Bava Thirumeni`s profile

His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Paulos II
(Supreme Head of Indian Orthodox Church)
ST. GEORGE ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL, ABU DHABI
In mid 60's the oil boom attracted many foreigners, including Indians to Abu Dhabi. A group of Indian Orthodox
Christians among them requested the benevolent Rulers UAE for Worship Place and the Rulers of Abu Dhabi,
graciously donated a piece of land in Khalidiya. On 7th Aug 1970, the foundation stone of our first Church at
Khaldiya was laid by L.L His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Ruler of Abu Dhabi. The
new Church building at Khalidiya was sanctified on 1st December 1972, coinciding with the historic occasion
of the formation of UAE.
The Church building was shifted later to the present premises as per the instructions of the Government
authorities and was dedicated and sanctified on 5th February 1982.
Today, the Cathedral serves the spiritual needs of over 1500 families in Abu Dhabi and outskirts and over
5000 devotees attend the weekly prayer services in the Cathedral.
The Indian Orthodox Church has its believers spread across the United Arab Emirates and we acknowledge
the broad vision of the Rulers of the country that worship is an important aspect of development for an
individual and a community to remain in love peace and harmony with each other. We express our immense
gratitude to the rulers that they have graciously granted us the worship places in all other emirates and we
have now Seven Churches in UAE (Abu dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Sharjah, Jebel Ali, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah)
and over 20000 faithful are blessed by the prayer services in these churches.
THANKS AND GRATITUDE
We are deeply obliged to the benevolent Rulers of UAE and take this opportunity to express our sincere
gratitude for all their support and kind heartedness for providing a worship place for the Indian Orthodox
Church Community and more over the care for the whole of expatriate community in the UAE. We all are fully
committed to the wellbeing of this country and countrymen & contributing to its growth through shear hard
work. One of our esteemed Members, Dr. George Mathew, Medical Director, Al-Ain Medical District was
adorned with UAE citizenship and special status by the Govt. in recognition of his meritorious, painstaking
and passionate services to the local community for decades, who was a close associate of LL His Highness
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan .
THE INDIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
The Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Syrian Church traces its origin to as far back as A.D 52 when St. Thomas,
the disciple of Jesus Christ came to India came to India and established Christianity in the South Western
parts of the sub-continent.
At least from the fourth century the Indian Church entered into a close relationship with the Persian or East
Syrian Church, which is also believed to have been founded by St. Thomas from the first century itself. From
the Persians, the Indians inherited East Syrian language and liturgies and gradually came to be known as
Syrian Christians.
Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Syrian Church is an ancient, autonomous, independent, Indian Church whose
Supreme Head is His Holiness The Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, with Head Quarters
at Catholicate Aramana, Devalokam, Kottayam, Kerala, India.
The Church is now spread over, not only in all the States of India, but also in all the continents throughout
His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Paulos II
(Supreme Head of Indian Orthodox Church)
the world. The church is administered as 31 Dioceses altogether with 28 in India and 3 outside India with
more than 1,500 Parishes. The parishes are managed under these Dioceses based on their geographical
locations by the Diocesan Metropolitans and the currently it has more than 2 Million members.
The Holy Church trains its clergy in the spiritual strength and leadership from two of its Theological Seminaries
His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Paulos II is the Supreme Head of Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church with
and from its 23 monasteries spread across the country.
a following of more than two million faithful and is visiting Abu Dhabi for the first time after his Enthronement
Indian Orthodox Church has played a very significant role in the realm of education, medical fields, social
as the Head of the Church from 25th April to 28th April 2012.
upliftment and the development of the downtrodden of the society. With the above objective, the Holy Church
His Holiness is the 91st Successor on the Apostolic Throne of India (St. Thomas, the Apostle of India). The
runs many educational institutions, including Engineering, Medical institutions, about 30 specialist hospitals
Church is now celebrating the 1960th year of its establishment and also the centenary of the establishment
and also looks after thousands of homeless children and old people through about 50 destitute homes.
of Catholicate in India.
The Church is in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox Churches namely, Antiochene, Alexandrian,
Born on 30th August, 1946 in a traditional Syrian Christian family at Kunnamkulam in Thrichur District of
Armenian, Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches. The Church is in good ecumenical relationship with
Kerala State, India. Holds Post Graduate Degree in Sociology in addition to the Theological Studies.
the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches.
He was ordained as Deacon in 1972 and as Priest in 1973. Noticing his pious and holy life, the Indian Orthodox
The Church entered into a new phase of its history in India by the establishment of the Catholicate on 15th
Church Parliament elected him to Metroploitan-ate and was consecrated as Metropolitan (Arch Bishop) in
September 1912, in a ceremony held at St. Mary’s Church Niranam, one of the seven churches founded by
1985 at the age of 39 years by name Paulos Mar Melithios.
St Thomas in the 1st Century.
Again, the Church Parliament in 2006 unanimously elected His Grace as the Catholicos Designate.
On 1st November 2010, following the abdication of his predecessor His Holiness Baselios Mar Thoma Didimus
1, Metropolitan Paulos Mar Milithios was enthroned as Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan
(Catholicos is the Spiritual Head of the Church and Malankara Metropolitan is the Administrative Head of the
Church, both combined in one person).
THE HOLY EPISCOPAL SYNOD:
The Episcopal Synod with 31 Bishops and Catholicos as its President is the apex body which manages the
affairs of the Church. The authority of the Synod is final and binding and has exclusive rights and
privileges in the matter of upholding the faith of the church, its discipline and order of Apostolic
Succession.