His Beatitude Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Joseph
Current Catholicos of India and Head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
Elevated: March 25, 2025 | Enthroned: March 30, 2025
Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Joseph (formerly Joseph Mor Gregorios) is the current Catholicos of India and head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, elevated to this office on 25 March 2025 and enthroned on 30 March 2025. His life spans decades of service in the Syriac Orthodox Church, especially in Malankara (Kerala), as a monk, priest, bishop, Malankara Metropolitan, and finally as Catholicos.
Early Life and Education
Baselios Joseph was born in Perumpilly, a historic Jacobite stronghold close to Mulanthuruthy, which exposed him from childhood to Syriac Orthodox liturgy and parish life. He completed his schooling locally at Perumpilly Primary School and Mulanthuruthy High School, balancing regular studies with service as an altar boy.
After school, he pursued pre-degree and undergraduate studies at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, one of Kerala's prominent institutions, continuing to function in church service alongside his secular education. Following college, he joined Mor Julius Seminary at Perumpilly for formal theological studies, deepening his grounding in Syriac Orthodox theology, liturgy, and pastoral practice.
Advanced Studies
His academic journey continued with higher studies overseas, where he earned a master's degree in philosophy from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. He then pursued further theological studies in the United States, where he also served as vicar of several parishes, integrating pastoral work with academic formation.
These international studies gave him broader exposure to Western philosophy, ecumenical environments, and diaspora pastoral needs, complementing his Malankara and seminary upbringing. This combination of Malankara roots and international academic exposure shaped his later leadership style in the Jacobite Church.
Ordination and Early Ministry
Deacon Ordination: March 25, 1974 (age 13) by Mor Gregorios Geevarghese of Perumpally at Mor Ignatius Dayro, Manjinikkara
Priestly Ordination: March 25, 1984 by Catholicos Baselios Paulose II at Marthoman Church, Mulanthuruthy
At the unusually early age of 13, on 25 March 1974, he was ordained a deacon by Mor Gregorios Geevarghese of Perumpally at Mor Ignatius Dayro, Manjinikkara. He later served as that hierarch's secretary for years, gaining early exposure to diocesan administration and episcopal ministry.
On 25 March 1984, he was ordained a priest at Marthoman Church, Mulanthuruthy by Catholicos Baselios Paulose II, beginning his full-time pastoral and liturgical ministry in Malankara. Over the 1980s–1990s he became known for parish ministry, teaching, and leadership among youth and Sunday school movements, gaining a reputation as an able organizer and preacher.
On 15 January 1994, he was tonsured as a monk (Dayroyo) in Damascus by Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, formally binding his life to the Syriac Orthodox monastic and episcopal tradition.
Episcopal Leadership in Malankara
Joseph was later consecrated a bishop (Mor Gregorios Joseph) for the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church and took charge of key dioceses, especially Kochi and Angamaly, which he continues to oversee. He served as President of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Sunday School Association (MJSSA) from 1996 to 2002, and played a role in founding orphanages and educational initiatives under the church.
In 2019, he was elected Metropolitan Trustee of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Association, effectively becoming one of the chief administrative leaders of the Jacobite Church as Catholicos Baselios Thomas I scaled back direct administrative involvement.
In 2023, Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II conferred on him the title of Malankara Metropolitan, formally recognizing his senior leadership position within the Malankara segment of the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Elevation as Catholicos Baselios Joseph
After the repose of Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I in 2024, the Holy Synod and representatives of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church unanimously chose Mor Gregorios Joseph as the new Catholicos of India (Maphrian of the East).
Consecration and Enthronement
March 25, 2025: At St Mary's Patriarchal Cathedral in Atchaneh, Lebanon, Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II ordained and elevated him as Catholicos with the name Aboon Mor Baselios Joseph. Senior hierarchs from other Eastern churches and civil dignitaries were present.
March 30, 2025: He was solemnly enthroned at Mar Athanasius Cathedral, Puthencruz, assuming presidency of the Holy Synod of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church.
As Catholicos, he became second in rank within the Syriac Orthodox Church after the Patriarch of Antioch. He continues to hold the diocesan responsibilities for Kochi and Angamaly while guiding the Jacobite Church amid ongoing legal and property disputes in Kerala.
Role and Current Focus
As Catholicos of India, Baselios Joseph is the head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church in India and functions as Maphrian of the East under the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch. His responsibilities include:
Spiritual Formation and Vocation
In recent talks and homilies, His Beatitude has repeatedly summarized his vocation as a call "not to be exalted, but to shepherd, bearing the Cross of Christ with love and humility." He connects every new stage—deacon, priest, bishop, Catholicos—to this experience of the cross as loving service and self-emptying.
His spiritual journey has been marked by several key experiences: an unexpected call to the diaconate as a schoolboy, deep encounters with the cross and suffering, guidance from holy hierarchs and saints, and decisive moments of surrender to a celibate priestly life. He has remarked that major steps in his life have often come in roughly ten-year intervals, which he sees as a sign of divine guidance rather than personal planning.
Liturgical Heritage
Baselios Joseph's early exposure to the West Syriac Rite (Malankara Rite) of the Syriac Orthodox Church profoundly shaped his liturgical formation. From his early teens as an altar boy and deacon, he participated intimately in the full West Syriac Liturgy of Saint James (Qurbono), including its Syriac chants, anaphora prayers, and ritual gestures.
His formation at Mor Julius Seminary reinforced fidelity to authentic Syriac forms over Latinized alternatives, solidifying his commitment to Malankara Rite preservation. This liturgical foundation continues to inform his leadership as Catholicos.
Current Priorities
In recent interviews, His Beatitude has emphasized several key priorities for the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church:
- Justice for Jacobite parishes in legal disputes
- Strengthening independent parish structures to prevent future property conflicts
- Focusing on pastoral care rather than political confrontation
- Promoting catechesis and religious education
- Supporting charitable institutions and educational projects as central expressions of the church's mission
Present headquarters of the Catholicate is at Puthencruz, Cochin, where His Beatitude continues to serve as the Chief of the Church in India, maintaining unity with the universal Syriac Orthodox Church under the spiritual authority of the Patriarch of Antioch.