Catholicos Baselios Thomas I (
July 22,
1929) is
Maphriyono/
Catholicos
of the
Syriac Orthodox Church
and the regional head of
Malankara Syriac Orthodox
Church. His official title is
Catholicos of India although
sometimes called
Catholicos of
the East. It was on 26 July 2002 he was enthroned as the
Catholicos and the head of the Church in
India.
He
is the regional head of the 1.2 million Syriac Christians of India, a Christian
community believed to have been established by Apostle St. Thomas in a place called
Maliyankara, near North Paravur
in South India in AD. 52.
Childhood
Catholicos
Baselios Thomas I was born in the Cheruvillil family of Vadayambadi
in Puthencruz
to Mathai and Kunjamma on July 22,
1929.Early part of the life of Mor Baselios Thomas I was
full 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. One night, as his mother prayed with the young
boy on her lap, she had a vision which prompted her to dedicate the
boy to the service of the church. Within days, the boy's illness
was entirely cured.
Priesthood
His priestly formation was under the guidance of Mor Philoxenos
Paulos (later Catholicos
Baselios
Paulose II) who ordained him
korooyo in
1952 and
mshamshono at Kadamattom Church
in 1957. In 1958, he was ordained priest by Mor Yulius Elias Qoro
in September 1958 at Manjinikkara. He was the 43rd priest from the
Cheruvillil family. C.M. Thomas served as the vicar of St. Peter's
church, Puthenkurishu from 1959 while also serving churches at
Mookkannur, Vellathooval, Keezhumuri, St Peters & St Pauls
Orthodox ChurchFort Cochin, Valamboor and later at Calcutta 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 1967-74,
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 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. From his vision and zeal to spread the gospel arose the St.
Paul's prayer fellowship and the Puthenkurish gospel convention
which is held annually from December 26-31.
Episcopacy
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 metropolitan of the
Ankamaly diocese, the largest Syriac Orthodox diocese, by
Mor Ignatius Ya`qub III on February
24, 1974 at Damascus along with
Mor Gregorius
Gheevarghese Perumballil. The two metropolitans played a
significant role in leading the church during the crisis of the
seventies. After the passing away of Mor Gregorius Gheevarghese in
February 1999, Mor Dionysius assumed the Presidency of the
Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church Synod (Patriarch Faction) and was
elected Catholicose-Designate at the delegates meeting held at
Puthenkurishu on December 27, 2000 and again by the Malankara
Association reconstituted under the newly formed constitution on
June 6, 2002.
Catholicos/Maphrian Ordination
On
July 26, 2002, Mor
Dionysius was consecrated Catholicos by name Baselios Thomas I in a
rite officiated by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
and Supreme Head of the Syriac
Orthodox Church at Ma`rat
Sayyidnaya, Damascus
. As
the head of the 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 is also
the Metropolitan Trustee of the Jacobite Syrian Christian
Church.
Catholicate Office
The
Catholicate office of Mor Baselios Thomas I functions at the Mor
Ignatius Zakka I centre in Puthencruz near Kochi, which is also the headquarters of the
Syrian Orthodox Church in
India. He resides at Mor Ignatius Seminary at
Kothamangalam
in Ernakulam
district.
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