TIRUVALLA : At a time when the health condition of Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan is causing concern, the decision of the Mar Thoma Church to delay shifting him to CMC Vellore till the return of Church Supremo Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, who is currently in the US, has shocked the faithful.
Mar Chrysostom has been admitted to the Fellowship Mission Hospital at Kumbanad, near here, for the third time in the past one month. This time he has been in the hospital for a week, having been admitted on June 30. Though he is weak and his sugar levels are high, he is able to recognise visitors, speak and pray with them. Parishioners of the Eraviperoor Immanuel Mar Thoma Church, the home parish of Mar Chrysostom, which include his family members, have written to the administrator of the hospital pointing out the folly of the needless wait whereby the life of the Valiya Metropolitan stood to be endangered.
It is learnt they pointed out this lapse despite a medical team from CMC visiting the hospital with the intention of shifting him to Vellore as per the wish of Mar Chrysostom. The 100-year-old Padma Bhushan recipient, a humanist known for his wit and secular views, has in the past been taken to CMC Vellore for advanced treatment whenever his poor health condition persisted more than a few weeks. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, who left for the US last week, is expected to be back on July 17.