Baselios Augen I

Catholicos Baselios Augen I (26 June 1884 – 8 December 1975) was the fourth Indian Catholicose of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

Early days and education

The future Catholicos was born on 26 June 1884 at Puthencruz, Ernakulam district of the Indian state of Kerala to Rev. Fr. Abraham Malpan of CHETTAKULATHINKARA family and Annamma of Cheruvillil Valiyal of Puthencruz. His Father was a scholar of Syriac language. When he was baptized by Metropolitan Paulos Ivanios, he was named Mathai by the Metropolitan. Ivanios was the Syriac teacher and mentor of his father. Young Mathai had his primary education at Puthencruz while staying at the home of his mother's family. At a very young age, he had accepted the discipleship of Malankara Malpan (Teacher of the Church) V. Rev. Mathen Cor-Episcopa of Konatt and had his theological education from Pampakuda Seminary. He was ordained as sub-deacon by Kadavil Paulose Mar Athanasius Metropolitan. Dn. Mathai joined M.D. Seminary School, Kottayam and learned English language.

In the Middle East

In those days, Dn. Mathai met Dn. Sleeba from Syria (later Sleeba Osthathios Metropolitan). Together they visited almost every Church in Malankara. Dn. Mathai used to translate the Syriac speeches of Dn. Sleeba. Owing to his great love for Syriac language, Dn. Mathai left for Syria with Dn. Sleeba in 1905 and was ordained Deacon at Mar Mathai Dayaro (St. Mathew's Monastery) in Assyria. During his stay at the oldest monastery of Mar Augen in Thurabdeen, Dn. Mathai decided to accept the name Augen. He stayed for a few days with then Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Abdul Masih II at the monastery of Mar Abraham in Thurabdeen. Then he travelled to Mardeen and reached Kurkuma Dayara where he stayed for about nine months and studied several rare books in Syriac. In 1908 he was elevated to the monastic order of Ramban by Patriarch Ignatius Abdulla at St. Mark's Syrian Orthodox Monastery in Jerusalem.

While staying at Thurabdeen, Augen Ramban gave much thought to the affairs and future of Malankara Church and held correspondence with some of the leaders in Malankara. Very few people are aware of the decisive role played by Augen Ramban in the establishment of the Catholicate of the East in Malankara. He provided the information about the deposed Patriarch Ignatius Abdul Masih II to the Metropolitan Vattasseril Dionasius to make a division in Malankara Church.

Return to India and Ordination

On his return to Malankara, Dn. Augen Ramban was ordained to priesthood by Metropolitan Sleeba Osthathios at Kottayam Cheriya Palli (an ancient Church in Kottayam). In 1909, Fr. Augen Ramban accompanied Patriarch Abdulla and Metropolitan Osthathios to the Churches they visited, to translate their speeches. He was impartial in the factional disputes in the Malankara Church. When Patriarch Ignatius Abdul Masih II arrived in Malankara in 1912, Fr. Augen visited him at St. Mary's Church, Niranam and held an audience with the Patriarch. There he also ateended the enthronement ceremony of Metropolitan Paulos Ivanios as the Catholicos of the East Baselios Paulos I. Later he left for Madras to serve the faithful and conduct Holy Mass there.

He was consecrated as Metropolitan by name Mor Thimotheos on 15 May 1927 at Jerusalem by the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Ignatius Elias III. Patriarch appointed him as the fourth Metropolitan of Kandanad for the faction favoring the Patriarch.

In the late 1930s he left that faction and joined the faction of Malankara Church which submitted to the authority of the Catholicos of the East. He later became the Principal of the Orthodox Theological Seminary (Old Seminary), Kottayam and also held charges of the Kandanad and Thumpamon dioceses.

Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan (1964–75)

After the Supreme court order in 1958 which ended the half-a-century long litigations, the two factions of Malankara Church re-united.

When the re-unified Malankara Association met at Niranam on 17 May 1962, Augen Mor Thimotheos was elected as the successor-designate to the Catholicos of the East Baselios Geevarghese II. Following the demise of H. H. Geevarghese II, Thimotheos took charge as the Malankara Metropolitan. On 22 May 1964, Thimotheos was installed formally as Catholicos Baselios Augen I by the visiting Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Ya`qub III who had arrived in response to the invitation of the Malankara Synod. The ceremony was held at M.D. Seminary Chapel, Kottayam.^[1]

Oath taken by Catholicos candidate Augen Mar Themotius at the Holy Synod.

