New Delhi, Feb. 10, 2007 (CBCI News): Archbishop Isaac Mar Cleemis Thottunkal, aged 47, presently Archbishop of Tiruvalla has been elected 'Catholicos Bawa', head of the Catholic Syro-Malankara Church. He was elected by the Syro-Malankara Bishops' Synod which met Feb. 7-10, 2007 in Catholicos Centre, Trivandrum, Kerala.

The Holy Father has granted approval to the apointment.

The new Major Archbishop would be called Catholicos Bawa Cleemis Baselios and would be installed Major Archbishop of Trivadrum Archdiocese on March 03, 2007.

The Major Metropolitan See of Trivandrum was vacant due to the death of His Beatitude Cyril Mar Baselios who went to his heavenly reward on Jan. 18, 2007.

During the interim period, Bishop of Bathery Geevarghese Mar Divannasios was elected Administrator.

Archbishop Isaac Mar Cleemis is the Second Vice President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), elected during the General Body Meeting 2006 held in Bangalore.

The newly-elected Major Archbishop was born on June 15, 1959 and ordained priest on Aug. 15, 1986. He was consecrated Bishop on Aug. 15, 2001 and made Archbishop on May 15, 2006.

The Church in Kerala has all the three ritual churches, viz. the Latin Rite, the Syro-Malabar Rite and the Syro-Malankara Rite. The oriental rites trace their origin to the preaching of St. Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus.

The “St. Thomas Christians” from the early centuries, especially in the fourth century it came in contact with the Syro-Chaldean Churches and consequently adopted the Syrian Liturgical traditions in its worship.

In the 16th century, due to liturgical disputes, a section of the community broke away from the Portuguese ecclesiastical authorities and eventually got into communion with the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch.

In 1926 the Episcopal Synod held at Parumala, empowered Metropolitan Man Ivanios to enter into negotiations with Rome to effect a reunion with the Catholic Church under the expressed condition that the ancient and venerable traditions of the Malankara Church should be retained and kept intact. The Holy Father Pope Pius XI graciously accepted the conditions and welcomed the reunion.

Accordingly on September 20, 1930, Archbishop Mar Ivanios, Bishop Mar Theophilus, Fr John oic., Bro Alexander (Fr Seraphion oic) and Mr. Chacko Kilileth made their profession of faith and were duly received into the Catholic Communion by Bishop of Quilon Maria Benziger.

Holy Father Pope Pius XI established the Syro - Malankara Catholic Hierarchy, comprising the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum and the Eparchy of Tiruvalla on June 11, 1932.

On March 11, 1933 Archbishop Mar Ivanios dedicated his provisional Cathedral at Palayam to the Mother of God and celebrated the solemn Holy Qurbana in the Cathedral on the following day concelebrated by Bishop Mar Theophilos, the Bishop of Tiruvalla.

Archbishop Mar Ivanios passed away on July 15, 1953.

Pope Pius XII appointed Mar Gregorios as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum on January 27, 1955.

The Golden Jubilee of the Reunion Movement of the Syro - Malankara Catholic Church was celebrated at Kottayam on December 26-28, 1980.

After 41 years of devoted service Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios passed away on October 10, 1994.

Cyril Mar Baselios was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum on November 29, 1995 and was elevated as Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church on January 10, 2005.