Mar Severios to be next Catholicos

Episcopal synod of Orthodox Church proposes his name unanimously

The episcopal synod of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church on Thursday unanimously decided to propose Mathews Mar Severios as next Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan. An official declaration on his nomination as head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is likely after a meeting of the managing committee here on Friday.

The synod met at Devalokam, near here, with senior Metropolitan Kuriakose Mar Cleemis in the chair. It was attended by all 24 metropolitans of the Church.

A meeting of the Malankara Syrian Christian Association, considered the parliament of the Church with proportional representation of the laity and priests from over 1,500 parishes of the Church across the world, is expected to formally elect him to the post at Parumala on October 14. He would succeed Baselios Mar Thomas Poulose II, who passed away in July this year