Clemis Abraham

Mor Clemis Abraham, the Great Metropolitan of the East (born as Abraham, 1918–2002) was the senior metropolitan (1957–58) of Syriac Orthodox Church. He was in charge of Knanaya Syrian Archdiocese.

Education
Mor Clemis Abraham did his primary education at the Vaikom Town Government Lower Primary School. His secondary education was in MS Higher Secondary School, Ranni in 1934. and later joined St. Mary's High School in Aluva. He passed his pre-degree from CMS College Kottayam and joined St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai for Bachelor of Arts. He did his master's degree in political science from Annamalai University, studied Syriac and theology studies at the Theological Seminary in Mosul. In 1960 he obtained a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, United States of America.

Ecumenical relations
He had an audience with the pope of Rome at Vatican on July 29, 1960, and on May 14, 1980, Mor Clemis visited the pope again at Vatican with Patriarch Mor Ya`qub III.

Honors

 * 1982, Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka I conferred the title Kooberneethi Hakheemo (wise captain).
 * 1989, the title Great Metropolitan of the East by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka I.
 * 1992, Established a school named after himself: Clemis School and Junior College, Chingavanam, Kottayam, Kerala.

Death and Funeral
Clemis Abraham passed away at Lissie Hospital in Ernakulam on September 29, 2002. At the time of his death, Mor Clemis was the senior most Metropolitan of the Syriac Orthodox Church all over the world and the longest serving bishop in the history of the Malankara Church. His mortal remains were interred at St. John's Dayara Church, Chingavanam on October 1, 2002 after funeral rites were lead by Baselios Thomas I, Mor Yulius Yeshu` Çiçek of Europe, and other Metropolitans of Malankara.