31-October-2005
A new
Catholicose by name 'Baselios Marthoma Didimos I' ordained for Malankara
Orthodox Church
31.October.2005: Today morning, H.G. Thomas Mar Themothious was enthroned as
the Seventh Catholicose and Supreme head of the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox
Syrian Church at St. Peter's and St. Paul's church in Parumala, Kerala, India.
He who succeeds 91-year old Catholicose Baselious Marthoma Mathews II will
henceforth lead 1 million Malayalee Christians of Malankara Orthodox Church. The
retirement of Baselios Mathews II and enthronement of the new head for the
Church was announced only yesterday evening.
The new Catholicose will be known by name Baselious Marthoma DIDIMOS I, Didimos
being the Greek equivalent for Thomas. Most in the church was expecting that the
new Catholicose will be named Thomas as he is already known in that name which
is the usual practice, but
this decision to change the name from Thomas to Didimos is believed to have
taken in order to distinguish him from Catholicose of India Mor Baselious Thomas
I who heads the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church.
The 85-year old new Catholicose was ordained Bishop in 1966 by Catholicose Augen I
at Kolencherry. Since then he was the Metropolitan of Malabar diocese of
the Malankara Orthodox Church and later became the Catholicose designate of the
Church under Baselios Marthoma Mathews II.