>Br Ibrahim john: Disambiguated: List of Catholicoses of the East → Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan

2021-06-04T12:35:44Z

Disambiguated: List of Catholicoses of the East → Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan

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{{short description|Catholicos of the East}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox Bishop
| honorific-prefix = His Holiness
| name = Baselios Geevarghese I
| honorific-suffix = [[Catholicos of the East]]
| bishop_of = [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]]
| see = [[Catholicos of the East|See of St. Thomas the Apostle]]
| image =
| caption =
| previous_post= Metropolitan of [[Kottayam]]
| ordination = 18 August 1896
| consecration = 7 February 1913
| consecrated_by=[[Ignatius Abdul Masih II]]
| enthroned = 30 April 1925
| ended = 17 December 1928
| predecessor=[[Baselios Paulose I]]
| successor = [[Baselios Geevarghese II]]
| birth_name = Vakathanam Karuchira Geevarghese
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1870|1|11}}
| birth_place = [[Vakathanam]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1928|12|17|1870|1|11}}
| death_place = [[Vallikkattu]]
| buried = Orthodox Dayaro, Vallikaadu, Kottayam
}}

'''Baselios Geevarghese I of the East''' (born ''Vaakathanam Karuchira Geevarghese'', consecrated bishop as ''Mar Philoxenos'') (11 January 1870 – 17 December 1928) popularly known as Vallikkattu Bava, he was the 112th successor to the Holy Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} and second Catholicos of the [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]] in [[India]]. He was installed in the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas in 1925, and died after a short tenure of three years on 17 December 1928. Bava was revered as a saint by orthodox believers and the tomb in which his mortal remains are interred attracts pilgrims from all over Malankara.

==Early life==
Bava was born in the ancient orthodox Vallikkattu Karuchira family in Vakathanam, Kottayam district on 11 January 1870. After basic education at his native place, Vakathanam, at Kottayam he mastered in Syriac, the liturgical language of the church. He opted to become a ''sanyasi'' priest and at a very young age of sixteen, he was ordained as a deacon. The bishop [[Kadavil Paulose Mar Athanasius]] (Aluva) was his spiritual teacher with whom he spent years as secretary. He was ordained as a priest and remban by Kadavil Mar Athanasius in 1896.{{r|CLL}}

After the demise of his teacher in 1907, he moved from Aluva to Vallikkattu dayara at Vakathanam, where he spent the rest of his life. He was consecrated bishop at the historical [[Niranam Church]] in February 1913 by the [[Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch]] [[Ignatius Abdul Masih II]]{{r|Daniel}} assisted by the Catholicos Baseliose Paulose I. The new bishop assumed the name Geevarghese Mar Phelexinose (or ''Philoxenos'') and was given charges of Kottayam and Angamaly dioceses.

==As Catholicos==
On 30 April 1925, he was elevated to the supreme ecclesiastical position in Malankara Orthodox Church. He was ordained the Catholicos of the East and assumed the title, Baselios Geevarghese I. Following an operation for appendicitis, he died on 17 December 1928.

==Work and Reputation==
Vallikkattu Bava was considered a saint even during his lifetime. His life style was noted for simplicity, austerity, and punctuality. Bava used to keep a personal diary, which has become an authentic source of history of his times. Bava translated parts of gospels, and many liturgical works from Syriac to Malayalam. Publication of the first Sabha Panchangam (calendar) goes to his credit. He had evinced a keen interest in church architecture and many churches and buildings built during his times bear testimonies to his architectural skills. An account of his sea trip to Ceylon as a part of a church delegation is considered a beautiful piece of Malayalam travelogues written at that time.

==Death==
His mortal remains are interred in the tomb at Vallikkattu dayara, where he spent most of his life. The dayara was renovated in 1982 by the then Baselios Marthoma Mathews I and has emerged as one of the very important spiritual and pilgrimage centres of the Malankara Church. He was succeeded by [[Baselius Geevarghese II|Baselios Geevarghese II]]

==References==
{{Reflist|1|refs=
<ref name="Daniel">{{cite book | last = Daniel | first =David | title = The Orthodox Church of India | publisher = Rachel David| url=http://www.orthodoxherald.com/2009/09/29/history-of-catholicate-re-establishment-in-malankara/ | year = 1986 |pages=221–225 }}</ref>
<ref name="CLL">{{cite journal | last =Rajan | first =Matthew | title = H.H. Baselios Geevarghese I - Second Catholicose | journal=The Christian Light of Life | url=http://www.lightoflife.com/LOL_Arch_Basalios_GeevargheseI_Second_Catholicose.htm | year = 2004 |volume=3| issue=12|pages=221–225 }}</ref>
}}

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box|
before=[[Moran Mar Baselios Paulose I|Baselios Paulose I]]|
title=[[Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan|Catholicos of the East]]|
years=1925–1928|
after=[[H.H. Moran Mar Baselios Geevarghese II|Baselios Geevarghese II]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Christianity in Kerala}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geevarghese 01}}
[[Category:Indian Oriental Orthodox Christians]]
[[Category:Catholicoi of the East and Malankara Metropolitans]]
[[Category:Indian Christian religious leaders]]
[[Category:People from Kottayam district]]
[[Category:1870 births]]
[[Category:1928 deaths]]

Geevarghese I - Revision history

>Br Ibrahim john: Disambiguated: List of Catholicoses of the East → Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan