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Cathoicose Mar  Baselios Thomas I  passes  away

By Our  Religious  Correspondent

Kochi: The great  shepherd of  the Jacobite  Syrian Christian Church , Cathoicose Mar  Baselios Thomas I  passed away  at  a  private hospital  here last  night   following old-age  illness.  He was 95, Church  sources  said.

He was undergoing treatment for old-age  illness for some time. The  body  would be  interred  at Puthancruz  Mar Athnesious  Cathedral on Nov 02 at  1500 hours, the  sources  added. He had boldly led the  Church  for  establishing its just  rights  when  it was at its  crucial crisis.

He  was   born at Puthancruz near  here  on July 29, 1929  to Cheruvillil Matthews and Kunjhaama couple  as sixth children of total eight  children to them.

He was ordained  priest  as  Thomas Chervillil on Sept 21, 1958 and  elevated to the  Metropolitan of the  Angamaly Fiha Church on Oct 11, 1973.  In 2002  he was  elevated to  the Catholicose f the  Jacobite Syrian Christian Church headquartered at  Puthancruz. 

He had  started his career an Anchal  runner ( to run with mail bag from one  office to another daily)  of the  Indian Posts  an telegraph and  humility  and  lowliness were  his façade. He maintained  these qualities  of his character  even when he adorned the position of the head of the Jacobite  Syrian Christian Church as Catholicos.
  
                He  had established several Churches ,hospitals, seminaries and orphanages . Following  long litigation  between  the  Malankara Orthodox Church and Jacobite Church, the latter lost about 60 churches  and the Catholicose   reminded the  believers that the traditional faithfulness was the important factor  and not  the  judgment  of the Supreme  Court of India and he went  ahead with the  missionary work of the Church  and stood firm.

Several eminent  persons from various  walks of life  condoled over the Catholicose’ death.  The Major   Archbishop  and head  of the  Syro Malabar  Church, Mar Raphael  Thattil said in his condolence  message that   Catholicose  was  ready  even to give  his life  for the existence  and progress of the church.

He may  rightly  be  described as an “Emperor  of humility and lowliness” as he strictly   shown  sympathy  and  empathy    towards  the  downtrodden  and destitutes of the society. 

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