TIRUVALLA: The mortal remains of Dr Philipose Mar Chrysostom Valiya Metropolitan, the emeritus Metropolitan of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, were laid to rest with full state honours at St Thomas Mar Thoma Church here on Thursday evening.
Mar Chrysostom passed away at Kumbanad Fellowship Hospital on Wednesday. The fourth phase of the funeral service, led by Dr Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan, began in the afternoon.
The 104-year-old metropolitan was the senior-most metropolitan of any Christian denomination in the world and the country had honoured him with Padma Bhushan in 2018. The mortal remains of the metropolitan were interred in a specially made crypt beside St Thomas Mar Thoma Church.
All bishops of the Mar Thoma Church took part in the funeral service. Heads of various other Churches, including Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Cardinal Baselius Cleemis Catholicos and Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former CM Oommen Chandy paid respects to the late metropolitan.