Catholicos Mor Baselios Joseph
Catholicos Mor Baselios Joseph (Syr: ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܒܰܣܺܝܠܺܝܳܘܣ ܝܰܘܣܶܦ݂; Mal: മോർ ബസേലിയോസ് ജോസഫ്; (Born 10 November 1960) is the current Catholicos of India (Maphrian) of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church. He was elevated to the position of Catholicos on March 25, 2025 at St. Mary's Cathedral, Atchaneh, Lebanon in a service presided by Ignatius Aphrem II.
He was born in Perumpilly, Kerala as the youngest of four children to Srambikkal Pallithitta Geevarghese and Saramma. Joseph had his primary education at Perumpilly Primary School and his high school education from Mulanthuruthy High School.
On 25 March 1974, at the age of 13, Joseph was ordained a deacon by Mor Gregorios Geevarghese of Perumpally at Mor Ignatius Dayro, Manjinikkara. He later served as the secretary to Mor Gregorios for several years. He pursued pre-degree and undergraduate studies at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, before joining Mor Julius Seminary, Perumpally, for theological studies.
On 25 March 1984, Joseph was ordained a priest at Marthoman Church, Mulanthuruthy, by Mor Baselios Paulose II. He went on to earn a master's degree in philosophy from Trinity College, Dublin, and pursued further theological studies in the United States, where he also served as the vicar of multiple churches. He was ordained as Dayroyo by Ignatius Zakka I Iwas in Damascus on 15 January 1994.
On 16 January 1994, Fr. Joseph Ramban was consecrated as Mor Gregorios Joseph, the Metropolitan of the Kochi Diocese, by Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, at Damascus. He formally assumed the office after the Sunthroniso (enthronement) ceremony at Kyomtha Cathedral, Thiruvankulam, on 23 January 1994.
Joseph served as the President of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Sunday School Association (MJSSA) from 1996 to 2002. He was also instrumental in initiating several orphanages and educational projects. In 2019, he was elected as the Metropolitan Trustee of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Association, following the resignation of Catholicos Baselios Thomas I from administrative duties.
In 2023, Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II bestowed upon him the title of Malankara Metropolitan. He also served as Catholicos Assistant to Baselios Thomas I until his passing in 2024.
Following the passing away of Baselios Thomas I, Gregorios Joseph was unanimously elected as the Catholicos of India. He was elevated as Catholicos of India by Ignatius Aphrem II on 25 March 2025, at St. Mary's Cathedral, Atchaneh, Lebanon with the name Baselios Joseph. He was enthroned on 30 March 2025, at Mar Athanasius Cathedral, Puthencruz
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His Beatitude Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I, of blessed memory
The late Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas-I, the spiritual head of the Syriac Christians of India, was born in the Cheruvillil family of Vadayambadi, Puthenkuriz to Mathai and Kunjamma on 22nd July 1929. Early part of his life was full of sufferings. Though he belonged to an aristocratic family, by the time he was born the family had seen bad days. As a child he had frequent bouts of illness which affected his education. His mother used to take the young boy frequently to the nearby Malecuriz Dayro where the relics of late Patriarch St. Ignatius Elias-III and Saint Gregorios Geevarghese (Parumala Thirumeni) had been interred. One night, as his mother prayed with the young boy on her lap, she had a vision which prompted her to dedicate the boy to the service of the church. Within days, the boy’s illness was entirely cured. God was with him, guiding him and shaping him.
His priestly formation was under the guidance of Mor Philoxenos Paulose(late Catholicos Mor Baselios Paulose-II) who ordained him ‘Korooyo’ in 1952 and ‘Shamshono’ at Kadamattom Church in 1957. In August 1958, C M Thomas was ordained ‘Kassisso’ (full priest) by Mor Yulius Elias at the Majanikkara Dayro. In 1959 he was appointed as the vicar of St.Peter’s church, Puthencuriz. Later he served the churches at Vellathooval, Keezhumuri, Fort Cochin, Valamboor, Calcutta and Thrissur. For a period of seven years from 1967, he was the organizing secretary of Kolenchery Medical Mission Hospital. He also served as the Chief organizer of the North Indian mission at Bhilai in 1970′s and as the secretary of the Pourasthaya Suvishesha Samajam in 1974. He was well known as a great revivalist preacher and was also recognized as an excellent organizer.
In January 1974, Fr. C M Thomas was elected to the episcopate by the Malankara Jacobite Syriac Christian Association convened at the Karingachira St. George Church and was consecrated Metropolitan with the title ‘Mor Dionysius’ by H.H. Mor Ignatius Ya`qub-III on 24th February 1974 at Damascus, Syria. He was entrusted with the charge of Angamali diocese, the largest of all the Syriac Orthodox dioceses which has a membership of more than half a million. (Click here for a newspaper report dt. 26th February 1974 on the Metropolitan ordination of Mor Dionysius & Mor Gregorios)
The untiring efforts of Mor Dionysius in those days had helped a lot to revive the confidence of not merely the faithful of the diocese, but the entire Malankara Church. Metropolitans Mor Dionysius, Mor Gregorios Geevarghese (late) and Mor Koorilos Kuriakose (late) together were a great support to the (late) Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Paulose-II, the then Chief of the Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church. As the Metropolitan of Angamali Mor Dionysius had successfully initiated many welfare programs and also reorganized the diocesan administration. In 1978 Mor Baselios Medical Mission Hospital at Kothamangalam was started under his patron-ship.