Major Archbishop Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil passed away
01 April 2011, Kochi, Kerala:
Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil (84), Major
Archbishop of Syro Malabar Church passed away at
Lisie Hospital, here at 02.00 PM due to cardiac
arrest. Cardinal Varkey Vithaythil faced a major
cardiac illness while celebrating Holy Qurbono
at Aramana Chapel at Mount St. Thomas, the Head
Quarters of Syro Malabar Church. His mortal
remains will be kept at Little Flower Hospital,
Ankamali. The funeral will be held probably on
April 10, Sunday, at St. Mary's Basalica,
Ernakulam, as the Bishops of Syro Malabar Church
are in Vatican to meet His Holiness Pope
Benedict XVI. His Beatitude Cardinal was the
Archbishop of Ernakulam - Ankamali Archdiocese
of Syro Malabar Church, and former chairman of
Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).
Bishop of Curia, Dr. Bosco Puthoor is appointed
temporarily as the Apostolic Administrator of
the church by His Holiness Pope.
His Beatitude Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios
Thomas I condoled. "Cardinal Mar Varkey
Vithayathil was a good shepherd who cared the
poor and needy in the society and always showed
brotherly love towards Holy Jacobite Syrian
Orthodox Church", remembered His Beatitude
Catholicos. Shri A K Antony, Hon. Union Minister
for defense, Shri V S Achuthanandan, Hon. Chief
Minister of Kerala, Shri Oommen Chandy, Hon.
Opposition Leader, Shri S Sharma, Hon. Minister
for fisheries and Registration, Shri Prakash
Karat, General Secretary, CPI(M), Smt. Sonia
Gandhi, UPA Chairperson, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan
State General Secretary of CPI(M), Shri C K
Chandrappan, State General Secretary of CPI,
Shri Panakkad Haidarali Shihab Thangal,
President of Muslim League, His Beatitude
Catholicose Dr. Baselios Clemis of Syro
Malankara Church, Mor Gregorios Joseph,
Secretary of Holy Episcopal Synod of Jacobite
Syrian Church, Mor Theophilose Kuriakose,
Chairman - Ecumenical Relations & Member - Pro
Oriente and others condoled.
Shri Prakash Karat, Shri S Sharma, Shri K P
Dhanapalan MP, Shri Domanic Presentation, Dr.
Sebastian Paul, Shri Jose Thettayil, Hon.
Minister for Transportation paid last tribute at
Lisie Hospital. Catholicose and metropolitans of
Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church will pay tribute
to Cardinal today at Little Flower Hospital,
Ankamali.
His Holiness with Late Major Archbishop
Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil
Condolence message of Jacobite
Syrian Christian Church
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