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Kottayam Jan 26 2006:
It is with profound grief we report the passing away of Baselius
Marthoma Mathews II, former Catholicos of the East. He would
have turned 91 on January 30. He was ailing for quite some time.
The end came around 5.15 on Thursday (Jan.26) evening at the
Devalokam Aramana here. He had voluntarily given up the position
of Catholica Bava on October 25, 2005 to His Holiness Baselius
Marthoma Didimos I due to failing health. Funeral services will
be held on Saturday, Jan. 28 around 3.00 p.m. at the Mount Horeb
Asram Chapel in Sasathaamkotta, near Kollam.
When the Bava breathed his last, H. H. Baselius Marthoma Didimos
I, Catholicos of the East and Metropolitans Mathews Mar Savarios
and Zacharias Mar Anthonios were by his bedside. Bava is revered
by devotees for having led the Orthodox Church with all devotion
and piety during some of its very critical years. His body was
kept for viewing at Devalokam Aramana and later taken to the Mar
Elijah Cathedral in Kottayam. It will be taken from Kottayam to
Sasathaamkotta through Adoor, Kottarakkara and Kundara. The body
will not be taken out from the carrier, but churches,
institutions and individuals will be allowed to pay homage. In
honor of the Bava, educational institutions of Orthodox Church
remain closed on Friday and Saturday. The Malankara Orthodox
Church has also declared three days of mourning and H. H.
Baselius Didimos I has canceled all his programs for the next
ten days.
Bava was the sixth Catholicos of Malankara Orthodox Church. He
was born as the eldest son of Idicula and Annamma of
Puthuserazhikathu Puthen Veettil, in Perinad, Kollam on January
30, 1915. He did his theological studies at Basil Dayara in
Pathanamthitta and Old Seminary, Kottayam. He was given Korooyo
by H. H. Geevarghese II, Catholicos in 1938 and ordained a
priest on May 25, 1941. He led monastic life at St. George
Dayara in Othara. He was fondly called Angelachen. On May 15,
1953, he was ordained as a Bishop by H. H. Geevarghese II,
Catholicos. He also holds the record of having been the longest
head of any Syrian Church in Kerala after the Koonan Kurisu
swearing. He was elected the successor to the Catholicos of the
East and Malankara Metropolitan (Catholicate Designate) at a
meeting of Malankara Association in 1980. |
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After H. H. Baselius
Mathews I gave up the position of Catholica Bava on April 29,
1991, he was ordained as the Catholicos of the East. He was the
founder of the Ecumenical Movement in Kerala and served as the
Nilackal Ecumenical Church Committee Chairman and President of
Ecumenical Committee. He also met with various world religious
heads, including the then Pope. He was an influential devotional
speaker and gave a new lease of spiritual life to the monastic
movements of the church. He founded many Ashrams, Convent
Schools and Bala Bhavans (educational institutions for small
kids). A very widely traveled religious head, he visited the
Middle Eastern Countries, Europe and United States of America
many times.
We at Orthodox Herald bow our heads in honor of our
former religious head and our dear divine leader. He has been an
inspiration to millions of believers of Orthodox faith and will
continue to remain so. Let his soul rest in peace. We pray the
Almighty God to give us the strength to bear the loss and
courage to continue the faith in turbulent years ahead. |
