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Baselios Thomas I (born 22 July 1929) is a Syriac Orthodox
Catholicos of India The Catholicos of India, earlier known as the Catholicos of the East and Metropolitan of Malankara, is an ecclesiastical office in the Syriac Orthodox Church. He is the Catholicos (Maphrian) and spiritual leader and regional head of the Jac ...
(Maphrian) and head of the
Jacobite Syrian Christian Church The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (JSCC), or the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in India also known as Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Jacobite Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, ...
, the
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
in India. He was enthroned on 26 July 2002 by Syriac Orthodox Patriarch
Ignatius Zakka I Iwas Ignatius Zakka I Iwas ( syr, ܐܝܓܢܐܛܝܘܣ ܙܟܝ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܥܝܘܐܨ; ar, إغناطيوس زكا الأول عيواص; ', born Sanharib Iwas, 21 April 1931 – 21 March 2014) was the 122nd reigning Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Anti ...
,
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). As the traditional "overseer" (ἐπίσκοπος, ''episkopos'', from which the word ''bishop'' is derived) of the first gentile Christian c ...
in a ceremony held in
Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...
,
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
.


Childhood

He was born in the Cheruvillil family of Vadayambadi in Puthencruz to Mathai and Kunjamma on 22 July 1929. Early part of the life of Mor Baselios Thomas I was of sufferings. Though he belonged to an aristocratic family, by the time he was born the family had seen bad days. As a child he had frequent bouts of illness which affected his education. His mother used to take the young boy frequently to the nearby Malekurishu Dayro where the relics of late Patriarch St. Elias III had been interred.


Priesthood

His priestly formation was under the guidance of Mor Philoxenos Paulos (later Catholicos
Baselios Paulose II Baselios Paulose II (born as Puthusseril Joseph Paulose (12 June 1914–1 September 1996) was the second Maphrian(Catholicos) of the East Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (Syriac Orthodox Church in India) (posthumously known as Maphrian of Ind ...
) who ordained him korooyo in 1952 and mshamshono at Kadamatom Church in 1957. In 1958, he was ordained priest by Mor Yulius Elias Qoro in September 1958 at Manjinikkara. He is the 43rd priest from the Cheruvillil family. C.M. Thomas served as the vicar of St. Peter's church, Puthencruz from 1959 while also serving churches at Mookkannur, Vellathooval, Keezhumuri, St. Peter's & St. Paul's Orthodox Church - Fort Cochin, Valamboor and later at
Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
and Trichur. In 1960, while vicar at Puthenkurish, he played a key role in rebuilding the church; parishioners fondly recollect their priest working with them during the reconstruction. From 1967 to 1974, he served as the organizing secretary of Kolenchery Medical Mission Hospital. In 1970, he served as the organizer for the North Indian mission at
Bhilai Bhilai is a city in Durg district of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Chhattisgarh, in eastern central India. With population exceeding 1 million, it is the second-largest urban area in Chhattisgarh after Raipur. Bhil ...
and in 1974 as the secretary of the Pourasthaya Suvishesha Samajam. Since his ordination as korooyo, at age 24, Thomas was active in preaching the gospel in the remote parts of
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
. From his vision and zeal to spread the gospel arose the St. Paul's prayer fellowship and the Puthencruz gospel convention which is held annually from 26 to 31 December.


Episcopacy

Fr C.M. Thomas was elected to the episcopate by the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Association meeting at Karingachira St. George Church in January 1974 and was consecrated, under the name of 'Mor Dionysius', metropolitan of the Angamali Diocese, the largest Syriac Orthodox diocese, by Mor Ignatius Ya`qub III on 24 February 1974 at Damascus along with Geevarghese Mor Gregorios (Perumpally Thirumeni). The two metropolitans played a significant role in leading the church during the crisis of the seventies. After the passing away of Mor Gregorios Geevarghese in February 1999, Mor Dionysius assumed the Presidency of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church Synod and was elected Catholicos-Designate at the delegates meeting held at Puthenkurishu on 27 December 2000 and again by the Jacobite Syrian Christian Association constituted under the newly formed constitution on 6 June 2002.


