30-September-2004
Malayala Manorama, dt. 30-Sep-04
H.B. Catholicose Baselius Thomas I given a
rousing welcome in Germany
[by Fr.Dr.Biji Chirathilattu (Source: SOCM forum)]
The Catholicose of India of the Syrian Orthodox Church has started his Apostolic
Visit to the European parishes on 23.10.04.
He was welcomed at the Apron of the Munich Airport by the Mayor of the city of
Munich himself and was escorted through the VVIP exit. He was driven to the City
of Göppingen with ecsort of hundreds of cars and police vehicles. There he was
accorded a state of hounour welcome by the city authorities. Thousands of Syrian
Orthodox beleivers from the different parishes sorroundings of Göppingen
attented the Hoy Qurabana clebrated by the Maphrian on 24.10. Today the
Catholicose is meeting different state authoriites in Berlin. There will be a
Holy mass as well in Berlin today. The coming days the Catholicose will be
welcomed in different cities by the believers coming together from the 52 Syrian
Orthodox parishes in Germany.
The catholicose will inaugurate the aniversary celebrations of the St.Mary's
Malankara Syrian Orthodox Congregaion in Zurich and Basel on 07.11.04 and attend
many programmes there. 10-15 he will be in Vienna as the guest of the Vienna
Archbishop and Pro-Oriente. on 11.11.04 He will address Pro-Oriente and on
12.11. he will attend a mass in the central cathedral of vienna "Stephansdom"
and following that participate in the lunch arranged by the Vienna Archbishop to
honour the catholicose. on 13.11 he will lead the Ecumenical Convention
conducted at the St.Mary's Malankara Syr.Orth. Church. on 14.11.04 he will
celebrate the holy mass in the church and many Social and Religious dignitaries
will speak in the receptin following the meeting to falicitate the catholicose.
On 20.11.04, 17hr H.B. will inaugurate a Malankara Syrian Orhtodox parish in
Germany at Herne and celebrate the mass in the Syrian Orhodox Church at Herne.
In his european visit H.B is being escorted by H.G. Dr. Kuriakose Mor
Theophileos, the Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrain Orthodox European Diocese
and V.Rev.Dr. Adai Jacob Corepiscopa, the principal of the M.S.O.T. Seminary.
(Prepared for SOCM forum by Fr.Dr. Biji
Chirathilattu , Vicar, St.Mary's Syrian Orthodox Congregation Vienna
Web: http://www.stmarysvienna.org )