Baselios Paulose II

Catholicos Baselios Paulose II (born as Puthusseril Joseph Paulose in Kandanad, India 12 June 1914 – died 1 September 1996) was the second Catholicos/Maphrian of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church (Syriac Orthodox Church of India).

Paulose was born on 12 June 1914 to the Vicar of Cherai St. Mary's church, Kasheesho Puthusseril Joseph and Elizabeth. He was named P. J. Paulose and completed his secondary education at Cherai Ramavarma High School. After completing college education at Kottayam CMS College and Alwaye Union Christian College, Paulose joined the Manjinikkara Dayaro. Paulose continued his Syriac education under Rabban Abdul Ahad (later Patriarch Yaqub III).

Priesthood

In 1934, Mor Yulius Elias, the delegate of the Patriarch to Malankara, ordained Paulose as deacon. In 1938, Yulius ordained him priest at Manjinikkara Dayaro (Monastery). Later Paulose became secretary to Yulius and malphono at Manjinikkara Dayaro.

Metropolitan

On 25 April 1952, the Kandanad diocesan delegates meeting selected Kasheesho Paulose to succeed late Paulose Mor Athanasios who had relinquished his additional duties as the metropolitan of Kandanad due to illness. Patriarch Aphrem I ordained Kasheesho P. J. Paulose with the name Mor Philoxenus on 19 October 1952 at Homs, Syria.

Catholicos

On 7 September 1975, Patriarch Yakub III consecrated Mor Philoxenus as Catholicos of the East. On 14 September 1980, he made history consecrating Mor Ignatios Zakka I Iwas, Archbishop of Baghdad, as the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch; this was the first time in the long history of the Patriarchate of Antioch that a Catholicos from Malankara officiated at the consecration of a Patriarch. He also ordained six bishops for the Malankara church.

H.B. Baselious Paulose II, Very Rev Malphono Naseeho Athungal Coreppiscoppa with K. O. Varghese Kaniyampadikkal

The remains of Catholicos Basileus Paulose II are interred in a tomb in Malekurishu Dayro near Puthenkurishu in Ernakulam District, Kerala.

It is believed that, during his transit to hospital from pampakuda just before death, he stopped his car in front of Mar Gregorious Jacobite Syrian Church, North Marady and drank water from there.