A blessed journey

KOCHI: Sometime in 1971, on a cold evening, a young man from Kerala landed at the Munich airport with just a 20-dollar currency note, a small packet that contained his educational certificates, and some clothes. Having completed his undergraduate course at Trivandrum University College, the 20-year-old, hailing from the small village of Kuruppanthara in Kottayam, had dreamt of becoming a doctor after studying medicine in a foreign country. 

As he struggled to navigate an alien country, a priest and his family in Germany came to his aid — a relationship that has lasted more than four decades. The youngster is George Thayyil who is now one of the most respected cardiologists in Kerala, who founded the Dept. of Cardiology at Lourdes Hospital in 1992. The priest in question is Fr Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Cardinal Ratzinger, and then the Pope (Pope Benedict XVI), the head of the Catholic Church, the largest Christian Church with 1.3 billion devotees.

Thayyil’s just-released book ‘Swarnam Agniyilenna Pole’ (Gold Refined by Fire) is a tribute to the priest who took care of this youngster from a third-world country and considered him a family member. “Many asked me whether it’s relevant to write about a Pope who stepped down from the Papacy. The book is my answer to those questions,” Dr Thayyil writes in the foreword.

In the two decades he spent in Germany and Austria, Thayyil completed his medical degree at the University of Munich (also known as Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität), one of the top universities in the world, that has contributed  35 Nobel laureates including Albert Einstein and Thomas Mann. When he commenced studies at Munich University, Thayyil had the urge to meet Fr Joseph Ratzinger, who was then head of the dogmatic theology department and vice- president at the nearby University of Regensburg. So, that’s what he did, attending the theology classes of Fr Ratzinger.

When the 22-year-old Thayyil first met Fr Ratzinger, the latter had penned several books on theology. Ratzinger’s ‘Introduction to Christianity’ was already a bestseller. From 1969 ,when he began his teaching career as a professor of theology at Regensburg University, to 1977 when he rose to become the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Fr Ratzinger was staying in Pentling, a village in the Regensburg district.  

Fr Ratzinger noticed Thayyil sitting in a corner of his classroom during one of his theology lectures. “Are you from India?” the young theologian asked him. When Thayyil answered that he was indeed from India, the German priest asked whether he was from Kerala. Fr Ratzinger was familiar with Kerala’s Catholic population, and its traditional practices like the daily recital of the rosary. 

One day after his theology lecture, the young priest welcomed Thayyil to his home in Pentling for dinner. Travelling one-and-half-hour on the train from Munich, Thayyil notes that Fr Ratzinger was waiting for him at the railway station with his car. The future Pope was staying with his two siblings — an elder brother Georg Ratzinger, and an elder sister, Maria Ratzinger. After long leisurely dinners, Thayyil noted that Fr Ratzinger would wipe the plates and cutlery clean.  

Dr Thayyil’s book also gives many insights into his friendship with the future Pope, and about his siblings Georg and Maria, with whom he had established a close rapport. Cardinal Ratzinger, during his tenure as prefect and later as Pope, was a vocal opponent of homosexuality, abortion, marriage of priests, and the ordination of women. 

“He tore apart all memorandum demanding liberal approach towards these issues with the permission of the Pope,” writes Thayyil. “When told that many are leaving the Church because of the rigid stand, Cardinal Ratzinger would ask if there are any other organisations in the world that have lasted over 2,000 years. He would argue that if 100 people leave because of dogmatic positions, another 1,000 people from other institutions would join the Church,” writes Thayyil.

His meeting with the priest after he became the Pope is another incident that reveals the warmth of their friendship. Thayyil, who was in Kerala at Lourdes Hospital, wrote to the Pope after his long-time friend became the head of the Catholic Church. This was in 2005, and the reply was prompt. The Pope granted Thayyil a private audience, and “he came to me and took my hands, and held it for a while”. 

The 256-page book is an insightful read and it also gives a peek into the mind of Thayyil, who considers himself blessed to serve the people as a doctor. “It’s sad to learn that most doctors consider that the patients get healed due to their treatment. The fact of the matter is, we doctors are instruments in God’s hands to treat the ill and the sick,” he writes.

