Metropolitan 1953-75
The Malankara Syrian Christian Association held in 1951 elected Fr. Mathews as Metropolitan-candidate and accordingly on May 15, 1953, the Catholicos Mar Geevarghese along with other Metropolitans of the Synod, consecrated him as Metropolitan Mar Athanasius at Mar Elia Chapel, Kottayam. In addition to the post of Principal of the Theological Seminary, he was in charge of the diocese of Outside Kerala from 1960 to 1976. During this period the Diocese grew significantly. The Metropolitan made several tours to different parts of the diocese.
On December 31, 1970 Mar Athanasius was elected as successor to Baselios Augen I as Catholicos and Malankara Metropolitan by the Malankara Association. Consequently, the Metropolitan was called upon to assist the Catholicos in the administration of the Church from 1972 onwards.
Read more about this topic: Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews I
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“In metropolitan cases, the love of the most single-eyed lover, almost invariably, is nothing more than the ultimate settling of innumerable wandering glances upon some one specific object.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)