Published Oct 31, 2024 | 7:08 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 31, 2024 | 8:06 PM
Mor Baselios Thomas I. (Supplied)
The Syrian Christian community in India mourns the passing of Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church Head Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I, a revered spiritual leader known for his dedication to the faith and service to the church.
He died on Thursday, 31 October, while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kochi for the past five months due to age-related ailments.
He was born as the son of Matthai and Kunjamma of the Cheruvillil family in the Vadayambadi area near Puthankurish of the Ernakulam district. His name given on birth was CM Thomas. His early life was marked by hardship.
Mor Baselios Thomas was ordained on 21 October, 1958. In 1974, He was appointed as Metropolitan under the name of Dionysius.
Despite his aristocratic roots, the family had fallen on hard times, and his frequent childhood illnesses interrupted his education.
The legend is that during one such illness, his mother took him to pray at the nearby Malecuriz Dayro, a monastery where the relics of Patriarch St Ignatius Elias III and Saint Gregorios Geevarghese (Parumala Thirumeni) were interred.
One night, as she prayed with her son in her arms, she had a vision urging her to dedicate him to the church. Miraculously, he soon recovered, setting him on a lifelong spiritual path.
His priestly training was overseen by Mor Philoxenos Paulose, who later became Catholicos Mor Baselios Paulose II.
Thomas was ordained as a ‘Korooyo’ in 1952 and ‘Shamshono’ in 1957, before becoming a full priest, ‘Kassisso,’ in August 1958.
He served as vicar in various churches across Kerala and North India, gaining a reputation as a revivalist preacher and effective organiser.
Mor Baselios Thomas was pivotal in the North Indian mission at Bhilai and contributed significantly to the Kolenchery Medical Mission Hospital in the Ernakulam district as its organising secretary.
In January 1974, Father CM Thomas was elected to the episcopate by the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Association at the Karingachira St George Church, and in February he was consecrated as ‘Mor Dionysius’ by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Ya`qub III in Damascus in Syria.
He took charge of the Angamali diocese, one of the largest Syrian Orthodox dioceses with over half a million faithful.
As Metropolitan, he worked tirelessly to uplift the diocese, spearheading welfare programs, enhancing administrative structures, and strengthening the community’s faith.
In 1978, under his patronage, the Mor Baselios Medical Mission Hospital in Kothamangalam was established, furthering his vision of compassionate service.
In 2019, he relinquished his administrative duties and resigned as “Metropolitan Trustee”. Mor Baselios Thomas had volunteered to step down from both positions due to old age, but Ignatius Aphrem II asked him to remain in the position.
Offering condolences, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said His Holiness Bava dedicated his life to the service and care of the entire community of Christians, the faithful and the general public.
“His Holiness Bava made unparalleled contributions to the growth of the Jacobite Syrian Church. He was a great shepherd who literally protected the Church during difficult times. Therefore, this is an irreparable loss for the Jacobite Syrian Church,” Vijayan said in a press release.
“He was one of the most senior fathers in India in terms of age and length of service among the Christian leaders. His greatest characteristic was his courage and dedication to face any crisis and any adverse situation. He did not flinch in front of anything, he faced everything with courage. He was unwavering in his stances. Throughout his life, he became a personality who embodies the meaning of the Greek name Baselios.”
“Shreshtha Bava was the head of the Jacobite Syrian Church for 22 years. He made comprehensive interventions in the field of education related to the church, in the field of social work, in the field of dialogue, and in the field of care and ministry of the church members,” the chief minister added.
“The head of the Jacobite Syrian Church, which has grown and spread widely not only in Kerala but also in other states of India and outside the country, and a great shepherd of believers all over the world, has been lost. We share in the grief of the church members and the relatives and friends of His Holiness Bava,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly VD Satheesan said: “His was a life of struggle and asceticism. The Most Reverend Catholicos gave the believing community the energy and strength to lead the Jacobite Church forward in times of crisis. It was the lessons of life and unceasing prayer that enabled him to lead the Jacobite Church with the strength of a warrior and without lapses in times of adversity.”
“I have had a close relationship with him for a quarter of a century. He has proven throughout his life that his life moves forward on the strength of his unwavering faith in God. There is a Biblical verse, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me on that day..’ His Holiness will rightly get that crown of righteousness. Farewell to the brave shepherd,” he added.
BJP state president K Surendran, in his condolence message, said: “Known as the golden-tongued one among evangelicals, Thirumeni was a great personality who was full of service activities. Baselios Thomas I was able to see and interact with everyone equally, beyond caste and religious considerations.”
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said, “The welfare works he carried out during his effective church leadership were reflected in his compassion and commitment to the good of the community. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
Kerala Legislative Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer said, “The passing away of the venerable father, who led the Jacobite Syrian Church for 22 years, is an irreparable loss to the entire church. Bava, who also led the church in the educational and social fields, was able to protect the Jacobite Syrian Church with courage in difficult times. Paying homage to his dedicated life. Sharing the grief with his relatives, friends and believers in his demise.”
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
