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History
The following is a brief account based on Malankara Nazranis
or Syrian Christians of Kerala under the Catholicose "A
brief history of the Nazrani or Syrian Christians of Kerala"
by Mr. P.E. Easo and mainly based on "Catholicate History"
published by Orthodox Syrian Sunday School of the East (OSSAE)
, Devalokam, Kottayam, Kerala.
INTRODUCTION
The Nazrani Christians or Syrian Christians of Kerala have a
unique unbroken tradition in Kerala . They are also called
Malankara Christians because the first converted Christians
by St Thomas had settled down in Mali Island near Musiris
Port where St Thomas first landed in 52 AD. This Port is
also called Muchiri because the Periyar branches out into
three (In Malayalam these three branches were called Muchiri
or three broken lips) before it joins the Arabian Sea. This
was one of the oldest and busiest Port on the West Coast of
India known to the world by more than twenty different
names. In the biggest ever flood known in the history of
Kerala, this Port was washed off in 1341AD and a new Island
known as Puthu-Vipeen was formed near Cochin in the Vembanad
Lake. Excavation in the lake area might throw light on the
lost traditions of Kerala and its people.
Bar Hebraeus (d.1286) gives an account of the origin of the
Persian Catholicate in his "Ecclesiastical History". As per
his account St. Thomas the Apostle is the first Metropolitan
of the East. His immediate successors were Adai, Agai, Mari,
Ambrosius, Abraham and Jacob. The origin of the Catholicate
of the East was traced back to AD 231 when the Jerusalem
Council of Bishops decided to install a Catholicos as the
head of the Persian Church. From 4th century through 16th,
the Malankara Church remained in close relationship with the
Persian church.
The Nazrani Christians from St Thomas time had a
self-administrative set up with lot of privileges conferred
on them by the Rulers. These Powers were almost equal to the
King / Naduvazhis. The Archdeacon was the administrator of
the church and the Church properties. He used to even train
soldiers under the leadership of Panikers (Christians) just
the same way the Nairs were trained by the Panikers (Hindus)
under the King. At times he used to help the King to fight
the enemy. This setup got a set back when the Portuguese
landed in Kerala in 1498 AD and interfered with the
administration of the Churches .In fact they forcibly ruled
the church about 100 years till it was split between
Puthencore (Jacobites) and Pazhayakur (Syrian Roman
Catholics) who had remained with them under Roman Pope . In
1653, Malankara Nazranis made the vow of "Coonen (leaning)
cross", and freed themselves from the Roman Yoke; and then
attempted to re-establish their old connection with Eastern
Churches. As a result Bishop Gregorios of Jerusalem who
belonged to the Antiochian Church came to Malankara and the
church received him. After this split the old tradition of
continuing the Archdeacon from Pakalomattom family as the
custodian of the church properties was restored. Marthoma
VIII (1809-16) while answering some questions of the Madras
Government said that the Malankara Church was ruled by
Archdeacons of the Pakalomattom family from 345 AD to 1308
AD. In place of Archdeacon, Bishops, Marthoma I, II,
III---VIII were appointed from the same family when that
thread was broken after 1816 A.D. Presently the Catholicose
is elected as the Malankara Metropolitan to be the custodian
of the properties of the Malankara Church. This is a
continuation of the tradition of the rule of the Archdeacon
of Pakalomattam family, only the Bishop is decided by
election in a Synod, not necessarily by a person of the
Pakalomattom family.
There was a second division of the Malankara church, when
the British started ruling Kerala from 1600AD. By about
1836, the cozy relationship between the Malankara Church and
the C.M.S missionaries took a bad turn when the missionaries
tried to infiltrate protestant teachings into the church and
attempted to bring protestant faith and worship scheme into
the Malankara Church. Therefore the council of the church
assembled at Mavelikara in 1836 and severed all connections
with the C.M.S. A group of people and clergy who agreed to
protestant way of thinking and worship under the leadership
of Abraham Malpan formed the Marthoma Church. The CSI church
came to existence as a Protestant Group during the British
Rule.
