PARUMALA, (KERALA,INDIA): Nov 1 : Baselios Marthoma Paulose II was enthroned as Catholicos of the East, supreme head of the Orthodox Church of the East and Malankara Metropolitan at a special ceremony held at St. Paul’s and St. Peter’s Church (Parumala Pally) at Parumala in Kerala, southern India, on November 1, 2010.
The 64-year-old Catholicos, His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Poulose I (Former Paulose Mar Milithios), was consecrated after his predecessor His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didymus I decided to step down on his 90th birthday on Oct. 29.
Former Catholicos His Holiness Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Didymus I was the chief celebrant at the consecration ceremony. The Newly consecrated Catholicos, Baselios Marthoma Paulose II is the eighth Catholicos since the Catholicate of the East was relocated to India and 115th Catholicos in the lineage of Catholicoi of the East in the apostolic throne of St. Thomas. He is also the 21st Malankara Metropolitan (Major Arch Bishop of India) of the Malankara (Indian) Church.
“The consecration ceremony was conducted under the rich traditions of the church. We are happy the church is getting a new head who dedicated his life in prayers,” said Orthodox seminary principal Father K. M. George.
Father George believes the new Catholicos is a great shepherd. “He prioritizes prayers and spirituality,” the priest added.
Starting with a procession, the major part of the consecration ceremony was held at the Pontifical Mass. During the consecration, the former Catholicos handed over the throne and all its designations to his successor.
The consecration ceremony
At 6.30 am all Metropolitans have ceremoniously accompanied His Holiness Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Didymus I into the Church and the day’s event began. Arch Bishop of Chengannur Diocese Thomas Mar Athanasius celebrated the Holy Qurbana. Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Didymus I was the chief celebrant for the consecration ceremony.
New Catholicos readout and put his signature on his confession of faith (Amalogia), which the new Pontiff himself piously submitted to the Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Paulose II.
Thereafter the reigning Catholicos declared that the new Pontiff is worthy to be elevated to the Catholicosate and to the throne of St. Thomas. This led to reading of the Gospel, with Metropolitans carrying the throne, on which the new Catholicos was sitting. This was to symbolize the authority of the new Catholicos over the Church of God. Staff for the new Catholicos was also handed over in a similar fashion, where nine Metropolitans held their hands below the hand of the New Catholicos, which was guided to the top by the reigning Catholicose.
Concluding the ceremony, litanies were read out, which were prayers for and divine felicitations to the new Pontiff.
Newly installed Catholicose Baselios Marthoma Paulose II completed the Holy Qurbana to mark the end of ceremony.
Priest Trustee Fr. Dr. Johns Abraham Konattu was the Master of Ceremony. Fr. M.P. George led the melodious choir.
Around 25 Metropolitans attended the event. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Osthathios, Thomas Mar Athanasius,Geevarghese Mar Ivanios, Kuriakose Mar Cleemis, Zachariah Mar Anthonios, Dr. Thomas Mar Athanasius, Geevarghese Mar Coorilos, Paulose Mar Pachomius, Dr. Mathews Mar Severius, Dr. Yakoob Mar Irenaeus, Dr. Gabriel Mar Gregorios, Dr. Zachariah Mar Theophilos, Dr. Yuhanon Mar Chrysostomos, Yuhanon Mar Policarpos, Mathews Mar Theodosius, Joseph Mar Dionysius, Abraham Mar Ephiphanios, Dr. Mathews Mar Timothios, Dr. Yuhanon Mar Dioscoros, Dr. Youhanon Mar Dimitrios, Dr. Yuhanon Mar Theodoros, Yakob Mar Elias, Joshua Mar Nicodemus, Dr. Zachariah Mar Aprem, Dr. Geevarghese Mar Julius and Dr. Abraham Mar Seraphim participated the consecration ceremony. A number of priests and thousands of faithful witnessed the historical ceremony.
