Baselios Cleemis


Baselios Cleemis
Cardinal, Major Archbishop-Catholicos
ChurchSyro-Malankara Catholic Church
ArchdioceseTrivandrum
SeeTrivandrum
Elected8 February 2007
Installed5 March 2007
PredecessorCyril Baselios
Other post(s)
Previous post(s)
  • Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum (2001–2003)
  • Titular Bishop of Chayal (2001–2003)
  • Bishop of Tiruvalla (2003–2006)
  • Archbishop of Tiruvalla (2006–2007)
Orders
Ordination11 June 1986
by Cyril Baselios
Consecration15 August 2001
by Cyril Baselios
Created cardinal24 November 2012
by Pope Benedict XVI
RankCardinal priest, Catholicos, Major Archbishop
Personal details
Born
Isaac Thottumkal

(1959-06-15) 15 June 1959
Mukkoor, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India
ParentsMathew Thottumkal
Annamma Thottumkal
Alma materSB College Changanasserry,
Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram Pontifical Athenaeum,
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas
MottoTo unite in love
Coat of arms
Styles of
Baselios Cardinal Cleemis
Reference styleHis Beatitude
Spoken styleYour Beatitude
Informal styleCardinal

Baselios Cleemis (born 15 June 1959) is the current Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. He was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

At the time of his elevation, he was the youngest member of the College of Cardinals and the first cardinal from the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. On 31 January 2013, he was named a member of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He served as President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India from 2014 to 2018, and is currently the president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council.