Mar Dionysius V (known as Pulikkottil Mar Dionysius)
resisted the attempts by Mar Athanasios of Marthoma church
to take over all the churches and institutions owned by
malankara church and won the "Seminary Case" in the Royal
court and was declared as the real "Malankara Metropolitan".
The court also ruled that Patriarch had only spiritual
authority and no temporal authority over the church. The
Patriarch Mar Abdulla who was one of the rival Patriarchs at
Antioch visited Malankara and tried to exercise control over
the temporal assets of the Malankara church. The Malankara
Metropolitan and the church managing committee resisted and
this led to an excommunication of Mar Dionysius which was
invalidated by the Senior Patriarch Abdul Messiah from
Antioch. This further led to the desire of the church to
have a native hierarch for the church. Vatasseril Mar
Dionysius VI was elected by the Malankara Association and
succeeded as Malankara Metropolitan in 1909. In 1912,
Patriarch Abdul Messiah arrived in Malankara and installed
Mar Ivanios of Kandanad Diocese as the first Catholicos of
the Malankara Church i.e Catholicos of the East to the
throne of St.Thomas in India and around with the title of
Mar Baselios on 15th September, 1912 at the Niranam Church,
founded by St.Thomas. This formalized the establishment of
the Catholicate in Malankara and formation of the Methran
Kakshi under Catholicose (Orthodox) and Bava Kakshi (
Jacobite). This was the third major division of our church.
Vatasseril Mar Dionysius VI who was the greatest church
dignitary that the Malankara Church ever produced in its
long history, remained Malankara Metropolitan till 1934 and
was the chief architect of the independent status and
freedom of the Malankara Orthodox church. The position of
Malankara Metropolitan was formally amalgamated with the
position of the Catholicos in 1934. A fourth smaller
division took place when Malankara Reeth was formed by Mar
Ivanios in 1930 AD. Mar Baselios Paulose I was succeeded by
Baselios Geevarghese I , Baselios Geevarghese II , Baselios
Augen I, Marthoma Baselios Marthoma Mathews I and Baselios
Marthoma Mathews II (1991-2005). Baselios Marthoma Mathews
II abdicated due to ill health as the Supreme Head of the
Church in 2005 and H.H Baselios Marthoma Didymos leads the
Holy Church since 2005.
The Supreme Court of India in its judgment on the Church
case on 20th June 1995 declared the following: (1) . The new
hierarchical installation has been that of the Catholicos or
Maphran of the Malankara Church. (2) Henceforth the
Episcopal Synod of the Malankara will have the authority and
right to install the Catholicos independently. No one can
deny this right to the Malankara Church. (3) The Catholicos
has the authority to consecrate Metropolitans for the church
when necessary and also consecrate the Holy Mooron( Chrism).
4. The relationship between the Malankara Church and the
Antiochian Church is not one pertaining to administration,
but of love. This verdict has further formalized the
acceptance of the Malankara Orthodox Church as the National
Church of India.
ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP
The Catholicose is the head of the Orthodox Church. The
geographical areas under him within Kerala and outside are
divided in to Dioceses. A Bishop is in charge of a Diocese.
Under each Bishop there will be several Parishes .The
Parishes are also called Edavakas. A Priest is in charge of
a parish. There were annual parish meetings in which the
trustees and secretaries of the parishes were elected. The
elected members from each parish attend the Malankara
Association, which is the General Body of the church. Major
decisions affecting the Church as a whole are taken by the
Malankara Association, . Besides spiritual power the
Catholicose also has administrative Powers as the Malankara
Metropolitan, as an elected representative of the Church
Synod and the Malankara Association.
For More information about the History of our Church
with full information, read "Catholicate History" an OSSAE
Publication, Devalokam, Kottayam-38, Kerala, India. |
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