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.[1]
PriesthoodEdit
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 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 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 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 Puthencruz gospel convention which is held annually from 26 to 31 December.[1]
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.[1]
The office of the Maphrian/Catholicose of India had been vacant from 1996 (date of death of Baselios Paulose II) to 2002.[1] On 26 July 2002, Mor Dionysius was consecrated Catholicos of India by name Baselios Thomas I in a ritual officiated by Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church, at Maarat Saidnaya, Damascus. 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.[1]
In 2019, he has relinquished his administrative duties and resigned as "Metropolitan Trustee" position and will remain as Catholicos of India.[2][3] Past 90 years, the Catholicos had offered to step down from both positions, but Patriarch of the Universal Syriac Orthodox ChurchIgnatius Aphrem II had asked him to continue as Catholicos.[4][1]
In August 2019, Mor Gregorios Joseph, 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.[5]
ReferencesEdit
^ abcdef"Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I". www.syriacchristianity.info. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
^"Mor Baselios Thomas I, the Catholicos of Jacobite Church, relinquishes admin duties". OnManorama.
^"Catholicos Thomas I to step down". The Hindu. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
^"Mar Gregorios is Jacobite Church metropolitan trustee". The Hindu. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
^Anuja Suzanne Varghese (29 February 2020). "Takeover of church: Tension builds up in Kothamangalam". New Indian Express. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
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
Biography of H.B. Catholicose Baselios Thomas I
Catholicose
Faithful will manage churches: Catholicos Baselios Thomas I
^Staff (2019). "Mar Gregorios is Jacobite Church metropolitan trustee". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
October 20, 2023
baselios, thomas, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, biography, living, person, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, adding, rel. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Baselios Thomas I news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message This biography of a living person relies too much on references to primary sources Please help by adding secondary or tertiary sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately especially if potentially libelous or harmful Find sources Baselios Thomas I news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message Baselios Thomas I born 22 July 1929 is a Syriac Orthodox Catholicos of India Maphrian and head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church the Syriac Orthodox Church in India He was enthroned on 26 July 2002 by Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas Patriarch of Antioch and All the East in a ceremony held in Damascus Syria His Beatitude Aboon MorBaselios Thomas IChurchJacobite Syrian Christian ChurchAppointed26 July 2002PredecessorMor Baselios Poulose IIOrdersOrdinationSeptember 1958Personal detailsBorn 1929 07 22 22 July 1929 age 94 Puthencruz Travancore British RajNationalityIndianDenominationSyrian Orthodox ChurchResidencePatriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas Centre Puthenkurish Mount Sinai Catholicate Aramana Kothamangalam Contents 1 Childhood 2 Priesthood 3 Episcopacy 4 Catholicate of India 5 References 6 External linksChildhood EditHe 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 1 Priesthood EditHis priestly formation was under the guidance of Mor Philoxenos Paulos later Catholicos Baselios Paulose II 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 amp St Paul s Orthodox Church Fort 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 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 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 Puthencruz gospel convention which is held annually from 26 to 31 December 1 Episcopacy Edit nbsp Catholicos Baselios Thomas I with Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of Antioch and Pope Francis of RomeFr 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 1 Catholicate of India Edit nbsp Baselios Thomas I Catholicos of India during Hasha at St George Jacobite Church Al Ain Abu Dhabi United Arab EmiratesThe office of the Maphrian Catholicose of India had been vacant from 1996 date of death of Baselios Paulose II to 2002 1 On 26 July 2002 Mor Dionysius was consecrated Catholicos of India by name Baselios Thomas I in a ritual officiated by Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church at Maarat Saidnaya Damascus 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 1 In 2019 he has relinquished his administrative duties and resigned as Metropolitan Trustee position and will remain as Catholicos of India 2 3 Past 90 years the Catholicos had offered to step down from both positions but Patriarch of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church Ignatius Aphrem II had asked him to continue as Catholicos 4 1 In August 2019 Mor Gregorios Joseph 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 5 References Edit a b c d e f Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I www syriacchristianity info Retrieved 11 September 2020 Mor Baselios Thomas I the Catholicos of Jacobite Church relinquishes admin duties OnManorama Catholicos Thomas I to step down The Hindu 2 May 2019 Retrieved 7 September 2019 Mar Gregorios is Jacobite Church metropolitan trustee The Hindu 28 August 2019 Retrieved 10 May 2020 Anuja Suzanne Varghese 29 February 2020 Takeover of church Tension builds up in Kothamangalam New Indian Express Retrieved 10 May 2020 Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church TitlesPreceded byBaselios Paulose II Maphrian of the Syriac Orthodox Church Catholicos of India2002 Present Succeeded byIncumbentPreceded byYuhanon Philoxenos Metropolitan Trustee 1 of Jacobite Syrian Christian Church2002 2019 Succeeded byGregorios JosephExternal links EditThe 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 Biography of H B Catholicose Baselios Thomas I Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I Catholicose Faithful will manage churches Catholicos Baselios Thomas I Staff 2019 Mar Gregorios is Jacobite Church metropolitan trustee The Hindu Retrieved 2 November 2020 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Baselios Thomas I amp oldid 1167086130, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
