The historic event of
the reunion of His Grace Geevarghese Mar Ivanios with the Catholic Church took
place on 20 September 1930. In 1932, His Grace Mar Ivanios made his visit to
Rome and His Holiness Pope Pius XI invested him with the Sacred Pallium. By the
Apostolic Constitution, ?Christo Pastorum Principi? (11 June 1932) the Holy
Father Pope Pius XI established the Syro-Malankara Catholic Hierarchy comprising
the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum and the Eparchy of Tiruvalla.
On 11 March 1933 Archbishop Mar Ivanios dedicated his provisional
Cathedral at Palayam, Trivandrum to the Mother of God and celebrated the solemn
Holy Qurbana in the Cathedral on the following day concelebrated by Bishop Jacob
Mar Theophilos, the Bishop of Tiruvalla, Rt. Rev. Joseph Pulikottil and Rt. Rev.
Philipose Cheppad, Mar Augustine Kandathil, the Archbishop of Ernakulam were
present on the occasion. The Apostolic Constitution was executed by Rt. Rev.
Maria Benziger, the special deputee of the Holy See.
Archbishop Mar Ivanios having made the Profession of Faith before
the august assembly of the Bishops, priests and laymen and amidst the
acclamations of ?Oxios? (a customary hymn for the occasion) was enthroned as the
Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum and the Hierarchical head of the
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.
The pioneer of the Re-union movement in Kerala, His Grace
Archbishop Mar Ivanios, passed away on 15 of July 1953. A few months before his
death, on 29January 1953 he has consecrated Rt. Rev. Benedict Mar Gregorios as
his Auxiliary Bishop and as the Titular Bishop of Anterdos. Upon the demise
of His Grace Mar Ivanios, His Excellency Mar Gregorios was made the Apostolic
Administrator of the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum. And on 27 January 1955,
His Holiness Pope Pius XII appointed him the Metropolitan Archbishop of
Trivandrum. His Excellency Rt. Rev. Lawrence Mar Ephraem was appointed
Auxiliary to the Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum and Titular Bishop of
Barkuso on 6 November 1980 and was consecrated on 27 December 1980 at Kottayam
during the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Reunion Movement.
His Holiness Pope John Paul II blessed us with his historic visit
to St. Mary?s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum, on 8 February 1986.
His Eminence Cardinal Lourdusamy, the Prefect of the Congregation
for the Oriental Churches, visited the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum on 19
August 1987.
His Grace Most Rev. Benedict Mar Gregorios was called for his
eternal reward on 10 October 1994 after 41 years of his devoted service. His
Excellency Rt. Rev. Lawrence Mar Ephraem, the Proto-Syncellus, was elected the
Administrator of the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum.
His Grace Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios was appointed Metropolitan
Archbishop of Trivandrum and it was announced in public on 29 November 1995. The
enthronement of His Grace took place on 14 December 1995 at St. Mary?s
Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum. As the Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum, His
Grace received Sacred Pallium from the Holy Father Pope John Paul II on 9
January 1996 in Vatican. His Eminence Achille Cardinal Silvestrini, Prefect
of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, visited the Metropolitan Eparchy
of Trivandrum, on 12, & 13 of February 1996.
His Eminence Josef Cardinal Tomko, prefect of the Congregation for
the Evangelization of Peoples visited the Archbishop?s House on 2 November
1996.
On the request of His Grace Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios,
Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum, by an Apostolic Bull dated 16 December
1996 His Holiness Pope John Paul II created the Eparchy of Marthandom having
bifurcated the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum, and appointed Most Rev.
Lawrence Mar Ephraem as its first Bishop.
The new extension building of the Archbishop?s House
?Thirusannidhi? was blessed by His Grace Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios on 11&
12 March 1998.
His Excellency Rt. Rev. Joshua Mar Ignathios was appointed
Auxiliary to the Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum and the titular Bishop of
Nigizubitanam on 15 April 1998. His consecration took place on 29 June 1998 at
Mar Ivanios College Stadium, Trivandrum.
His Excellency Rt. Rev. Paulos Mar Philoxenos, Episcopal Vicar of
the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum passed away on 3 November 1998. His
Excellency Rt. Rev. Dr. Isaac Mar Cleemis was appointed Apostolic Visitor for
North America & Europe and Auxiliary to the Metropolitan Archbishop of
Trivandrum as the titular Bishop of Chayal on 18 June 2001. His consecration
took place on 15 August 2001 at St.Mary?s Malankara Catholic Church,
Thirumoolapuram, Tiruvalla. Later, he was appointed bishop of the eparchy of
Tiruvalla on 4 September, 2003.
His Excellency Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thomas was appointed
Apostolic Visitor for North America and Europe, Auxilary Bishop to the
Archbishop His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Cyril Mar Baselios of the Archdiocese of
Trivandrum and Titular bishop of Silcilibbensis on 8 of February, 2005. His
consecration held on 19 February, 2005 at the Metropolitan church, Pattom,
Trivandrum.
His holiness Pope John Paul II promoted and declared the
Syro Malankara Catholic Church to the canonical status of Major Archiepiscopal
Church on 10 February 2005 and the Metropolitan Archbishop Most Rev. Cyril Mar
Baselios was appointed as its First Major Archbishop ? Catholicos on the same
date. The enthronement of the Major Archbishop-Catholicos as the Father and Head
of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was on 14 May 2005.
In view of the decision of the Holy Episcopal Synod of the
Malankara Catholic Church the new Eparchy of Mavelikara was erected on 1st
January 2007 as per the decree (Prot. No. 1/2007) of His Beatitude Moran Mor
Cyril Baselios Catholicos, the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Malankara
Catholic Church, bifurcating the Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum. His Excellency
Most Rev. Joshua Mar Ignathios, the Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum was
transferred and appointed as the first bishop of the Eparchy of Mavelikara as
per the decree (Prot. No. 2/2007) of His Beatitude Moran Mor Cyril Baselios
Catholicos, the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Malankara Catholic Church.
The inauguration of the new Eparchy of Mavelikara and the installation of His
Excellency Joshua Mar Ignathios as its first Bishop took place on 16 February
2007 in Mavelikara.
On Thursday 18 January 2007 His Beatitude Moran Mor Cyril
Baselios, the first Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic
Church passed away. On the same day itself, in consultation with the members of
the Holy Episcopal Synod of the Malankara Catholic Church, His Excellency Most
Rev. Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, the Bishop of the Eparchy of Bathery assumed
office as the Synodal Administrator of the Church and the Administrator of the
Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum.
Thereafter, all the Bishops of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church,
the members of the Synod, assembled for the Synod of Election. On Saturday, 10
February 2007 at 4.30 p.m., the Synodal Administrator of the Malankara Catholic
Church announced the unanimous election of His Grace Most Rev. Isaac Mar Cleemis
Thottunkal, the then Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla as the new Major
Archbishop-Catholicos. He also announced that the new Catholicos will be known
as BASELIOS CLEEMIS. This election was confirmed by the Holy See by letter No.
13.695/07. The installation of His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis as the
Major Archbishop-Catholicos took place on 5 March 2007 at St. Mary?s Cathedral,
Trivandrum.
