Yuhanon Meletius

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This article is about the Malankara Orthodox Syrian bishop. For the Syriac Orthodox Church bishop, see Militos Yuhanon.

Yuhanon Meletius
ChurchMalankara Orthodox Syrian Church
DioceseThrissur Diocese
In office1990 – Present
Orders
Ordination23 December 1990
by Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I and later he was excommunicated.
Personal details
Born (1954-07-04) 4 July 1954 (age 69)
Elakkaranadu, Ernakulam, Kerala

Yuhanon Meletius is the metropolitan bishop of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church's Thrissur Diocese in India.[1][2] Following the death of Baselios Marthoma Paulose II in 2021, Meletius was one of the seven members of an administrative council that governed the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC).[3]

Early life and education

Yuhanon Meletius was born to Markose and Saramma Murimakkil at Elakkaranadu. He attended

PhD studies. He also studied Syriac at St Aphrem’s Seminary in Damascus.[1]

Ministry

Meletius was ordained a

Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. He was consecrated as a bishop in Damascus on 23 December 1990.[1]

On 18 January 2019, clashes erupted between Jacobite and Malanakara Orthodox Christians in front of St. Mary's Church in

Malankara Catholicos of the East, refused mediation from other Christian denominations in resolving the row in December 2019, which the MOSC declared an internal matter.[7]

Meletius was among those who approved the budgetary needs of the MOSC; in 2020, he was among the functionaries who approved a ₹790 crore annual budget for the church.[8] Following the July 2021 death of Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, Meletius was on the seven-person administrative council that governed the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church until Baselios Marthoma Mathews III was enthroned in October that year.[3]

Following the 2021 announcement of the title of director

Jesuit and tribal activist Stan Swamy died in custody.[9]

Meletius has been a critic of "Chrisanghis," Christian sympathizers with the rhetoric of the anti-minority Sangh Parivar and Hindutva. In May 2022, he said "Christians are moving on a suicidal path. I don’t think the Sangh parivar can take the Christians on that easily in Kerala. But I have no doubt that Kerala will also see what we now see in north India."[9] He has encouraged an interfaith closing of ranks akin to that seen during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to combat "extremism". The comments came soon after Stan Swamy died in custody in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist case; Meletius has stated that he believes Swamy was "killed."[9] Meletius has also been a critic of P. C. George, a Poonjar politician who in 2022 Meletius called "opportunistic" and opposed to what Meletius called a majority of Christians who were "peace-loving" and "committed to the core values of India like democracy, freedom."[10] George responded by accusing Meletius of working for the Pinarayi government.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c "H.G. Dr. Yuhanon Mar Meletius". mosc.in. Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Dr. Yuhanon Mar Meletius". Malankara Orthodox TV. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  3. ^
    Times of India. Thrissur. Archived
    from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  4. Times of India. Thrissur. Archived
    from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  5. Times of India. Thrissur. Archived
    from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  6. New Indian Express. Thrissur. Archived from the original
    on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  7. New Indian Express. Kerala. 5 December 2019. Archived
    from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  8. ^ "₹790-crore budget for Orthodox Church in Kerala". The Hindu. Kerala. 15 February 2020. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  9. ^ a b c Rakesh, R.M. (30 May 2022). "We are quickly losing India's fundamental character: Bishop". The Telegraph. Bangalore. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  10. Times of India. Thrissur. Archived
    from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  11. ^ "PC George slams Metropolitan Mar Meletius; accuses him of working for Pinarayi govt". Mathrubhumi. 30 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
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