H.H BASELIUS MAR THOMA PAULOSE II ENTHRONED AS CATHOLICOS OF THE EAST

H.H BASELIUS MAR THOMA PAULOSE II ENTHRONED AS CATHOLICOS OF THE EAST
Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose-II 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 1st November,2010. 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 in1912 and the 21st Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church,which traces its origin to St. Thomas the Apostle in AD 52. The cremony began at 6.15 am,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. H.H Didymus I was the chief celebrant of the holy Eucharist that began at 6.30 am.
Hundreds of believers thronged the Parumala seminary premises to be part of 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.

Prof.John Kurakar