Baselios Marthoma Mathews III

Mathews III consecrated seven metropolitan bishops at St. Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral, Pazhanji on 28 July, 2022. The metropolitans are Abraham Stephanos, Thomas Ivanios, Geevarghese Theophilos, Geevarghese Philoxenos, Geevarghese Pachomios, Geevarghese Barnabas and Zacharias Severios.

He has been a teacher at Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam, since 1984. He has taught Christology in the graduate and post-graduate levels while guiding a number of doctoral theses. He has authored several scholarly books and articles in the field of Theology. He has also served as the Executive Secretary to the Holy Episcopal Synod. The Holy Episcopal synod held at Devalokam Aramana nominated him as the successor to the Catholicos of the East & Malankara Metropolitan on 16 September 2021.

In October 2021, the Holy Synod and Managing committee designated him as the new Malankara Metropolitan and Catholicos of Malankara Church, succeeding Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, who died in July 2021. He was enthroned as the 22nd Malankara Metropolitan during the Malankara Association that took place on 14 October 2021 at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Parumala. He was enthroned as Catholicos of the Apostolic Throne of Saint Thomas on 15 October 2021 by the Holy Synod of Malankara Church. The chief celebrant of the enthronement service and Holy Eucharist was Kuriakose Mar Clemis who is the senior metropolitan of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

This collection of essays on Christology was published in 2017 by the colleagues and students of Mar Severios at the Seminary to mark the 25th year of his Episcopal consecration.

He was ordained as a deacon in 1976 and then as a priest in 1978 by Baselios Mathews I. On 30 April 1991 he was consecrated to the order of Episcopos. In 1994, he was consecrated as a metropolitan of the Diocese of Kandanad West. He has also served as the assistant metropolitan of the Diocese of Idukki and is currently serving as the Metropolitan of Idukki since 2019.

Baselios Marthoma Mathews III (born 12 February 1949) is the present Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, serving as its primate. He was enthroned as the 22nd Malankara Metropolitan on 14 October 2021 and as the 9th Catholicos on 15 October 2021 at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Parumala, succeeding Baselios Marthoma Paulose II.

Mathews was born on 12 February 1949 to Cherian Anthrayos of Mattathil family in Vazhoor. He studied chemistry at Kerala University and Theology at Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam and Serampore College. He procured his Master's degree from Leningrad Theological Seminary and Doctorate in Oriental theology from Pontifical Oriental Institute at Rome. where he specialized in the Christology of Philoxenos of Mabbug of the West Syriac tradition. In 2022, he was given an honorary degree from Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, New York.