Kochi, Oct 31 : The supreme head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Mor Baselios Thomas I, who was ailing for a long time, breathed his last at a hospital here on Thursday evening.

He was 95-years-old and is listed as the longest-serving supreme head of a church in Kerala.

Known as C.M. Thomas, he was born at Puthencruz near here in 1929.

His childhood was mostly full of suffering on account of illness which affected his studies and his formal education ended on account of it when he was in Class 4.

However, his strong faith led him forward and as his desire was to serve God, C.M. Thomas was ordained as a priest in 1958 and became the 43rd priest from the family of Cheruvallil.

However, his lack of formal education never came in his way as he mastered the Syriac language while was studying for priesthood.

It was in 1974 that Father Thomas was consecrated as the Metropolitan of the Angamali diocese, the largest Syrian Orthodox diocese.

In February 1999, he then was known as Mor Dionysius and assumed the Presidency of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church Synod and was elected Catholicos-Designate.

Catholicos-Designate is a person who is elected to be the head of a major church in some Eastern Christian traditions.

In 2002, Mor Dionysius was installed as Catholicos of India and named Baselios Thomas I in a ritual officiated by Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas.

Baselios Thomas was known for free and frank expression of his views and at times he took up cudgels against the government of Kerala.

It was during his tenure as the supreme head of his church that there were frequent verbal duels with the Syrian Orthodox Church and there were times when he took a positive stand towards the CPI(M)-led Left.

With age catching up, he decided to relinquish his post in 2019, but the Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Aphrem II asked him to continue as Catholicos.

He had been in hospital for the past several weeks before his demise on Thursday evening.

The Church synod will now decide the date of his funeral and with the Orthodox Church's most revered Church ' Parumala Church in Pathanamthitta district celebrating its annual pilgrimage on Sunday, it's most likely the funeral will be held after that.

Condolences form various sections of society poured in as the news of his demise spread.

/IANS