Abu Dhabi: More than 30,000 members of the Indian Orthodox Church community in the UAE are jubilant to receive their supreme head, Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, who is on a two-day visit to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
The Catholicos, equivalent to the Pope for Roman Catholics, is the supreme head of the church that has 2.5 million members all over the world. The community has seven churches in the UAE.
The Catholicos is here for the installation of the holy relics of a saint — Vattaseril Dionysius Thirumeni — at St Dionysius Church in Al Ain on Friday morning. Vattasseril Thirumeni was elevated to the status of saint on 69th anniversary of his demise on February 24, 2003 at the old seminary chapel in Kottayam, Kerala, India.
“More than 5,000 worshippers from across the UAE are expected to attend the enshrining of holy relics that starts at 7.30am on Friday,” Father M.C. Mathai Maracheril, vicar of St George Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, told Gulf News. People can watch a live webcast of the event on www.oges.tv.
The event is important for the community members in the UAE as they get a chance to interact with the Catholicos, which is a rare opportunity, Maracheril said.
Community members at St George Cathedral in Abu Dhabi accorded a warm reception to the Catholicos who reached Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon. He paid tributes to Emirati firefighter Jasim Eisa Al Beloushi, who lost his life while containing the fire on an Emirates flight at Dubai International Airport in August.
The Catholicos will return to India on Friday, said Bency Tharakan, publicity convener of the programme.
Elaborate arrangements have been made to welcome the Catholicos in the Al Ain church under the leadership of the vicar Father John K. Samuel. In preparation for the Friday’s installation of holy relics, special prayers were being conducted during the past three days, led by Father Philip Tharakan.
The Malankara Indian Orthodox Church was established in AD52 by St Thomas.