In his speech during the enthronement, the Patriarch told the multitude gathered to witness the occasion:

The entire Church moved towards emotional and spiritual unity. On 20 November 1964, it was decided to consecrate a few more Bishops, considering the progress of the Church.

Visit of Pope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI used to visit the Heads of Churches of each country he visited. On his visit to India to attend the Eucharistic Congress in Bombay, the Pope expressed his wish to exchange greetings with the Supreme Head of the Malankara Orthodox Syriac Church, H. H. Augen I Catholicos. Owing to his tight schedule, the Pope was unable to travel from Bombay to Kerala and requested the Catholicos whether it would be convenient for the Catholicos to visit him at Bombay. H. H. Augen I responded positively and the meeting took place on 3 December 1964 at 9.00 am. During the meeting in a specially arranged room in the Palace of the Catholic Archbishop of Bombay, only Fr. K. Philipose (later Dr. Philipose Theophilos Metropolitan)^[2] and the Archbishop Valarian Gracious were present. The embrace of East and West was a thrilling experience for the two dignitaries who witnessed the meeting. After embracing each other, the primates seated themselves on a couch and exchanged fraternal greetings.^[3] The Catholicos informed that his trip to Bombay was with the sole purpose of meeting the Pope. The Pope invited the Catholicos to visit Rome as his guest. The Pope also expressed his desire to visit Kerala and meet the ancient Christian community there. Fr. K. Philipose read out the 433-worded message of H. H. Augen I to H. H. Paul VI and submitted it to the Pope. The Pope himself read out the reply which comprised 470 words. In this message, the Pope said that he enjoyed the fact that India was lucky enough to listen to the Gospel at the same time as Europe.^[4]

Addis Ababa conference

In January 1965, H. H. Augen I attended the Synod of Eastern Oriental Orthodox Churches at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.^[5] The Synod was convened by the Emperor of Ethiopia His Highness Haile Selassie. Along with the other Oriental Orthodox Primates, the Patriarch of Antioch H. H. Ya'qub III was also present on the occasion. The Catholicos was accompanied by the Secretary of Malankara Episcopal Synod H. G. Daniel Philexinos, Fr. T. C. Jacob, Fr. Dr. V. C. Samuel and Fr. Dr. K. C. Joseph. The late Catholicos H. H. Geevarghese II had expressed the desire for convening such a conference for the first time.

The aged Catholicos Augen I (81 years old then) gained paramount respect, reverence and love from the Emperor as well as other attendees at the Synod. The conference began on 15 January. Patriarch H. H. Ya'qub II, Armenian Supreme Catholicos H. H. Vazken I, Catholicos H. H. Augen I, Catholicos of Cilicia H. H. Khoren and Patriarch H. H. Abune Theophilos of Ethiopia were seated on both sides of the Emperor on the dais. The emperor inaugurated the function. From 18 January onwards, several important decisions were taken at the Conference with regard to Orthodoxy.

On 25 January, H. H. Augen I along with the Indian delegation reached Cairo as the guests of the Coptic Orthodox Church and visited the important Churches and places there. Two days later, they went to Jerusalem. Thus the aged Catholicos got another chance to visit the Holy Land. After visiting Beirut and Antelias ( the seat of the Catholicos of Cilicia), the party reached Damascus on 3 February. The Patriarch Ignatius Ya'qub III gave a warm reception to the Catholicos and the members of the Indian delegation. After holding friendly dialogue with the Patriarch, the Catholicos visited Homs, Aleppo, Hesakka, Derik and Mosul.

