Kottayam: His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, the supreme head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Catholicos of the East, was laid to rest with full state honours here on Tuesday.
The funeral service was lead by senior metropolitan Kuriakose Mar Clemis at the Catholicate Palace chapel at Devalokam in Kerala's Kottayam town.
The mortal remains of the bishop were entombed in the specially constructed tomb at a chapel adjacent to the church headquarters here, a church spokesman said.
Heads of various churches, ministers and people's representatives attended the funeral service held on Tuesday evening.
Moran Mor Baselios Marthoma Paulose II had passed away at 2:35am on Monday. He was 74.
Funeral adhering to COVID-19 protocols
Elaborate arrangements were made in Kottayam town ahead of the funeral on Tuesday evening.
The Kottayam district administration had completed all preparations by Monday evening for people to pay homage complying with the COVID-19 safety protocols. A massive pandal was erected on the premises of the Devalokam headquarters of the Church for people to pay their last respects without facing any inconvenience.
The Holy Mass was held at the chapel at 6am on Tuesday. Entry for general public was restricted. The mortal remains of the Metropolitan was brought to the main pandal at 8am. The religious rites connected with the funeral ceremony were performed at this temporary structure.
Of the eight services to be held in connection with the funeral, four were completed earlier at the St. Peter's and St. Paul's Orthodox Church at Parumala. The Patriarch had passed away at a nearby Church-run hospital.
After completing the remaining services, the mortal remains of the prelate were brought to the alter (madhaba) of the chapel at the Church headquarters in Kottayam town.
Customary special services will be held daily for the next 40 days.
Dignitaries pay respect
Dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had condoled the demise of the senior priest.
Khan and Vijayan had visited Parumala in Pathanamthitta district to pay their last respects to the priest.
Enthroned as the eighth Catholicos of the East & Malankara Metropolitan in November 2010, Baselios Marthoma Paulose II was the 91st primate on the Apostolic Throne of St Thomas.
The Metropolitan, who had been ailing for quite some time, was under treatment ever since he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2020.
Though he had recovered from COVID-19 after testing positive for it in February, he was not cured of pneumonia and the treatment continued until he breathed his last in the wee hours of Monday.