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{{Infobox Christian leader
| name = Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos II
| title = 11th [[Malankara Metropolitan]] and 5th [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]] of Thozhiyoor
| church = [[Malabar Independent Syrian Church]]
| predecessor = [[Mar Dionysius II]] <br /> Sacharias Mar Philoxenos I
| successor = [[Mar Dionysius III]] (interim 1816-1817) <br /> [[Mar Dionysius IV]] <br /> Mar Koorilose III
| native_name = Kidangan Geevarghese
| consecration = 1812
| consecrated_by = Sacharias Mar Philoxenos I
| death_date = 7 February 1829
| term_start = 1812
| term_end = 1829
| honorific_suffix = Malankara Metropolitan and Thozhiyoor Metropolitan
| honorific_prefix = His Grace
| image =
}}

'''Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos II''' (born '''''Kidangan Geevarghese'''''; died 1829) was the [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]] of the [[Malabar Independent Syrian Church]] (Thozhiyur Church) from 1811 to 1829, and the 11th [[Malankara Metropolitan]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mackenzie |first1=Gordon Thomson |title=Christianity in Travancore |date=1901 |publisher=Printed at Travancore Government Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cVQoAAAAYAAJ&dq=Mar+Philoxenos+II&pg=PA37 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Orthodox Church of India |date=1986 |publisher=New Delhi, India: Rachel David / PrintAid |url=https://archive.org/details/orthodoxchurchof0000davi/page/145/mode/1up}}</ref>

== Early life and priesthood ==
Geevarghese was from the Kidangan family of [[Kunnamkulam]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Varughese |first=K. C. |year=1972 |title=Malabar Swathantra Suryani Sabhyude Charitram}}</ref>

He served as vicar of the Arthat Church (Chattukulangara) in the Malankara Church.<ref>{{cite book |last=Agur |first=C. M. |title=Church History of Travancore}}</ref>

In 1812, he was consecrated as a bishop with the title Philoxenos by Sacharias Mar Philoxenos I.<ref>{{cite book |last=Agur |first=C. M. |title=Church History of Travancore}}</ref>

== As Malankara Metropolitan ==

In 1816, during the time of [[Thoma IX|Mar Thoma IX]], amid disputes in the Malankara Church, Mar Philoxenos II consecrated [[Pulikkottil Dionysius II|Pulikkottil Ittoop Ramban]] as Mar Dionysius II at Pazhanji Church.<ref>{{cite book |last=Aiya |first=V. Nagam |title=The Travancore State Manual |year=1906 |page=214}}</ref>

Following the death of [[Mar Dionysius II]] in 1816, contemporary missionary records refer to a bishop considered for leadership in the Malankara Church.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Missionary Register for 1818 |year=1818 |page=103}}</ref>

Thomas Norton, a missionary of the Church Missionary Society, wrote:

{{quote
|text=You will regret to hear, that the good old Metropolitan is dead. He died on Sunday, the 24th of November. I trust he has exchanged an earthly for a heavenly crown. He had been very ill for a long time; but was, to all appearance, recovering: his death, therefore, was rather sudden.

You will naturally be anxious to know who is to be his successor. The Resident, I am happy to say, has been most active on the occasion. He has been looking out for a man of true piety, as well as of talents, for that important office; and such an one, I hope, he has found. He is a Bishop, but has at present no jurisdiction: he has for some time lived a retired life, near Calicut.

The Syrians speak of him as such. Nearly all the Casanars are well affected toward him, and wish to have him over them. I have seen several of them, and they all speak of him in the highest terms. One of them, a man of much prayer, told me, 'He is a man of much prayer, and fears God.' From what I have heard, I should think him worthy of the station. He is very reluctant to leave his retired life, to which he had for some time devoted himself; and has written to the Resident to that effect: but I hope he will be persuaded to accept the office, for the real good of his Church.

