Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, supreme head of the Mar Thoma Church, passed away in the early hours of Sunday. The 90-year-old chief of the Mar Thoma Church was suffering from pancreatic cancer for sometime and breathed his last in a private hospital in Thiruvalla.
Born P T Joseph in 1931, he was ordained in 1957 and elevated as he supreme head of the Church in 2007 following the resignation of Metropolitan Dr Philipose Mar Chrysostom due to health reasons.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of the Metropolitan. “His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan was a remarkable personality who served humanity and worked hard to improve the lives the poor and downtrodden. He was blessed with abundance of empathy and humility. His noble ideals will always be remembered,” said the Prime Minister who also remembered the Metropolitan’s 90th birth day function in which he was the chief guest.The Prime Minister waxed eloquence on the Metropolitan’s two objectives, empowerment of women and eradication of poverty.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and leaders of all political parties in the Syaye expressed their grief over the demise of the Metropolitan, who always had a strong presence in Kerala’s social and cultural spheres.
The Metropolitan drew national attention when he fought for the rights of the transgenders and built homes for the children of the inmates of red street. The Mar Thoma Church under his leadership initiated a number of social development programmes and he led the fight for the rights of Dalit Christians.
The Metropiolitan would be interred with full State honours on Monday at Thiruvalla.