Abdal Jaleel was born in Mosul, Iraq. In 1653 he was ordained metropolitan bishop for the Ameed (Diyarbakir) diocese in Turkey by the Patriarch Ignatius She'mun. In 1664, he was elevated as the Metropolitan of Jerusalem with the title Gregorios. He traveled to India in 1665 to the ordination of Thoma I, archdeacon of the Malankara Nasrani community. He was the delegate of the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church to Kerala Syrian Christians. He died in India in 1681, and his remains are interred in the St. Thomas Church at North Paravur. On April 4, 2000, Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I declared Mar Gregorios Abdal Jaleel a saint.
Thomas Christians are popularly and traditionally called Syriac Christians, a term associated with their use of liturgical rites of Syriac Christianity. The name Syriac came to refer to those Christians that were using various Syriac Rites at the very beginning of Christianity. The Syrian Christian label was also attached to the Churches in Syria, which was submitted to the ecclesiastical authority of the Church of Antioch in the ancient capital of Roman Syria.
After the Coonen Cross Oath incident, Archdeacon Parambil Thoma was ordained as bishop by the laying on of hands by twelve priests. This was considered necessary in view of the extraordinary circumstances. Appeals were sent to various Eastern Christian centers and Gregorios Abdul Jaleel Bawa of Jerusalem was the first to respond. Meanwhile, the Eastern Catholic faction was led by Bishop Parambil Chandy, supported by Kadavil Chandy Kathanar and Vengūr Givargis Kathanar.
Gregorios reached Ponnani, then an important port on the South West coast of India, in 1665. The 'Travancore State Manual' Vol II Page 187, records the arrival of Gregorios as follows - "Two years afterward, in 1665, the position of the Archdeacon Thomas altered by the arrival on this coast of a Bishop named Gregory, Patriarch of Jerusalem sent by the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius XXIII the quarter whence had come Ahathalla, thirteen years previously".
Knowing the prevailing political climate, he traveled further south by land in disguise until he came across some Syriac Rite Christians from the North Paravur church. He revealed his identity showing them the 'Sthathikon' from the Patriarch of Antioch. They led him to their church and sent word to others. The Archdeacon and many people rushed to the place to welcome the Bawa. Soon after, Gregorios canonically ordained the Archdeacon as Metropolitan Thoma I. Together, they traveled to various churches affirming the Orthodox faith and traditions. In 1670 March Gregorios and Thoma I together ordained Thoma II as the second Malankara Metropolitan.
An important encyclical by Gregorios dated 5th Kumbam 1668 gives us a record of the Malankara Church during the period. Referring to the Synod of Diamper, it says "Most of the early records on the faith and history of the Malankara Church prior to the arrival of Portuguese were destroyed in the aftermaths of the Synod of Diamper. They did this in order to establish a new chapter in Malankara. The ultimate aim of the Synod was to transform the Syriac Rite Christians into the Roman Catholic fold by use of force and in this process, they managed to destroy all the earlier records. The support of Portuguese military and the local Kings made their task much easier."
Gregorios died on 27 April 1681 (M.E. 857 Medom 14th, Friday). It is said that he knew beforehand the exact hour of his demise. In accordance with his instructions, he was dressed in the pontifical habits with cross and staff in hand and taken to the church seated in a chair. A large number of people gathered at the church and, as he died, it was reported that the people witnessed a bright glow inside and outside the church and several other miraculous signs. His mortal remains were interred in the 'Hykala' of the St. Thomas Church at North Paravur which has since become a pilgrimage center.
On April 4, 2000, Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I of the Syriac Orthodox Church declared Gregorios Abdal Jaleel a saint. On 7 February 2006, the Patriarch issued a decree authorizing the recital of the name of Mor Gregorios Abdel`Jaleel in the Fifth Tubden (diptych).
Tomb of Mar Gregorios Abdal Jaleel inside St. Thomas Jacobite Syrian Church, North Paravur.
The relics of Mor Gregorios are preserved at St. Thomas Church, North Paravur which include his vestments, a golden cross, a golden chalice, a paten set, and an Trulia worn by Mor Gregorios. The holy 'Arulikka' has 12 partitions of which 11 contain the relics of saints and the twelfth partition in the middle contains a piece of the cross on which Christ was crucified. The Chalice and Platen are still used in the Holy Qurbana celebrated on the feast of Mor Gregorios. The relics are ceremoniously taken out and exhibited for public veneration on the feast day.
The Perumal (Malayalam) or Dhukrono (Syriac) of Mor Gregorios Bava is celebrated for 4 days starting from 24 April every year and culminating on the 27th. During these days, the North Paravur is declared as a festival area by the Kerala government considering the large flow of pilgrims. Thousands of pilgrims from different parts of Kerala, mostly from the northern part of Malankara, travel by foot covering many miles to reach the tomb every year.
The Feast of Mor Gregorios Abdal Jaleel is also celebrated at Elanjikal Palli in Niranam on 28 April.
Published by the Sunday School Magazine
2021 June 27
The family concluded the conference
2016 October 14,15,16
MSOT Seminary
Udayagiri
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