Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Mathews II steps
down: Baselios Marthoma Didimos I New Catholicos
IOH News Service
Parumala October 31
2005: Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Mathews II, supreme Head
of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Malankara
Metropolitan, stepped down from the highest ecclesiastical
position of the Church on Sunday. Immediately after the stepping
down of the his position as Malankara Metropolitan, Catholicos
Elect Thomas Mar Thimothios assumed the office of Malankara
Metropolitan. The new Catholicos was enthroned as His Holiness
Baselios Marthoma Didimos I during the Holy Eucharist at
Parumala Church today.
Thomas Mar Thimothios was consecrated as Bishop on August 24,
1966 and has been serving as Metropolitan of the Malabar Diocese
of the church. He is the seventh Catholicos from Malankara
Orthodox Church and 90th Catholicos on this throne. He is also
the 19th Malankara Metropolitan of the Church.
The former Catholicos, who is in his nineties and the world’s
oldest serving bishop in any of the Christian denominations, has
decided to relinquish the post to his successor Catholicos Elect
Thomas Mar Thimothios.
His Holiness sent his
resignation letter in the afternoon, after celebrating Holy
Eucharist in Devalokam Aramana chapel here, to Thomas Mar
Athanasios, secretary of the Holy Episcopal synod. Thereafter an
urgent meeting of the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Church was
convened on Sunday night at Parumala Seminary, In Kerala.
The Holy Synod accepted the resignation and discussed
arrangements to facilitate a smooth succession by elevating
Catholicos-elect Thomas Mar Thimothios, 85, as the new supreme
Head.
The ceremony was held at the Parumala Church here today during
the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios,
Metropolitan of the Europe and Canada Diocese of the Church was
the chief celebrant of the Holy Eucharist. The former Catholicos
His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews II was also present at
the ceremony in spite of his ill health to bless this occasion.
The former Catholicos himself handed over the Shepherd Staff and
Engelpion to his successor at the ceremony. Senior Metropolitan
Dr. Gevarghese mar Osthathios of Niranam led the enthronement
ceremony. All other Metropolitans attended and assisted the
celebrants on the occasion.
Former Catholicos A Charismatic Personality
Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Mathews II, who was elected to the
highest post by the Malankara Association held in 1991, is a
charismatic personality having wide acceptance in the society.
He is also credited with steering the 20 lakh-members’ strong
Orthodox church, world over when the church feud was at its
height. His nearly one-and-a-half decade tenure as Catholicos
also witnessed the church gaining immense political leverage.
Malankara Orthodox Church is founded by St. Thomas in India and
one among the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
(Indian Orthodox Herald News Release, October
31, 2005)