Kerala Finance Minster T.M. Thomas Isaac, Jose K. Mani, and Anto Antony, MPs, K.M. Mani, P.J. Joseph, Joseph M. Puthussery, Raju Abraham, Mons Joseph, K. Sivadasan Nair, and Mathew T. Thomas, MLAs, Mar Joseph Powathil, Joseph Perunthottm, Archbishops, and Philipose Mar Chrysostum, Senior Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church, were among those who turned up to felicitate the new Catholicos.
With the consecration of His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, three Catholicoi had been consecrated at Parumala Pally. His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews II was consecrated as Catholicos of the East in 1991 and His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didymus I in 2005.
PROFILE
His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Paulose II was born on August 30, 1946 in the ancient Syrian Christian family of Kollannur to K I Ipe and Kunjeetty at Thalappally Taluk in Thrissur District. His mother, Kunjeetty hails from the famous family of Pulikkottil and he was baptized at St Mary's Orthodox Church Pazhani.
He was ordained for the first stage of deaconate in Parumala Seminary in 1972 and as Priest on June 2, 1973. He was ordained as Ramban (monk) on May 3, 1983. Ramban Paul was ordained as Bishop with title Paulose Mar Milithios on May 15, 1985 by Baselios Mar Thoma Mathew I. He is the first metropolitan after Parumala Thirumeni who was ordained Bishop below age of 40. He was appointed as the first Arch Bishop of the newly formed Kunnamkulam diocese of the church on August 1, 1985.
He was unanimously elected as Catholicos designate by Malankara Syrian Christian Association on October 12, 2006.
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of the East traces its origins to Saint Thomas the Apostle who evangelized India. The Orthodox Church of the East, also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church, with thirty million faithful worldwide. The church is most influential in Kerala.
The Hindu,November 2, 2010
ReplyDeletePaulose II enthroned as Catholicos of the East
Staff Reporter
PATHANAMTHITTA:Paulose Mar Milithios was enthroned as the new Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan at a solemn ceremony at the St. Paul's and St. Peter's church at Parumala on Monday. He succeeds Baselius Mar Thoma Didymus I who abdicated office at the age of 90.
The 64-year-old new Catholicos takes the name Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose II. He is the eighth Catholicos of the East since the establishment of the Catholicate in India in 1912 and the 21st Malankara Metropolitan. He now heads the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, which traces its origin to St. Thomas the Apostle in AD 52.
The ceremony began at 6.15 a.m. when the outgoing Catholicos of the East, successor to the Apostolic throne of St. Thomas in India, was escorted to the sanctuary of the church. Didymus I was the chief celebrant of the holy Eucharist that began at 6.30 a.m. and lasted well over three hours including the enthronement ceremony. Thomas Mar Athanasius, Metropolitan of the Chengannur diocese, was the co-celebrant.
Hundreds of believers thronged the Parumala Seminary premises to be part of the historic event. They chanted ‘oxion' (a Greek word meaning ‘that he is worthy') three times in endorsement of the enthronement of the prelate of the Holy See of St. Thomas. The new Catholicos then read out from the holy Gospels. The outgoing Catholicos blessed his successor and handed over his pastoral staff and emblems to Paulose II. The ceremony came to a close with the new Catholicos and his predecessor exchanging garlands.
Mar Paulose II, accompanied by other metropolitans of the Church, blessed the mammoth gathering assembled on the seminary premises, later.
Fr. K.M. George, Principal, Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam, delivered the benedictory address. Most of the metropolitans of the Church took part in the ceremony.
Finance Minster T.M. Thomas Isaac, P.J. Kurien, Jose K. Mani, and Anto Antony, MPs, K.M. Mani, P.J. Joseph, Joseph M. Puthussery, Raju Abraham, Mons Joseph, K. Sivadasan Nair, and Mathew T. Thomas, MLAs, Mar Joseph Powathil, Joseph Perunthottm, Archbishops, and Philipose Mar Chrysostum, Senior Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church, were among those who turned up to felicitate the new Catholicos.
The enthronement comes almost a year before the Church officially launches the centenary celebrations of the establishment of the Catholicate in India (in 1912), an assertion of the Church's nationality, autonomy and autocephaly.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article864412.ece