Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma, the senior-most metropolitan of the Thiruvalla-headquartered Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, has passed away. He was 103 years old. He had been undergoing treatment for old age-related ailments.
The funeral will be held on Thursday.
Dr Philipose Mar Chrysostom was admitted to the Thiruvalla Believers Medical College hospital on Friday following uneasiness.
He breathed his last at a private hospital in Kumbanad near around 1.15 am, the spokesman said.
Oldest Bishop of the Country:
One of the oldest bishops of the country, he was ordained as a priest in 1944 and became a bishop in 1953. He became the Metropolitan of the Marthoma Church in 1999 and remained there till his retirement in 2010 due to age-related ailments. Chrysostom was close to some of the tallest leaders of the country including former President K R Narayanan and prime minister A B Vajpayee.
A religious dignitary with a genuine humanitarian outlook and global vision, Mar Chrysostom was awarded Padma Bhushan by President Ram Nath Kovind in 2018.
He was widely appreciated spiritual leader in Kerala’s social, cultural and religious circle known for his humour and wit.