Catholicate of India

The office of the Maphrian/Catholicose of India had been vacant from 1996 (date of death of
Baselios Paulose II Baselios Paulose II (born as Puthusseril Joseph Paulose (12 June 1914–1 September 1996) was the second Maphrian(Catholicos) of the East Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (Syriac Orthodox Church in India) (posthumously known as Maphrian of Ind ...
) to 2002. On 26 July 2002, Mor Dionysius was consecrated
Catholicos of India The Catholicos of India, earlier known as the Catholicos of the East and Metropolitan of Malankara, is an ecclesiastical office in the Syriac Orthodox Church. He is the Catholicos (Maphrian) and spiritual leader and regional head of the Jac ...
by name Baselios Thomas I in a ritual officiated by Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Moran Mor
Ignatius Zakka I Iwas Ignatius Zakka I Iwas ( syr, ܐܝܓܢܐܛܝܘܣ ܙܟܝ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܥܝܘܐܨ; ar, إغناطيوس زكا الأول عيواص; ', born Sanharib Iwas, 21 April 1931 – 21 March 2014) was the 122nd reigning Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Anti ...
of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
, at
Maarat Saidnaya Maarat Saidnaya, or Maaret Saidnaya ( ar, معرة صيدنايا) is a mountainous village in Al-Tall District of Damascus's Countryside Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria. It sets on the plains of the Qalamoun Mountains that are overlooked by nearby ...
,
Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...
. As the head of the Jacobite Church in India the Catholicos presides over the Holy Episcopal Synod of Malankara Church which includes all the Metropolitans of the Syrian Orthodox Church in India. He was also the Metropolitan Trustee of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church. In 2019, he has relinquished his administrative duties and resigned as "Metropolitan Trustee" position and will remain as
Catholicos of India The Catholicos of India, earlier known as the Catholicos of the East and Metropolitan of Malankara, is an ecclesiastical office in the Syriac Orthodox Church. He is the Catholicos (Maphrian) and spiritual leader and regional head of the Jac ...
. Past 90 years, the Catholicos had offered to step down from both positions, but Patriarch of the Universal
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
Ignatius Aphrem II , ar, سعيد كريم) , birth_date = , birth_place = , death_date = , buried = , resting_place_coordinates = , nationality = Syrian; American , religion = Syriac Orthodox , residence = , parents = Issa and Khanema Karim , occup ...
had asked him to continue as Catholicos. In August 2019,
Gregorios Joseph Mor Gregorios Joseph (born 10 November 1960) is a Syriac Orthodox archbishop and currently the Metropolitan trustee of Jacobite Syrian Christian Church. Early years Mor Gregorios Joseph was born as the youngest of four children to Srambikkal ...
, Metropolitan of the Kochi diocese of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, was unanimously elected metropolitan trustee of the Church at a meeting of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Association at the Patriarchal Centre, Puthencruz near Kochi, which is also the headquarters of the Syriac Orthodox Church in India. There were "no other candidates" for the position. The Catholicate office of Mor Baselios Thomas I functions and resides at the "Mor Ignatius Zakka I Centre" also known as Patriarchal Centre. Intensifying the protest against the takeover of the many Jacobite churches, the Jacobite faction of the Malankara Church headed by Catholicos Baselios Thomas I and metropolitan trustee Gregorios Joseph has launched a sit-in satyagraha in Kochi and further protests. Protests centered around St. Mary's Church, Piravom and spreading to St. Thomas Church (Marthoma Cheriyapally) in Kothamangalam subject to handing over their churches and properties to the Orthodox faction affiliated with the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church as per the Supreme Court verdict of July 2017.


References


External links


The Official News Portal of Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I

The Official Blogs of Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I

The Official Facebook Page of Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I





Catholicose


{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Baselious, I 1929 births Living people Jacobite Syrian Christian Church Syriac Orthodox Church bishops People from Ernakulam district Indian Oriental Orthodox Christians