Abraham Mor Clemis

His Grace Abraham Mar Clemis, the head of the Knanaya Church and the senior-most Metropolitan in India, became the longest-serving bishop in the history of the Malankara Syrian Church. He was ordained Metropolitan on April 15, 1951, by Patriarch of Antioch, Ignathios Mar Aprem I, in Syria.

Born in the Vayala family at Vaikom on April 22, 1918, as the sixth of nine children of Mr. Idiculla Kochidiculla Vayala and Pennamma Kalarickal. He graduated from St. Mary's English high school in Alwaye in 1936. He joined C.M.S. College Kottayam, then St. Xavier's College in Palayamkotta where he passed the B.A. Exam in 1941, and pursued his Master's degree in Political Science at Annamalai University with honors.

A graduate in Theology and Political Sciences, Mor Clemis studied at Seminaries in Manjinikkara, Alwaye, Mosul, Homs, and Union Theological Seminary in New York.

In 1982, His Holiness the Patriarch of Antioch decorated Mor Clemis with the highest honor a bishop can receive, the title of 'Kubernithi Hakimo' (Wise Captain). In 1989, His Holiness bestowed the position of 'the Chief Metropolitan of the East', recognizing his continued contributions to the whole Indian Christian Community.

Clemis Thirumeni was a key player in Kerala politics. Mrs. Indira Gandhi visited his seminary in Chingavanam in 1970. In 1997, the then Vice-President of India Mr. K.R. Narayanan inaugurated the bishop's Jubilee celebrations. The Community celebrated his Episcopal Jubilee grandly in 2000.

Mor Clemis passed away at the Lissie Hospital in Ernakulam on September 29, 2002 at 11:30 pm. At the time of his departure, he was the senior-most Metropolitan of the Syriac Orthodox Church worldwide and the longest-serving bishop in the history of the Malankara Church. His mortal remains were interred in the Mor Aphrem church at St. John's Dayro, Chingavanam on October 1, 2002.