Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Joins in Witness as Mor Baselios Joseph Consecrated Catholicos of the Jacobite Syrian Church

Atchaneh, Lebanon – 25 March 2025
In a solemn act of apostolic continuity and ecclesial grace, His Beatitude Mor Baselios Joseph was consecrated as the Maphrian (Catholicos) of the Jacobite Syrian Church in India at the St. Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Patriarchal Cathedral, Atchaneh, Lebanon.

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, represented with reverence and fraternal affection by His Eminent Beatitude Cardinal Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, joined the sacred assembly of patriarchs, bishops, priests, and faithful, bearing witness to this historic moment in the life of the Indian Syriac Christian tradition.

Consecration Ceremony Reflecting Apostolic Continuity

The Holy Qurbana and consecration rites were led by His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, alongside the metropolitans of the Holy Synod. The ancient liturgy, imbued with the fragrance of Syriac hymnody and solemn prayers, proclaimed the unbroken faith that traces its roots to the apostles and martyrs of the early Church.

The consecration marked the succession to the revered office previously held by His Beatitude Mor Baselios Thomas I, who, after decades of faithful service, entered eternal rest in October 2024.

As Mor Baselios Joseph received the insignia of his new office, the bells of the cathedral tolled, echoing a call across the Syriac Churches to unity, faithfulness, and renewed pastoral mission.

Gathering of Apostolic Churches in Witness and Solidarity

The solemnity of the occasion was magnified by the presence of distinguished patriarchs, bishops, and representatives from sister Churches, among them:

• Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia (Armenian Apostolic Church),
• Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rai of the Maronite Church,
• Patriarch Mor John X Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch,
• Patriarch Mor Youssef III Younan of the Syriac Catholic Church,
• Patriarch Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian of the Armenian Catholic Church,
• Delegates from the Assyrian Church of the East, the Coptic Orthodox Church, and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church,
• Alongside representatives from Lebanon’s government and the Government of India.

Cardinal Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, as the head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, stood among these ancient Churches in profound fraternity, honouring the shared Syriac heritage and affirming the bonds of faith that transcend temporal divisions.

Fraternal Esteem between Churches of the Syriac Tradition

Throughout the celebrations, His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II visibly upheld the spirit of ecclesial fraternity.
In a moment of particular significance, the Patriarch presented a cross to Cardinal Cleemis during a fraternal gathering—an act rich with symbolism, expressing mutual respect and acknowledging the common inheritance of the apostolic tradition.

The placement of His Eminence among the patriarchs and senior hierarchs during the receptions and gatherings further reflected the deep regard maintained between the Churches sharing the Syriac patrimony.
It was a testimony not merely to historical ties, but to living bonds nurtured by shared faith, liturgy, and fidelity to the apostolic mission in India and beyond.

Such gestures were neither casual nor perfunctory; they flowed naturally from the profound understanding that, in the communion of the Churches of the East, fraternity is lived not in word alone but in honour, prayer, and visible acts of esteem.

Mandate Entrusted to Mor Baselios Joseph

In his first address as Catholicos, Mor Baselios Joseph humbly reflected upon the call to carry the Cross with love and fidelity, committing himself to the pastoral care of his people and the safeguarding of the Syriac Orthodox heritage in India.

He acknowledged the enduring guidance of Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, recalling their shared theological journey during their youth, and invoked the intercession of the saints of the Syriac tradition, particularly Saint Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala, one of his spiritual forebears.

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church lifts up heartfelt prayers that His Beatitude Mor Baselios Joseph may shepherd his flock with wisdom, charity, and apostolic zeal, and that the bonds of faith that unite the heirs of the Syriac tradition may continue to strengthen in the love of Christ.

“The glory of the Church lies not in splendour or numbers, but in her faithfulness to the Cross she is called to bear.”