28 April.

References

External links

* [http://sor.cua.edu/Personage/PZakka1/20000409MGcAbdalJalilMOSleebo.html Patriarchal Encyclical canonizing Mar Gregorios as a saint]
* [http://www.syrianchurch.org/Paravur/StGregorios.htm Biography of Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel Bawa]
* [http://www.syrianchurch.org/MalankaraChurch/DEFAULT.HTM A brief history of Christianity in Kerala]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2967523460070007994&hl=en Video of the 325th Perunnal of St. Abdul Jaleel Mor Gregorious at N.Paravoor church ]