Baselios Marthoma Didymos I facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Didymus I Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan
The Malankara Church of India
Church	Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
Diocese	Malabar, Malankara
See	Holy See of the East
Elected	10 September 1992
Enthroned	31 October 2005
Reign ended	1 November 2010
Predecessor	Baselios Marthoma Mathews II
Successor	Baselios Marthoma Paulose II
Orders
Ordination	25 January 1950
Consecration	24 August 1966
Rank	Catholicos of the East
Personal details
Birth name	C. T. Thomas
Born	(1921-10-29)29 October 1921 Mavelikkara, India
Died	26 May 2014(2014-05-26) (aged 92) Parumala, India
Buried	Mount Tabor Dayara, Pathanapuram
Nationality	Indian
Denomination	Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
Parents	Ittyavira Thomas and Sosamma Thomas
Alma mater	C.M.S College (Intermediate) National College (BA) Maston Training College (BT) Christ Church College (MA)

Baselios Marthoma Didymus I was born as C. T. Thomas on October 29, 1921. He was a very important leader of the Malankara Orthodox Church in India. From 2005 to 2010, he served as the head of this church. His official title was the 7th Catholicos of the East. This means he was like the main spiritual leader for many Christians in India. He passed away on May 26, 2014.

Early Life and Calling

C. T. Thomas was born in a place called Nedumbram in India. His parents were Ittyavira Thomas and Sosamma. He often said that his parents, who were very prayerful and generous, were his first heroes.

When he was just 18 years old, in 1939, he joined a monastery called Mount Tabor Dayara in Pathanapuram. A monastery is a special place where monks live and dedicate their lives to religious service. He was a student of a church leader named Thoma Mar Dionysius.

Education Journey

Didymus I was a dedicated student throughout his life.

• In 1945, he finished his Intermediate studies at C.M.S College in Kottayam.
• He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from National College in 1951.
• He then studied Theology, getting his Bachelor's degree in 1954 from Maston Training College.
• Later, in 1961, he received his Master of Arts degree in English literature from Christ Church College.

He especially enjoyed reading books by Charles Lamb in English and Vaikom Muhammad Basheer in Malayalam.

Career Before Church Leadership

Before becoming a high-ranking church leader, C. T. Thomas worked as a teacher and principal.

• He was the headmaster of Ponnayya High School in Thiruchirapalli.
• He also led St. Stephens School in Pathanapuram.

He was very good at his job. At Ponnayya High School, he helped improve student pass rates a lot, especially for children from poorer families.

Later, he also taught English at St. Stephen's College, Pathanapuram. He was even the vice-principal there. He also led the Orthodox Youth Movement, which is a group for young people in the church.

Path to Priesthood

C. T. Thomas began his church service as a teenager. He felt called to live a monastic life. He trained for priesthood under the guidance of important church figures like Thoma Mar Dionysius and Baselios Augen.

He was ordained as a quroyo (reader deacon) in 1942. This is an early step in becoming a priest. He became a full deacon in 1947 and was ordained as a priest in 1950.

Becoming a Bishop

In 1965, he became a Ramban, which is a monk. Soon after, he was chosen to become a Metropolitan, which is a type of bishop. This selection followed an old church tradition of choosing bishops from monks.

On August 24, 1966, he was officially made a Metropolitan bishop and was given the name Thomas Mar Timotheos. He then served as the Metropolitan of the Malabar diocese starting in 1968.

Becoming the Catholicos

In 1992, the church elected him to be the future head of the Malankara Orthodox Church. This meant he would become the Catholicos of the East.

On October 31, 2005, at 84 years old, he officially took on the role of Catholicos of the East. He was given the new name Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Didymos I. What was special about this moment is that he was the first Catholicos to be enthroned by the previous Catholicos, who was retiring.

Important Actions as Catholicos

During his time as the Catholicos, Didymos I did many important things:

• He led many church meetings.
• He ordained 14 new Metropolitan Bishops, which greatly increased the number of bishops in the church.
• He also led a special ceremony called the "Consecration of holy Myron" in 2009. This is a very important event where special anointing oil is blessed for church use.

He also honored past church leaders and declared some old churches as important pilgrimage centers. He traveled to visit church members in other countries.

Church Improvements

Didymos I was the first Catholicos to lead an official church office that managed church affairs. He also made important changes to how local church groups were run. For example, he gave women in the church the right to take part in parish meetings. He also divided some larger church areas into smaller ones to help with better care and management.

Meeting Other Church Leaders

After becoming Catholicos, Didymos I visited the Holy Land and met with the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III. They shared friendly greetings. Many other important church leaders from around the world also visited the Malankara Orthodox Church during his time.

Retirement and Passing

Didymos I retired from his role as Catholicos on October 31, 2010, when he was 89 years old. The very next day, he personally enthroned his successor, Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, as the new Catholicos.

Didymos I spent the rest of his life at the Catholicate Palace. He passed away on May 26, 2014. He was buried on May 28, 2014, at Mount Tabor Dayara in Pathanapuram, the monastery that had been his home for many years.

Succession

Books He Wrote

Didymos I wrote three books in Malayalam, his native language. Their titles translate to:

• Life Speaks
• A Sage Speaks
• Rules and Regulations of Service

Images for kids

• 

  Baselios Marthoma Didymos I