Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Major Archbishop convenes special prayer

Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Baselios Cleemis, the second Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Malankara Catholic Church, will convene a special prayer involving all the priests under the Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram at St. Mary's Cathedral, Pattom, on Thursday.

The 48-year-old Major Archbishop, who was installed at a ceremony at the cathedral on Monday, is the youngest to occupy the highest office of the Church since its formation in 1930. He is also the youngest head among the 22 uniat churches in the Catholic Church, Malankara Church authorities said.

The installation ceremony was led by Malankara Catholic Church Administrator Geevarghese Mar Dionysius. The installation began with the Prefect seeking the consent of Baselios Cleemis for his installation. He was later seated on a throne and lifted up three times by the chancellors from various Malankara Catholic dioceses to mark the installation.

Each time the throne was lifted, a priest specially designated by the prefect chanted `Oxios,' a Syriac word which means `he is eligible.' The word was chorused by the gathering. The Major Archbishop then blessed the gathering with a golden crozier, a hooked staff symbolizing his pastoral office.

Baselios Cleemis, who holds a doctorate in ecumenical theology from Rome, is vice-president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India.

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