Baselios Cleemis

His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis
Major Archbishop Catholicos of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
Church	Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
See	Trivandrum, India
In Office	2007–present
Predecessor	Cyril Mar Baselios
Successor	Incumbent
Orders
Ordination	June 11, 1986
Personal details
Born	June 15, 1959 (1959-06-15) (age 52) Mukkoor,Tituvalla Kerala
Previous post	Apostolic Visitor to North America and Europe (2001–2003), Metropolitan Bishop of Tiruvalla (2003–2006), Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla (2006–2007)

Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis (born Isaac Thottunkal on June 15, 1959) is the Major Archbishop Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.

Mor Cleemis was born at Mukkoor, Tiruvalla, Kerala, India.

Education

He attended the Minor Seminary Formation in Tiruvalla from 1976 to 1979. He received a B.Phil. degree from St. Joseph's Pontifical Institute, Mangalapuzha, Aluva where he attended from 1979 to 1982. He received a B.Th. degree from the Papal Seminary, Pune where he attended from 1983 to 1986. Thottunkal was ordained a priest on June 11, 1986. He studied for the Master of Theology in Dharmaram College, Bangalore where he attended from 1986 to 1989. Thottunkal took his Doctorate in Ecumenical Theology from Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome in 1997.

Career

On his return from Rome he became the Vicar General (Proto Syncellus) of the Eparchy of Bathery. Pope John Paul II nominated Thottunkal as Apostolic Visitor and the Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum on 18 June 2001 for the Syro-Malankarites residing in North America and Europe. He was consecrated on 15 August 2001 at Tirumoolapuram, Tiruvalla, assuming the name Isaac Mar Cleemis.

The Holy See appointed Cleemis as sixth Bishop of the Eparchy of Tiruvalla on September 11, 2003. Cleemis was installed as the first Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla on June 10, 2006.

Mor Cleemis was elected the Second Major Archbishop Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church through the first Holy Episcopal Synod of election of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church convoked on 7–10 February 2007 at Catholicate Centre, Pattom, Trivandrum. Pope Benedict XVI approved the election on 9 February and it was announced on 10 February at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum. Baselios Cleemis was enthroned the Second Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church on 5 March 2007 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom. Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil participated in the installation ceremony.

Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis visited the Pope Benedict XVI on 28 May 2007 at Vatican and received ecclesiastical Communion. The Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Rome gave a reception for him on his first visit to the Holy See.

External links

• Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
• Syro-Malankara Catholic Church - alternative site built by Malankarites

Preceded by Cyril Mar Baselios

Major Archbishop of Trivandrum 2007–present

Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Baselios Cleemis
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1959-06-15
Place of birth	Mukkoor,Thituvalla Kerala
Date of death
Place of death