The Metropolitan after retirement decided to submit the deed of agreement for donating his eyes after his death for the use by someone in need. After completing formalities, His Grace nominated my humble self to receive the willingness paper. Accordingly, the Metropolitan handed over his eye donation agreement to me at a simple function held at his residence in Maramon.
“This was the inspiration behind the implementation of the eye donation scheme "Darshanam" that the LDF government implemented during 2006-11. A big campaign was organised involving teachers and students in the eye donation scheme. The National Service Scheme coordinated the implementation of the campaign. It was proposed to be inaugurated jointly by His Grace and actor Kamal Hassan at the Durbar Hall inside the Secretariat Thiruvananthapuram.
Though the Metrolpolitan could not attend the event due to unforeseen developments, the eye donation campaign was inaugurated, by reading out the message of His Grace in the presence of Kamal Hassan.”
CHRYSOSTOM RUES ‘HE MADE A THIEF’
M.A. Baby: Marx and Engels together wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848. In it, they have written about the dominance of money in society. Their observation that human relations are determined in monetary terms is true today than ever.
His Grace: What they said is quite true. The influence of money has increased in a big way over the years. Even human relations are determined by money power. If a poor man takes something from society for the fulfilment of his necessities, we expel him by labelling him a worthless thief. But we wink at the rich who exploit others. Once I planted some banana trees. All of them bore fruit. One day my worker reported that some bananas were stolen.
I said I should take the blame for this. I would not have given the thief any banana, had he asked me during daytime. Only because of that he sneaked in during night, unmindful of snakes and thorns. Philippose Mar Chrysostom is the name of the man who made a thief of him in the night. It is my fault that he committed the robbery.
Once I went to visit a jail. I asked the prisoners;"What is the difference between you and me? They said that I am a good man and they were all thieves. I would not accept the explanation. I told them they were lying. They have learnt only one trick; to steal. But I can perform a double trick; steal and cover it up. So I am out while they are in the jail. Next time when I went to jail for service a lot of prisoners came to see me. They said:W hat your Grace said the other day is true. The one who stole along with us is now holding a high position in the governme-nt."Another man added that the Church was also home to such thieves.
(Excerpts from Christ, Marx and Sree Narayana Guru: A colloquy byPhilippose Mar Chrysostom and M.A. Baby- Chintha Publishers)
