Gabriel Mar Gregorios


Gabriel Mar Gregorios is Metropolitan of the Diocese of Thiruvananthapuram of the Indian Orthodox Church.
He was born Kanjickal John Gabriel, the third son of Chacko John and Aleyamma. His early education was at St. Stephen's High School, in Pathanapuram. He studied English literature at Baselios College, Kottayam before completing his theological studies at the M.D. Seminary in Kottayam and at Serampore University. Later he received a master's degree in New Testament Studies from the Institut Catholique de Paris. He did research work on the epistles of Saint Paul at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and post-doctoral research at Cambridge University.
Gabriel was ordained deacon on 4 November 1969 and as priest on 8 February 1974. He was vicar of various parishes in Bombay, Delhi, Kottayam, and Trivandrum dioceses for over thirty years. He was Registrar and Director of F.F.R.R.D. and competently represented the Indian Orthodox Church at ecumenical organizations such as the Orthodox-Marthoma Dialogue Forum, the Orthodox-Lutheran Dialogue Forum, the Bible Society Kerala Auxiliary Committee, and the Theological Literature Forum. He is a Fellow of the George Bell Institute, England and a professor of New Testament at the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kottayam since 1982. In addition he is an Administrative Committee Member of Serampore University. He has authored many theological books, including Towards a New Humanity, Towards the Grace of God, and Cross and Grace.
Gabriel was consecrated as Metropolitan by the Catholicos of the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas and Malankara Metropolitan, Baselius Mar Thoma Mathews II, at the Parumala St. Peter and St. Paul Seminary Church on 5 March 2005.