If he should be the man, I shall expect great things. My heart is quite encouraged. I cannot but think that God is about to effect a change in the state of these people, by bringing in a man, as their leader and ruler, whom he will endow with much of His Spirit.
|sign=Thomas Norton, CMS Missionary
|source=''The Missionary Register for 1818'', p. 103.
}}

Following deliberations at a synod, a royal proclamation dated 26 December 1816 (26 Dhanu 992 M.E.) confirmed his position as Malankara Metropolitan.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kulakkatt |first=Augustine J. |title=Trade, Politics and Religion: The Religious Policy of the English East India Company (1757–1857) |year=2002}}</ref>

In 1817, Mar Philoxenos II consecrated Punnathra Geevarghese as [[Mar Dionysius III]] at the [[Kottayam Old Seminary]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Christianity in India and the Mar Thoma Church |author=Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan}}</ref>

In 1825, Mar Philoxenos II consecrated Cheppad Philipose Malpan as [[Mar Dionysius IV]] at the [[Kottayam]] Old Seminary on 27 August 1825.<ref>{{cite book |title=Journal of Indian History |year=1949}}</ref>

== Conflict with Mar Athanasios ==
In 1825, Mar Athanasios Abdul Messih, associated with the [[Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch]], arrived in Malankara and opposed the authority of local bishops.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Swanston |first=C. |year=1835 |title=A Memoir of the Primitive Church of Malayala |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society}}</ref>

Contemporary and later accounts record disputes between Athanasios and the existing church leadership.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cheriyan |first=P. |year=1935 |title=The Malabar Christians and the Church Missionary Society}}</ref>

British authorities later intervened in the situation, and Athanasios was deported.<ref>{{cite book |title=Seminary Case Book |volume=Part 2 |page=232}}</ref>

== Later life and death ==
Mar Philoxenos II died on 7 February 1829 (27 Makaram 1004 M.E.).<ref>{{cite book |last=Ittup Writer |year=1906 |title=Malayalathulla Suriyani Kristianikalude Charitram |pages=174–175}}</ref>

He was buried at the Thozhiyur Church (St. George's Cathedral).<ref>{{cite book |last=Juhanon Thoma |first=Metropolitan of Mar Thoma Syrian Church |title=A study book for first communicants |year=2010}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Malabar Independent Syrian Church]]
* [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite book |last=Ittup Writer |year=1906 |title=Malayalathulla Suriyani Kristianikalude Charitram |trans-title=History of the Syrian Church of Malabar |pages=174–175}}

* {{cite book |last=Howard |first=G. B. |year=1864 |title=The Christians of St. Thomas and Their Liturgies |location=London |publisher=Oxford and Cambridge |page=64}}

* {{cite book |last=Varughese |first=K. C. |year=1972 |title=Malabar Swathantra Suryani Sabhyude Charitram |trans-title=History of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church}}

* {{cite book |last=Kochumon |first=M. P. |year=1995 |title=Parisuddha Kattumangatte Bavamar |trans-title=The Saintly Bishops of Kattumangattu |publisher=Most Rev. Joseph Mar Koorilose Metropolitan}}

* {{cite book |last=Porkulam |first=A. K. C. |year=2003 |title=Parisudha Kattumangatte Bavamar Thiruvachanathiludey |trans-title=St. Kattumangattu Bishops through the Bible |location=Thrissur}}

* {{cite book |last=Cheriyan |first=P. |year=1935 |title=The Malabar Christians and the Church Missionary Society}}

* {{cite journal |last=Swanston |first=C. |year=1835 |title=A Memoir of the Primitive Church of Malayala |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society}}

* {{cite book |title=Seminary Case Book |volume=Part 2 |page=232}}

* {{cite book |title=The Forgotten Bishops: The Malabar Independent Syrian Church |chapter=Chapter 10: The Golden Age}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philoxenos II, Geevarghese Mar}}
[[Category:Malabar Independent Syrian Church]] [[Category:Metropolitans of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church]]
[[Category:1829 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian Christian clergy]]
[[Category:Christian clergy from Thrissur district]]

Geevarghese Philoxenos II - Revision history

जाट at 15:20, 1 May 2026