HIS GRACE DR. YOUHANON MAR DEMETRIOS
Met. Dr. Youhanon Mar Demetrios formerly known as Fr. Dr. John Mathews (Ravi Achan) was born as the second son of five children to the late Cdr. Samuel Mathews and Mercy Mathews in Kerala on 18th Dec 1952. He completed his high school studies from Baldwin Boys’ High School, Bangalore in 1968 and took his B.A. (English Literature) from Fathima Matha National College, Kollam in 1971. Subsequently he proceeded for his theological education to Gordon – Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts, USA for his M.R.E. degree and then secured his Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from Fordham University, Bronx, New York in 1993.
Met.Demetrios was first consecrated as a Reader (Korooyo) in July 1980 and Sub-deacon (Yaupudiakono) in September 1987. He was ordained as a priest on January 8th 1989. He was consecrated as metropolitan on 12th May 2010 and was first appointed as the Assistant Metropolitan of the Diocese of Delhi in August 2010. Subsequent to the passing away of Met. Job Mar Philoxenos in 2011, he was elevated as the Diocesan metropolitan in November 2011.
Met. Demetrios had served in various capacities in the Church during the course of his priestly life. He served as Vicar/ Assistant Vicar in several churches in the diocese of Kollam. He was appointed as a faculty in Biblical Studies at the Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam in November 1987, where he taught till 2010. During this period he was its Warden from 1995-2008. He was also the Professor of N.T. Studies at the FFRRC, and also was appointed as its Dean of Doctoral Studies and later as its Registrar.
Mar Demetrios was also the Secretary of the Department of Ecumenical Relations of the Church from 1991-2010, and represented the Church in various dialogues and ecumenical organisations, such as the dialogue between the Malankara Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches and Catholic Church Dialogue (Co-Secretary), the Global Christian Forum and the National Council of Churches. He is also a life-time member of the Biblical Society in India, of which he was the President in 2006.
In addition to his responsibilities as the diocesan metropolitan, Mar Demetrios continues as the Co-Secretary of the Dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church, represents the Church at the Lausaunne-Orthodox Initiative and the National United Christian Forum.