Relics of Apostle St. Thomas

At Mosul, the Patriarch H. H. Ya'qub III and Metropolitan Severios Zakka received the party and took them to the Headquarters of the Mosul Metropolitan as a procession.When renovation works for a wall of the Church at Mosul (named after Apostle St. Thomas) was carried out, the Holy relics of Apostle St. Thomas were regained. The relics were kept safely in a marble box with and old Estrangela inscription which said that it contained the Holy relics of the founder of the Indian Church. The Patriarch considered the relics as a suitable present to the Indian Church signifying the re-established peace in the Church, and a witness of the Apostle's evangelisation in India. H. H. Augen I celebrated the Divine Liturgy at that Church. Amidst the Divine Liturgy, the Patriarch placed the Holy Relics with much honor and reverence on a specially decorated place in the Chancel. After offering incense with special prayers, the Patriarch presented the Relics to the Catholiocs Augen I, who received it with great respect and expressed deep gratitude to the Patriarch and Metropolitan Severios Zakka for their kind gesture.After a grand procession, the Divine Liturgy was concluded.

After completing these fraternal visits, the Catholicos and the delegation visited Baghdad, Basra, Bahrain, Qatar and the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Congregations there, and then returned to India. The Holy Relic of St. Thomas is kept at the Catholicate Palace, Devalokam, Kottayam.

Consecrations and important declarations

By the end of March 1966, H. H. Augen declared Mar Elia Chapel, Kottayam as the official Thronal Cathedral of the Catholicos of the East.

On 24 August 1966, H. H. Augen I elevated Yuhanon Severios, Thomas Thimotheos and Dr. Philipose Theophilos as Metropolitans at Kolencherry St. Peter's & St. Paul's Church. These newly consecrated Metropolitans were appointed to lead the Dioceses of Cochin, Malabar and Angamaly respectively.

As Catholicos of the East, H. H. Augen I consecrated the Holy Mooron (anointing oil) at the Old Seminary, Kottayam on 21 December 1967.

By the early 1970s, there was a second rift in the Church and the two factions re-emerged, with Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church accepting only the authority of the Catholicos, while the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church remaining steadfast in support of the Patriarch of Antioch. Later the Church elected Baselios Mathews l as the 5th Catholicose of Malankara Orthodox Church.

Syriac scholarship

Having stayed at the various Syrian Orthodox monasteries in Turkey and Syria, he came in contact with various Syriac scholars which helped him to master the Syriac Church language. With his mastery of the Malayalam, Sanskrit and Syriac languages, he composed the 'Pemkisa (Fenqitho) Namaskaram' in Syriac for the feasts of St.Mary and St.Gregorios of Parumala and translated them into Malayalam. His major translations from Syriac are 'Prumiyonukal', ' Valiya Nombilae Namaskaram', 'Pattamkoda Shushrusha Kramangal' and 'Pallikoodasha Kramangal'. He also composed the 'Hoothomo' for 'Holy Synods' and the 'State after death'.

Retirement and death

Due to ill health from old age, Baselios Augen I relinquished the Throne on 24 September 1975 and Baselios Mathews l was installed as the Catholicos.

Two months later, on 8 December 1975, H. H. Baselios Augen I died and was buried at the Catholicate Palace, Devalokam, Kottayam. The Church celebrates the memorial feast of the Catholicos on 8 December.^[6]

Further reading

• H.H. BASELIOS AUGEN I FOURTH CATHOLICOSE [1964-1975] By EDITOR DR. RAJAN MATHEW, PHILADELPHIA
• K. V. Mammen Kottackal & Jose Kurien Puliyeril; Mar Augen Catholicos, the Strong Prelate Behind the Catholicate (Biography in English); Kottackal Publishers, published May 1976.
• K. V. Mammen Kottackal; MAR AUGEN BAVA The Guard of Catholicate (മാർ ഔഗേൻ ബാവാ, കാതോലിക്കേറ്റിന്റെ കാവൽഭടൻ - Biography in Malayalam); Kottackal Publishers, Manganam, Kottayam; Third Impression : Dec. 8, 2000. [pdf - http://www.malankaraorthodoxtv.in/Books/Biography%20of%20Augen%20Bava.pdf]
• malankaraorthodoxchurch.in - HH Baselios Augen I
• Photos of Catholicos of the East Baselios Augen I - oldphotos.marthoman.tv
• Dedicated portal on Addis Ababa Conference, powered by the Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE

See also

• Catholicos of the East
• List of Catholicos of the East

References