Book: Swarnam Agniyilenna Pole: Travel jottings of a cardiologist 
Author: Dr George Thayyil 
Price: Rs 299
Publisher: Current Books

KOCHI: Sometime in 1971, on a cold evening, a young man from Kerala landed at the Munich airport with just a 20-dollar currency note, a small packet that contained his educational certificates, and some clothes. Having completed his undergraduate course at Trivandrum University College, the 20-year-old, hailing from the small village of Kuruppanthara in Kottayam, had dreamt of becoming a doctor after studying medicine in a foreign country.  As he struggled to navigate an alien country, a priest and his family in Germany came to his aid — a relationship that has lasted more than four decades. The youngster is George Thayyil who is now one of the most respected cardiologists in Kerala, who founded the Dept. of Cardiology at Lourdes Hospital in 1992. The priest in question is Fr Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Cardinal Ratzinger, and then the Pope (Pope Benedict XVI), the head of the Catholic Church, the largest Christian Church with 1.3 billion devotees. Thayyil’s just-released book ‘Swarnam Agniyilenna Pole’ (Gold Refined by Fire) is a tribute to the priest who took care of this youngster from a third-world country and considered him a family member. “Many asked me whether it’s relevant to write about a Pope who stepped down from the Papacy. The book is my answer to those questions,” Dr Thayyil writes in the foreword. In the two decades he spent in Germany and Austria, Thayyil completed his medical degree at the University of Munich (also known as Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität), one of the top universities in the world, that has contributed  35 Nobel laureates including Albert Einstein and Thomas Mann. When he commenced studies at Munich University, Thayyil had the urge to meet Fr Joseph Ratzinger, who was then head of the dogmatic theology department and vice- president at the nearby University of Regensburg. So, that’s what he did, attending the theology classes of Fr Ratzinger. When the 22-year-old Thayyil first met Fr Ratzinger, the latter had penned several books on theology. Ratzinger’s ‘Introduction to Christianity’ was already a bestseller. From 1969 ,when he began his teaching career as a professor of theology at Regensburg University, to 1977 when he rose to become the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Fr Ratzinger was staying in Pentling, a village in the Regensburg district.   Fr Ratzinger noticed Thayyil sitting in a corner of his classroom during one of his theology lectures. “Are you from India?” the young theologian asked him. When Thayyil answered that he was indeed from India, the German priest asked whether he was from Kerala. Fr Ratzinger was familiar with Kerala’s Catholic population, and its traditional practices like the daily recital of the rosary.  One day after his theology lecture, the young priest welcomed Thayyil to his home in Pentling for dinner. Travelling one-and-half-hour on the train from Munich, Thayyil notes that Fr Ratzinger was waiting for him at the railway station with his car. The future Pope was staying with his two siblings — an elder brother Georg Ratzinger, and an elder sister, Maria Ratzinger. After long leisurely dinners, Thayyil noted that Fr Ratzinger would wipe the plates and cutlery clean.   Dr Thayyil’s book also gives many insights into his friendship with the future Pope, and about his siblings Georg and Maria, with whom he had established a close rapport. Cardinal Ratzinger, during his tenure as prefect and later as Pope, was a vocal opponent of homosexuality, abortion, marriage of priests, and the ordination of women.  “He tore apart all memorandum demanding liberal approach towards these issues with the permission of the Pope,” writes Thayyil. “When told that many are leaving the Church because of the rigid stand, Cardinal Ratzinger would ask if there are any other organisations in the world that have lasted over 2,000 years. He would argue that if 100 people leave because of dogmatic positions, another 1,000 people from other institutions would join the Church,” writes Thayyil. His meeting with the priest after he became the Pope is another incident that reveals the warmth of their friendship. Thayyil, who was in Kerala at Lourdes Hospital, wrote to the Pope after his long-time friend became the head of the Catholic Church. This was in 2005, and the reply was prompt. The Pope granted Thayyil a private audience, and “he came to me and took my hands, and held it for a while”.  The 256-page book is an insightful read and it also gives a peek into the mind of Thayyil, who considers himself blessed to serve the people as a doctor. “It’s sad to learn that most doctors consider that the patients get healed due to their treatment. The fact of the matter is, we doctors are instruments in God’s hands to treat the ill and the sick,” he writes. Book: Swarnam Agniyilenna Pole: Travel jottings of a cardiologist  Author: Dr George Thayyil  Price: Rs 299 Publisher: Current Books