Pope Francis has declared 'venerable' upon Archbishop Mar Ivanios P. T. Geevarghese Panikkervettil, the founder of the Malankara Reunion Movement and the first Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, south India.
He was also the founder of the religious Congregation Order of Imitation of Christ (OIC) and Sisters of Imitation of Christ (SIC).
The Pope has also declared two others as saints, two as martyrs, and five as blessed. On March 15, the Malankara Syriac Catholic Church held a Thanksgiving Holy Mass and commemorative services at St. Mary's Major Archi-Eparchial Cathedral in Pattom, where Mar Ivanios' tomb is.
Geevarghese was born on September 21, 1882, into a traditional Christian family named Panikkaruveettil, the son of Thoma Panicker and Annamma of Mavelikkara.
He joined M.D. Seminary High School, Kottayam, in 1897 after completing his primary studies. He then pursued higher studies at Madras Christian College and Serampore College, Calcutta.
He received his diaconate ordination from Mar Divannasios of Pulikottil, who was the Metropolitan of Malankara Church.
On September 15, 1908, Metropolitan Vattasseril Mar Divannasios ordained him as a priest. Soon after his ordination to the priesthood, he was appointed as the principal of M.D. Seminary High School. Later, he became a professor at Serampore University.
On August 15, 1919, he established a monastery at Ranni Perunnadu called "Bethany" after returning home and becoming fascinated by the monastic way of life.
On May 1, 1925, Father Geevarghese was ordained as the Metropolitan of Bethany at Parumala, and Geevarghese adopted the name Mar Ivanios.
On September 20, 1930, Bishop Mar Theophilos and three others embraced the Catholic Church in front of the then Bishop of Kollam, Bishop Aloysius Maria Benziger, at the Bishop's House Chapel at Thankassery in Kollam.
In 1932, Mar Ivanios received the pallium from Pope Pius XI following his trip to Rome. On June 11, 1932, the Malankara Syriac Catholic Hierarchy was established in the Universal Church.
He was appointed as the first Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram. On July 15, 1953, he died and was buried at St. Mary's Cathedral, Pattom.
On February 25, 1998, the Church officially commenced the process of canonizing Mar Ivanios. On July 14, 2007, Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis Catholicos proclaimed Mar Ivanios a servant of God. On June 23, 2014, as part of the canonization process, the tomb of Ivanios was opened and inspected.
After an exhaustive examination of Mar Ivanios' writings and correspondence, a comprehensive report spanning nearly 100,000 pages was meticulously compiled and submitted to the Holy See.
Upon scrutiny of this detailed dossier, recommendations were put forth to Pope Francis for the declaration of Mar Ivanios as "venerable."
In a momentous announcement, Pope Francis endorsed these recommendations, propelling Mar Ivanios' cause forward to the next phase in the journey toward beatification and, ultimately, canonization.
This milestone marks a significant advancement in the recognition of Mar Ivanios' exemplary life and virtues, underscoring his potential sanctity and the profound impact of his legacy within the Catholic community.
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