Moran Mar Baselius Geevarghese I

(1870 - 1928)

Born in the Karuchira family at Vakathanam to Punnen and Unichiamma on 13 January 1870, the young boy Geevarghese was ordained at the age of sixteen as a Korooyo on 13 June 1886 by Kadavil Paulose Mar Athanasius at the Vakathanam Church. The young deacon undertook theological studies at the Old Seminary and thereafter received ordination as a priest on 11 August 1896 and raised as a Ramban on 21 August 1896. Ramban Geevarghese was appointed secretary to the Metropolitan in which capacity he did signal services for the construction of the Thrikkunnathu Seminary at Aluva which was to become the seat of Mar Athanasius. As per the will of Mar Athanasius, Ramban Geevarghese was to become the Manager of the Seminary. But soon after the demise of the Mar Athanasius the Ramban came back to Vallikkattu Dayara in his home parish. Through prayer and fasting he achieved spiritual strength. During the period of his stay at the Vallikkattu Dayara the Ramban was called upon to take up the responsibilities of a Metropolitan. Accordingly on 9 February 1913 Patriarch Abded Messiah with the cooperation of Catholicos Baselius Paulose I consecrated Ramban Geevarghese as Metropolitan with the title of Mar Philexinos at the Chengannur Church and put in charge of the Kottayam Diocese. He made Vallikkattu Dayara his administrative Headquarters.

As Catholicos

The Apostolic throne of St. Thomas in India, the seat of the Catholicos of the East, remained vacant for a period of twelve years since the demise of the Moran Mar Baselius Paulose on account of the unsettled conditions prevailing in the Church caused by the court cases which prevented the leaders of the Church from doing anything in the matter. During this period Malankara Metropolitan Geevarghese Mar Dionysius traveled to Mardin to meet the Antiochene Patriarch Mar Elias in order to find out a solution for the impasse created by the decision pronounced by the appeal court unfavourable to the section represented by him. Patriarch issued an order canceling the excommunication of Geevarghese Mar Dionysius VI, Mar Julius who was entrusted with the order failed in making the order public and hence the whole effort of Mar Dionysius to effect a rapprochement between the two sections did not bear fruit. In this situation, the meeting of the Malankara Association which met at Niranam had unanimously elected Mar Phelixinos as the Metropolitan to be installed Catholicos. On 30 April 1925 he was installed Catholicos of the Malankara Church with the title of Moran Mar Baselius Geevarghese I at St. Mary’s Church, Niranom.

The Catholicos, on the day following his installation, consecrated Fr. P. T. Geevarghese with the name of Geevarghese Mar Ivanios at St. Mary’s Church, Niranom. Another important development during the period of Baselius Geevarghese I was the promulgation of the judgement in the Trust Fund case on 2 July 1928 in favour of the Malankara Metropolitan Geevarghese Mar Dionysius VI. The judgment stated in unambiguous language that the excommunication of Mar Dionysius was invalid.

The tenure of Baselius Geevarghese I was short. The Catholicos passed away following a surgical operation at Neyyoor Hospital on 17 December 1928. The mortal remains of the Catholicos were buried at the Vallikkattu Dayara, Vakathanam.