Kochi | The Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church in India is set for a major event as Joseph Mor Gregorious, the current Malankara Metropolitan, prepares to be consecrated as the new Catholicos, also known as Maphrian.
The ceremony will be led by Ignatius Aphrem II, the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, on March 25 at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Beirut, Lebanon, the Church said in a statement here.
The Catholicos is the second highest authority in the Church after the Patriarch.
According to it, the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch dates back to the first century and is believed to have been founded by St Peter, the Chief of the Apostles, in Antioch.
The Universal Syrian Orthodox Church is led by the Patriarch, currently Ignatius Aphrem II, who is the 123rd Patriarch in direct succession from St Peter, the statement said.
Mor Joseph Gregorious will become the 81st Catholicos, succeeding the late Baselious Thomas I, who passed away on October 31 last year.
The consecration ceremony in Beirut will be attended by the heads of several churches, including the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, and the Syro-Malankara Church, the statement said.
It further said representatives from various churches in India and the Middle East will also be present.
The President of Lebanon, Joseph Khalil Aoun, along with ambassadors from different nations, will grace the occasion, the statement said.
The Government of Kerala is sending a delegation led by Law Minister P Rajeev, and a delegation from the central government is also expected to attend, it added.
Following the consecration, the Enthronement Ceremony will take place on March 30, 2025 at St Athanasius Cathedral in the Patriarchal Centre, Puthencruz near here.
A grand public reception will follow at Baselious Thomas I Nagar in Puthencruz. Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar will attend the event along with leaders from various fields and a large gathering of believers.
