Dr Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, head of the Mar Thoma Christians, passed away on Sunday at the age of 89. The Metropolitan who had been undergoing treatment for cancer was hospitalised since the past one week after his condition worsened. Dr Joseph was adorned to the position of Metropolitan, head of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in 2007.
According to reports, the Metropolitan passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning at the Believers Church Medical College Hospital in Thiruvalla. Last June, the Mar Thomas Church had inaugurated a year long birthday celebrations of the Metropolitan who was to turn 90 next year. The celebration was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a video conference.
Expressing condolences on the death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he had the honour of addressing the birthday celebrations of the Metropolitan a few months back.
“His Grace the Most Rev. Dr Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan was a remarkable personality who served humanity and worked hard to improve the lives of the poor and downtrodden. He was blessed with abundance of empathy and humility. His noble ideals will always be remembered. RIP,” the Prime Minister added in the tweet.
His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan was a remarkable personality who served humanity and worked hard to improve the lives the poor and downtrodden. He was blessed with abundance of empathy and humility. His noble ideals will always be remembered. RIP.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 18, 2020
Condoling the death, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that Joseph Mar Thoma headed the church upholding secularism. “He had travelled in diverse paths to help the poor and marginalised in the community. His interventions to rehabilitate children from the red street of Mumbai and transgender people, are examples for this,” said the CM.
The Metropolitan was in the forefront with a helping hand when Kerala faced Tsunami and the Kerala floods, Pinarayi Vijayan added. He said that the death of Metropolitan is a loss to the society as well.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala also condoled the death of Metropolitan. Chennithala said that he had long ties with him.
Born in 1931 as the son of Puthoor Mariamma and Lukochen in Kozhencherry part of the Maramon Palakunnathu family. He was ordained as Deacon in 1957, and was consecrated as Episcopa in 1975. He became the supreme head of the Mar Thoma church in 2007 after his predecessor was relieved from the post.
Watch video of the Metropolitan's funeral services