Record breaking, longest serving Bishop decides to step down

The record breaking Mar Thoma Bishop, Philipose Mar Chrysostum, metropolian and supreme head of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar has decided to step down from his leadership, on Tuesday.

On August 7, this year, the Bishop entered the record books for becoming the longest serving Bishop among all churches with Episcopal tradition in India. Previously the record was held by Bishop Jerome with his service for 19,799 days from Dec 12, 1937 to Feb 26, 1992.

Reading out the retirement plans from a written piece, the 90 year old church head addressed the assembly called the ‘sabha mandalam’, in local language.

Chrysostum was born in Eraviperoor near Thiruvalla and was ordained as priest in 1944. He became the supreme head of Mar Thoma Church on Oct 22, 1999.

Till 1999, the rule of the church was that a new metropolitan could only be ordained after the death of the serving metropolitan. But a change was then made in by laws of the church that the supreme head can retire if he wished to step down on his own.

The new head of the church would now be Rev. Joseph Mar Irenaeus Suffragan, another veteran Bishop. His appointment would be in October, this year.