Mor Coorilos Geevarghese, formerly George Mathew Nalunnakkal, is the Metropolitan of

Niranam Diocese The Diocese of Niranam is one of the 32 diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church located at Niranam, Kerala, India. History The Diocese of Niranam is created in 1876 with 22 parishes. The first Metropolitan Bishop, Metropolitan of the d ...

Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, also known as the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church, Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church, or the Syriac Orthodox Church in India is an autonomous maphrianate of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch base ...

Life and pastoral career

George Mathew Nalunnakkal was born in Nalunnakkal, Kottayam, Kerala in 1965 as son of P.C. Mathew (Principal Sub Registrar) and Marykutty. He has two brothers and four sisters. He was baptized at St. Adai's Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church, Nalunnakkal, his home parish. His early schooling was done at St. Adai's Primary School, St. Elias Upper Primary School, Nalunnakkal and Jerusalem Mount High School, Vakathanam. After his schooling he joined St. Berchmans' College, Changanacherry where he did his Pre-Degree and Graduation in English literature.

Theological studies

After his graduation, he joined the United Theological College, Bangalore for his theological studies. He completed his B.D in 1990 in first class and was appointed as research assistant in the department of Church and Society. In 1991, he joined the faculty of the M.S.O.T. Seminary in

Mulanthuruthy Mulanthuruthy, also spelt Mulamthuruthy, is a south-eastern suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. The historic Marthoman church is located here. Chottanikkara Temple is situated nearby Mulanthuruthy. Location It is about 15 km southea ...

, Kerala. In 1992 he was offered a scholarship to do his doctoral studies in England and he joined the

University of Kent The University of Kent (formerly the University of Kent at Canterbury, abbreviated as UKC) is a Collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom. The university was granted its roya ...

at Canterbury, England to do his Ph.D. in

Ecotheology Ecotheology is a form of constructive theology that focuses on the interrelationships of religion and nature, particularly in the light of environmental concerns. Ecotheology generally starts from the premise that a relationship exists between ...

under Anglican Professor Robin Gill. On completing his Ph.D., he rejoined M.S.O.T. Seminary and resumed teaching. In 2001 Mor Coorilos joined the teaching faculty of the United Theological College, Bangalore.

Ordination

Mor Coorilos was ordained a deacon in 2001 and a priest in 2002 by Thomas Mor Themotheose Metropolitan. After his ordination, he served as vicar in different parishes in Kerala and assistant vicar in one of the Bangalore parishes. In 2006, he was elevated to the position of Bishop

Other positions

He presently serves as the president of KCC ( Kerala Council of Churches). He served the Kerala Council of Churches as its senior faculty member (1997–1998), the

National Council of Churches in India The National Council of Churches in India is an ecumenical forum for Protestant and Orthodox churches in India. It provides a platform for member churches and organizations to act on common issues relating to Christianity in India. History The ...

as its executive secretary for Mission and Evangelism (1998–2001). He now serves the

World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, most jurisdictions of the Eastern Orthodo ...

as moderator of its Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME). He was also a full member of the WCC's reference group on Human Sexuality. Mor Coorilos also serves as a member of the Working Group of Global Christian Forum (GCF) that looks at the issue of proselytism and mission and also as the chairperson of the Student Christian Movement of India (SCMI). He is also a member of the advisory group of Korean Institute of Future Ecumenism (KIFE). He also serves as a member of the Theological Commission of the

that is engaged in bilateral dialogue with the

Mar Thoma Syrian Church The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, often shortened to Mar Thoma Church, and known also as the Reformed Syrian ChurchS. N. Sadasivan. A Social History of India''. APH Publishing; 2000. . p. 442. and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malab ...

. Mor Coorilos was an active prohibitionist during the time period of Kerala's Liquor Bar issue of

Second Oommen Chandy Ministry The United Democratic Front government led by Oommen Chandy sworn in on 18 May 2011. Seven of the total 20 members of the Cabinet took office on 18 May and the rest sworn in on 23 May after completing discussion with member parties of the UDF. ...

India Center for Social Change

Mor Coorilos was the chairman of Theeram, India Center for Social Change, a charitable trust that Mor Coorilos founded in 2002 which has been working for the welfare of

mentally challenged Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability (in the United Kingdom), and formerly mental retardation (in the United States), Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010).Archive is a generalized neurodevelopmental d ...

children in

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. Under his leadership this institution has established thirteen vocational training and day care centers in various parts of Kerala and a full-fledged residential centre in Puthuppally, Kottayam under the name Theeram,www.icsctheeram.org where about 225 mentally disabled children are being trained. Theeram has also started an old age home in the tsunami-hit area of Alappadu in Karunagappally, Kerala.

Mor Adai Study Center

, Metropolitan Coorilos was serving Mor Adai Study Center as its working president. He was the co-founder and the executive director since 2003, and when he was elevated to the position of metropolitan, he became the working president.

Published works

Coorilos's published works include: *''Jeevante Akhosham'', Bible Studies in Malayalam, KCC/EDTP, Tiruvalla, 1998 *''New Beings and New Communities: Theological Reflections in a Postmodern Context'', KCC/EDTP, Tiruvalla, 1998 *''Green Liberation: Towards an Integral Ecotheology'', NCCI/ISPCK, Delhi, 1999 *''Quest for Justice: Perspectives on Mission and Unity'' (co-edited), NCCI/GURUKUL/ISPCK, Delhi, 2000 *''Re-routing Mission: Towards a People's Concept of Mission'', CCA/CSS, Tiruvalla, 2004 *''HIV/AIDS: A Challenge to Theological Education'', (co-edited), BTESSC/Sathri, Bangalore, 2004 *''Sathya Vishwasa Padanangal'' (co-authored),Essays in Malayalam on Oriental Orthodox faith, Mor Adai Study Center, Cheeranchira, 2003 *''Kazhchapadukal'', Essays in Malayalam, Mor Adai Study Center, Cheeranchira, 2002 *''Ethical Issues: Subaltern Perspectives'', CSS, Tiruvalla, 2008 *''Samantharalokangal'', Essays in Malayalam on Contemporary Socio-Political Issues, CSS, Tiruvalla, 2012

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coorilose, Geevarghese Mor 1965 births Living people Syriac Orthodox Church bishops Alumni of the University of Kent Indian Oriental Orthodox Christians Christian clergy from Kottayam 21st-century Oriental Orthodox archbishops