The First Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church was in power only for seven months and eighteen days (15 September 1912 till his death on 3 May 1913).
Paulosekutty, son of Kurien and Mariamma of the Murimattathil family, later to be Mar Baselios І, was born on 17 January 1836.
He learned Syriac at a very early age and read many religious books from the collection of his uncle, Youseph Kathanar.
Paulose was ordained as Mar Ivanios Metropolitan (bishop) at Kunnamkulam Church by Patriarch Peter III.
Ignatius Abdul Masih II was the controversially deposed Patriarch of Antioch[1][2] and until the 1950s, some claimed the relocation of the Catholicate to India was without authority from the Universal Syriac Orthodox Synod, thus causing century-long disputes in the Malankara Church.
However, this claim was dismissed by the Supreme Court of India in 1958, which accepted the validity and authority of the Catholicos of the East as the Primate of Malankara Orthodox Church.
Initially, Mar Ivanios refused to take up the position due to his ill health and old age, but later accepted when pressed to do so.
Bava predicted the day of his demise[citation needed] and a large crowd of people visited him and waited in prayer.