Pope Benedict XVI has
appointed Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis (Isaac) Thottunkal, head of
the Syro Malankara church in Kerala, as a cardinal along with five
others.The 52-year-old Cleemis becomes the 12th Indian priest, the fifth from Kerala, to be ordained as cardinal and he will be one of the youngest catholic priests to be a member of the college of cardinals.
The Holy See made the announcement at St Peters Square yesterday afternoon. The investiture will be held at a consistory in Vatican on November 24.
Kerala now has two representatives in the college that advises the pontiff and elects his successor upon his death. Major Archbishop Geroge Alencherry, head of the Syro Malabar Church in Kerala, was elevated as a cardinal in February this year.
The announcement was greeted by the believers by bursting firecrackers and offering prayers. A special prayer congregation was held at the St Mary’s cathedral at Pattom in Thiruvananthapuram where the order is headquartered.
“I think the elevation demands from me more dedication and service to humanity. This is a great honour for the 2,000-year-old church considering its services worldwide,” the cardinal-elect said. “I feel it’s a huge responsibility.”
Cleemis was born was born on June 15, 1959 at Mukkoor in Pathanamthitta district and was given the name Isaac. He hails from the traditional Pakalomattom-Powathikunnel family.
He completed his primary education at St Mary’s School, Kunnanthanam and secondary education at St Mary’s High School in Annikad. He joined the Infant Jesus Minor Seminary of the Eparchy of Tiruvalla in June, 1976, and completed his pre-university studies at St Berchman’s College, Changanacherry and philosophical studies at St Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary in Aluva.
In 1978, the Eparchy of Sultan Bathery was erected, bifurcating the Eparchy of Tiruvalla, and he opted for the new Eparchy of Sultan Bathery. After completing his philosophical studies and a year of regency, he was sent to the Papal Seminary, Pune for his theological studies.
On March 22, 1986, he was ordained a deacon by the Bishop of Pune. In March 1986, he graduated in theology from the Pontifical Atheneum, Pune. On June 11, 1986, Cyril Mar Baselios ordained him a priest for the Eparchy of Sultan Bathery.
While doing his masters in theology at Dharmaram College in Bangalore, he served as the Vicar of the Malankara Catholic Faithful in Bangalore.
After completing his Masters in Theology in 1988, Fr Isaac Thottunkal returned to Sultan Bathery and served as the Rector of the St Thomas Minor Seminary and the Parish Priest of the St Thomas Cathedral from where he was sent to Rome to do a doctorate in theology.