Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Didymos of the East Enters Eternal Rest

+ Memory Eternal +
OCP News Service – 26/5/14

India/Kerala/Kottayam: Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Didymos former Catholicos of the East and Metropolitan of Malankara and the Primate emeritus of the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church entered eternal rest on 26th May 2014 at the St Gregorious hospital in Parumala in Kerala.

Baselios Marthoma Didymos was the Catholicos on the Apostolic Throne of St Thomas and Metropolitan of Malankara who lead the ancient Orthodox Church of India from 2005 to 2010. He retired from the throne due to health conditions and was undergoing medical treatment for the past four years.

Catholicos was well known for his prayerful life, piousness and spiritual leadership. Catholicos Baselios Dydimos is succeeded by Catholicos Baselois Paulose II who is currently leading the Church.

Biography

Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Didymus I (born 29 October 1920) was enthroned Catholicos of the East andMalankara Metropolitan (Malankara Orthodox Church) on 31 October 2005. Didymos I was consecrated as bishop on 24 August 1966 and has been serving as Metropolitan of the Malabar Diocese of the church. He is the seventh Catholicos since the Catholicate of the East was relocated to India and 111th in the lineage of Catholicose of the East in the Apostolic throne of St. Thomas. Didymus is also the 19th Malankara Metropolitan of the Church.

Didymus is the son of Ittyavira Thomas of Chiramel-Mulamootil House in Nedumbram near Thiruvalla and Sosamma of Chiramel House in Mavelikara. He joined the Tabor Dayara in Pathanapuram in 1939 where he completed his high school education. He passed his Intermediate from C.M.S College, Kottayam in 1945, his B.A from National College,Tiruchirapalli in 1951, his B.T from Maston Training College, Chennai in 1954, and his M.A from Christ Church College,Kanpur in 1961. Didymus completed his training for priesthood under the guidance of Thoma Mar Dionysius andBaselios Augen, Catholicos of the East. Geevarghese II Catholicos of the East awarded him the order of Korooyo on 11 March 1942, full deaconship on 22 May 1947 and priesthood on 25 January 1950.

Didymus started his service to the Church as a monk when he was a teenager. He was called to the monastic life by the late Metropolitan Mar Dionysius of Niranam.

Didymus served as headmaster of Ponnayya High School, Thiruchirapalli and St. Stephen’s High School, Pathanapuram, as Professor of English in St. Stephens College Pathanapuram, and as President of the Orthodox Youth Movement.

On 16 May 1965, Maran Mar Baselios Ougen I made him Ramban (a title given to selected senior members of the priestly order of the Orthodox Church of India, the oldest Christian Church based in Kerala.] The Malankara Syrian Christian Association elected him to the office of Metropolitan in 1965.

The church had a tradition of selecting bishops from the monastic ranks. On 24 August 1966 at Kolencherry, Baselios Ougen Bava consecrated him as Metropolitan Thomas Mar Timotheos.

Didymus became the Metropolitan of Malabar Diocese on 11 November 1966. As of 2013 he continued to be the General Superior of Mount Tabor Dayara and Convent in Pathanapuram. On 10 September 1992 the Malankara Association met at Parumala and elected him as successor-designate to the Malankara Metropolitan and Catholicos of the East. He was the first Catholicos to preside over an official church secretariat, which administers to the affairs of the church.

He visited the church’s diaspora, tending to his flock in other regions. His Holiness Baselios MarThoma Didymos I has entered into the eternal abode in Christ on 26th May 2014.

Source:
OCP News Service