Former CBCI chief Cyril Mar Baselios passes away

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 18 (UNI) Malankara Catholic Church Archbishop and former president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) Cyril Mar Baselios passed away here this evening.

Seventy one-year-old Cyril Mar baselios died at a private hospital following a heart attack at 1830 hrs. He was undergoing treatment for kidney ailment for the past one-and-a-half-years.

A large number of people from all walks of life gathered at the hospital on hearing the news of demise of the Major Archbishop.

The mortal remains would be kept at the Pattom Bishop House here to enable the public to pay homage.

Church sources said representatives from Rome are likely to take part in the last rites.

He was appointed as the first Catholicos and Major Archbishop of the Malankara Catholic Church in February 2005.

Born on August 16, 1935 at Ullannoor in Pathanamthitta district, he was ordained a priest in 1960 after completing studies at Pontifical Seminary, Pune.

He was conferred a doctorate in Canon Law from Gregorian University, Rome, in 1975 after taking Masters in Psychology from the St John's University, US.

He had taught at St Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Kottayam, and the Pontifical Seminary, Aluva. He became the Bishop of Bathery diocese in 1978 and was made the Metropolitan Archbishop and head of the Malankara Church in 1995.

A keen sense of observation, shrewd intellect, skill for planning and organisation, administrative skills, sense of value and spiritual leadership constitute the personality of Dr Cyril Mar Baselios. He had a deep rooted knowledge in Theology, Philosophy, Psychology and Economics.

UNI