Moscow- Russia: His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Paulose II (Catholicos on the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas, Malankara Metropolitan, Moopan and Chief Custodian of the Malankara Nasranis and the Primate of the Indian Orthodox Malankara Church) was received by His Holiness Kirill I (Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia) on 3rd September 2019 at the Danilov Monastery in Moscow.
Catholicos Baselios Paulose II of the East is on his maiden Apostolic visit to Russia and he is the first Primate of the Malankara Nasranis to visit the Russian Orthodox Church after four decades. The visit aims at strengthening the bilateral relations between Moscow and Malankara.
The Catholicos is accompanied by a high-level Indian Orthodox delegation. The Delegation consists of Metropolitan Yuhanon Mar Diascoros of Madras (Secretary to the Holy Synod), Zachariah Mar Nicholovos of North East America (President of Ecumenical Relations dept.), Fr. Abraham Thomas (Secretary to the Ecumenical Relations dept.), and other important personnel.
The ancient Orthodox Church of Malankara was established by St. Thomas the Apostle of Christ. The Primate of the Malankara Orthodox Church (Orthodox Syrian Church of the East) is the Chief of the Office of the Catholicate of the East, who is seated on the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas. His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Paulose II is the current Catholicos on the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas in the East and the Metropolitan of Malankara.
Pic courtesy – https://foto.patriarchia.ru/