His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews I

His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews IDiocese of Kottayam Central


His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews I

Ordained to the Holy Priesthood on October 27, 1946
Consecrated as Metropolitan on July 12, 1959
Served as Metropolitan of the Outside Kerala Diocese from 1959 to 1975
Enthroned as Catholicos of the East on October 27, 1975
Fell Asleep in the Lord on November 8, 1996

His Holiness was born on March 27, 1907 as the youngest son of Reverend Father Vattakunnel Kurien and Olesha Pulickaparampil Mariamma in Kottayam, India. He completed in Bachelors in Arts, and as a layperson he successfully completed in Bachelor in Divinity, where he received distinctions in his academics, specifically in the subject of canon law.

In 1944 he was selected to be a member of the Managing Committee of the Church. On August 18, 1945 he was ordained Mzamrono on the Old Seminary Chapel, and the next day ordained to the Holy Diaconate at Mar Elia Chapel. On October 27, 1946 he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by His Holiness Catholicos Geevarghese II. Some years later, he was tonsured to monastic orders on September 21, 1951. On July 12, 1959, His Holiness Catholicos Geevarghese II, consecrated him as Metropolitan Mathews Mar Athanasius. The new Metropolitan was given the archpastoral responsibility of the ‘Outside Kerala Diocese.’

On December 31, 1970, the Malankara Syrian Christian Association elected Metropolitan Athanasius to be the successor to the Apostolic Throne of Saint Thomas. On September 24, 1975 he assumed the position of Malankara Metropolitan, and later on October 27, 1975, at the Old Seminary Chapel, he was enthroned as Catholicos of the East.

During His Holiness’ primatial reign, many administrative innovations were taken up, and various manners to strengthen the growth of the Church, especially in the diaspora. It was under His Holiness’ foresight, new Dioceses - such as America, Madras, Bombay, Calcutta and Delhi - were created, in addition to Trivandrum Diocese in Kerala. It was His Holiness Catholicos Mathews I, who was the first Catholicos to offer an Apostolic Visit to the United States in 1979, where he presided over the Rite of Enthronement of His Grace Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios, the first Metropolitan of the American Diocese.

On April 27, 1991 due to his failing health, His Holiness relinquished the office of Catholicos & Malankara Metropolitan. His Holiness asleep in the Lord on November 8, 1996, and was laid to rest in the Chapel of the Catholicate Palace, in Devalokam, Kerala, India.