Giwargis of Christ

{{short description|16th century Saint Thomas Christian Archdeacon}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type = Archdeacon

| name = Giwargis of Christ

| image = Archdeacon George of Christ.jpg

| title = {{Ubl

| Archdeacon of All India of the Archdiocese of Angamaly

| Bishop-elect of Palur

}}

| archdiocese = Angamaly

| appointed = by Metropolitan Joseph Sulaqa

| predecessor =

| successor = {{br list

| Arkadiyakkon Yohannan

| Jacob Pakalomattam

}}

| death_date = {{circa|AD 1585}}

}}

Giwargis of Christ ({{langx|syr|ܓܝܼܘܲܪܓܝܼܣ ܕܡܫܝܚܐ}}) (died {{circa|AD 1585}}), also spelled Geevarghese of Christ and George of Christ, was an Archdeacon (Arkkadyakon) and hence the leader of the Saint Thomas Christian community of India. He was a biblical expert and a master of Syriac language and literature. He was considered a holy person and also extremely efficient in administration. He was contemporary to Archbishop Mar Abraham of Angamaly. He is credited with the new construction of Marth Maryam Church Angamaly{{cite web|url=http://www.ayrookuzhiyil.bravepages.com/pakalomattom.html|title=PAKALOMATTAM AYROOKUZHIYIL - Ancient Christian family from Kerala, India spread all over the world .Malayali Brahmin Nampoothiri Royal Tharakhan Syria Syrian Christians Suriyani Arattupuzha Arapurakal Kulathumkal Kadavana Kurudamannil Vadakkanethu|first=Cherian Tinu|last=Abraham|publisher=}}{{Cite web|title=Archdeacons of India|url=http://pakalomattamfamily.org/archdeacons-of-india/}}

The archdeacon during the first part of the reign of Mar Abraham was Givargis of Christ, who was on friendly terms with the Latin missionaries and was to be appointed the successor of Mar Abraham as metropolitan of India. Thus he should have become, according to the plans of Mar Abraham, supported by the Jesuits, the first indigenous Chaldaean Metropolitan of the St Thomas Christians. However, the last letter of Mar Abraham, where his requisition letter to the Pope to confirm Givargis' ordination as bishop of Palur and as his successor is dated 13 January 1584. While from another letter of the same Mar Abraham, we are informed that the consecration of Givargis failed because of the latter’s death.{{cite web|url=http://www.srite.de/index?id=2&cikk=84|author=Istvan Perczel|author-link=Istvan Perczel|title=SRITE|website=www.srite.de|accessdate=31 July 2017|archive-date=15 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215032305/http://srite.de/index?id=2&cikk=84|url-status=dead}}Language of religion, language of the people: medieval Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ernst Bremer, Susanne Röhl Page 401

Great mural paintings in the Angamaly Cheriyapally church are; "Hell", "Last Judgement", also of mural paintings of the Bishops and the Archdeacon.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Givargis of Christ died in Angamaly. He was buried in the St Mary's Church in Angamaly. His brother Yohannan was Archdeacon (1585–93) and another brother Jacob became Archdeacon in 1596.

{{gallery

|File:George_of_Christ_Archdeacon.2.jpg

|Mural from the Angamaly Marth Maryam pally

|File:George_of_Christ_Archdeacon.3.jpg

|Mural from Akaparambu Church

|File:George_of_Christ_Archdeacon.1.jpg

|Another mural from Akaparambu Church

}}