Kottayam: His Holiness Moran Mor Baselios Marthoma Paulose II was one of the youngest metropolitans since His Holiness Mor Gregorius. He was only 38 years old when he was anointed as the metropolitan as Paulose Mor Milithios on May 15, 1985. Mar Gregorius was anointed as a metropolitan at the age of 28.
He was serving as the bishop of Kunnamkulam when the Malankara Association elected him as the Catholicos on October 12, 2006. He served under the catholicos for four years in preparation for the bigger role. He was anointed as the Catholicos of the East on November 1, 2010 following the retirement of His Holiness Didymos I. Baselios Paulose I was the first catholicos to be anointed by his predecessor.
The inaugural day was special on many counts. It was on November 1, the day that commemorated the inauguration of Kerala as a state. The ceremony was held in Parumala, only the third time a Catholicos was anointed in the auspicious site. Baselios Marthoma Mathews II in 1991 and Baselios Marthoma Didymos I in 2005 were also anointed at Parumala.
Baselios Paulose II was destined to lead the church towards its centenary in 2012.
