CBCI News

Trivandrum, Jan 19: Major Archbishop of Trivandrum His Beatitude Cyril Mar Baselios, (71) went to his heavenly reward at 6.45 PM on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2007 at KIMS Hospital, Trivadrum.

The head of the Syro-Malankara Church in India, Major Archbishop Baselios was ailing for some time due to malfunction of kidneys.

Archbishop Baselios was the President of CBCI from June 2000 to 2004.

Condoling his death, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), Cardinal Telesphore Toppo said, "Major Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios was an eminent leader, much respected for his spiritual leadership and pastoral concerns. His passing away is a great loss to the Church in India."

Responding to the sad news President of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) and Archbishop of Bombay Oswald Gracias stated, "Archbishop Baselios was a champion of inculturation and ecumenism. He had excellent relatioship with the people in governance, both at the national and more particularly in Kerala. He strongly supported the laity's more active participation in the Church and spoke passionately about strengthening the Catholic Council of India."

Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum on November 29, 1995. The installation took place on December 14, 1995.

As the Metropolitan Archbishop he received sacred Pallium from the Holy Father Pope John Paul II on January 9, 1996 in the Vatican.

Pope Paul II, has raised the Archdiocese of Trivandrum (Syro-Malankara) to a Major Archbishopric and at the same time elevated Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios as the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church on January 10, 2005.

Earlier, Archbishop Baselios was Bishop of Bathery and has been a Bishop for 29 years.

He came from an illustrious family. Three of his brothers are priests, two sisters religious nuns and one of his brother has been the Chief Secretary of Kerala.