Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - He will be remembered and missed by all. His Beatitude Major Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios Malancharuvil of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankara Catholics died on 18 January at the age of 71. At the death of the Major Archbishop the secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India CBCI said “The sad demise of Major Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios Malancharuvil has shocked the Bishops’ Conference and we have last a great Church leader who was well respected in the entire Catholic Church in India for his wisdom, foresight and integral vision. As the President of the CBCI Major Archbishop Baselios provided dynamic leadership to the Catholic community in India and always hailed India’s rich tradition of brotherhood and co-existence of different cultures and religions. We are pained at his sudden death and offer our heartfelt condolences to the faithful of the Malankara Church all over India and beyond”.
Mgr Baselios was appointed Archbishop of Trivandrum (Syro-Malankara) by John Paul in 1995. Following the sudden death of Archbishop Alan De Lastic, in 2000h e was elected President of the CBCI a post he held until 2004. When on January 10, 2005 the late Pope raised the Archdiocese to a Major Archbishopric he also elevated Archbishop Baselios as the first Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church. Earlier Mgr Baselios was Bishop of Bathery. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/1/2007 righe 23 parole 234)
