Baselios Paulose II

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His Beatitude Catholicose Baselios Paulose II is a former Catholicos of the east of the Syriac Orthodox Church and was born on June 12, 1914 to the Vicar of Cherai St. Mary's church, Kasheesho Puthusseri Joseph and Elizabeth. He was named P. J. Paulose and completed his secondary education at Cherai Ramavarma High School. After completing college education at Kottayam CMS College and Alwaye Union Christian College, Paulose joined the Manjinikkara Deiro. Paulose continued his Syriac education under Rabban Abdul Ahad (later Patriarch Yaqub III).

In 1934, Mor Yulius Elias, the delegate of the Patriarch to Malankara, ordained Paulose as deacon. In 1938, Mor Yulius ordained him priest at Manjinikkara Deiro. Later Fr. Paulose became secretary to Mor Yulius Elias and malphono at Manjinikkara Deiro.

On April 25, 1952, the Kandanad diocesan delegates meeting selected Kasheesho Paulose to succeed late Paulose Mor Athanasios who had relinquished his additional duties as the metropolitan of Kandanad due to illness. Patriarch Aphrem I ordained Kasheesho P. J. Paulose with the name Mor Philoxenus on October 19, 1952 at Homs, Syria.

On September 7, 1975, Patriarch Yakub III consecrated Mor Philoxenus as Catholicos of the East. On September 14, 1980, His Beatitude made history consecrating Mor Ignatios Zakka I Iwas, Archbishop of Baghdad, as the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch; this was the first time in the long history of the Patriarchate of Antioch that a Catholicose from Malankara officiated at the consecration of a Patriarch. His Beatitude also ordained six bishops for the Malankara church.

Mor Basileus Paulose II was widely revered for his simple mind and his spartan ascetic life. He conducted himself as a spiritual father to all without ever displaying the pomp that accompanied his office. Even in his private conversations he would dwell on his accountability on the Day of Judgment. As metropolitan and later as Catholicose, Mor Baselious desired for a lasting peace in the Malankara church.The remains of Catholicose Basileus Paulose II are interred in a tomb in Malekuishu Deiro near Puthenkurishu in Ernakulam District, Kerala