Catholicos Bawa Cleemis Baselios – Major Archbishop-Designate

Archbishop Isaac Mar Cleemis Thottunkal, aged 47, presently Archbishop of Tiruvalla has been elected ‘Catholicos Bawa’, head of the Catholic Syro-Malankara Church.

He was elected by the Syro-Malankara Bishops’ Synod which met between February. 7th to 10th, 2007 in Catholicos Centre, Trivandrum, Kerala. The Oriental-rite Church´s new major archbishop was announced at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 at Pattom.

The announcement was made by Bishop Geevarghese Mar Divannasios. Thunderous applause, shouts of joy and the tolling of church bells filled the air as Bishop Geevarghese Mar Divannasios of Bathery named the new major archbishop in Pattom´s St. Mary´s Cathedral Church.

The Holy Father has granted approval to the apointment.

The new Major Archbishop would be called Catholicos Bawa Cleemis Baselios and would be installed Major Archbishop of Trivadrum Archdiocese on March 03, 2007.

The Major Metropolitan See of Trivandrum was vacant due to the death of His Beatitude Cyril Mar Baselios who went to his heavenly reward on Jan. 18, 2007.

During the interim period, Bishop of Bathery Geevarghese Mar Divannasios was elected Administrator.

Archbishop Isaac Mar Cleemis is the Second Vice President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), elected during the General Body Meeting 2006 held in Bangalore.

The newly-elected Major Archbishop was born on June 15, 1959 and ordained priest on Aug. 15, 1986. He was consecrated Bishop on Aug. 15, 2001 and made Archbishop on May 15, 2006.