Thrissur: The funeral rites of Archbishop Mar Aprem Metropolitan of the Chaldean Syrian Church of the East will be held on Thursday at 1 PM at the Kuruvilayachan Church in Thrissur. Faithful will have the opportunity to pay their last respects during public viewing sessions over the next two days.
Mar Aprem Metropolitan, aged 85, entered eternal rest after a remarkable 64-year-long priestly journey, of which he served as the head of the Chaldean Syrian Church in India for 56 years. A man of immense depth and versatility, he was not only a revered church leader and spiritual guide but also a pioneering researcher in church history, a passionate writer, cultural icon, and a devoted advocate for the Syriac language.
Born as George Davis Mooken on June 13, 1940, he was the fourth of ten children in the Mooken family of the Kizhakkekotta Mar Yohannan Mamdanapally parish, Thrissur. His parents were Devasi and Parapulli Kochumariam. He pursued his theological education at the United Theological College, New York Union Theological Seminary, and the prestigious Princeton Theological Seminary.
After receiving his episcopal ordination, he returned to India on October 26, 1968, to take charge of the church’s administration. Notably, following the passing of Patriarch Maran Mar Dinha IV in 2015, he served as the interim global head of the Chaldean Syrian Church until a new Patriarch was elected a testament to his leadership and the trust placed in him.