Rahul Gandhi condoles demise of supreme head of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC), also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in Kerala.

Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader and Member of Parliament, on Monday, condoled the demise of the supreme head of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India.

As per a tweet from Rahul Gandhi, he expressed his condolences on the passing away of the supreme head of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India – His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Paulose II.

“Along with his contributions as religious head, he will be remembered for his humanitarian work for the homeless,” Rahul said.

Pertinently, the supreme head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India, Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, passed away in the early hours of Monday. He was aged 74.

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India’s death occurred at 2:35 AM at a private hospital in Parumala in Pathanamthitta district while undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications.

The senior priest, who had been suffering from lung cancer since December 2019, had recovered from the COVID-19 infection in February this year.

Baselios Marthoma Paulose II was the eighth Catholicos of the East in Malankara and 91st primate on the Apostolic Throne of St Thomas. He was enthroned as the Catholicos of the East & Malankara Metropolitan in November 2010.

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC), also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in Kerala.

The church serves India’s Saint Thomas Christian (also known as Nasrani) population. According to tradition, the church originated in the missions of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. The Malankara Orthodox Church is the one of the oldest Christian Churches in the world.