Malankara Metropolitan was a legal title given to the head of the Malankara Church Puthenkoor Christians, by the Government of Travancore and Cochin in South India. This title was awarded by a proclamation from the King of Travancore and the King of Cochin. The Prime jurisdiction regarding the temporal, ecclesiastical and spiritual administration of the Malankara Church is vested in the Malankara Metropolitan, who is believed according to tradition, to oversee its faithful from the Apostolic See of Saint Thomas. His Holiness Moran Mor Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II Catholicos is the present Malankara Metrapolitan.
Lineage
Historically the primate or the leader of St Thomas Christians were known as Jathikku Karthavyan, Malankara Moopen, Archdeacon or Arkadyokon. In the 16th century to resist the Latinization attempts of the Jesuits, it became necessary to elevate the Archdeacon to a position of 'Metropolitan Bishop' named as Mar Thoma. In 1653 the Archdeacon position was elevated to Bishopric by laying hands of twelve priests in the absence of a valid Bishop. This was an emergency step. Then onwards the Metropolitan Bishop assumed the honorific ecclesiastical title Marthoma. This title was used from 1653 to 1815. Later a regular 'Bishopric' was established in Malankara with the help of Gregorios Abdal Jaleel. Until a few hundred years back, the leadership of St Thomas Christian Community was dynastically held by members of the Pakalomattom family.
Mar Thoma (title)
Mar Thoma I – In 1653, Thomas of Palamattam Thravadu was consecrated with the title Marthoma I by 12 priests in 1653 after Coonan cross oath.
Marthoma I had survived a number of assassination attempts. He died on 25 April 1670 and was interred in Angamaly St Mary's Syrian Church.
Mar Thoma II – Consecrated by Marthoma I and Gregorios Abdal Jaleel. Died on 14 April 1686 and was interred at St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Niranam.
Mar Thoma III – Consecrated by Ivanios Hirudyathulla, died on 21 April 1688. Laid to rest at St.Thomas Orthodox Church, Kadampanad.
Mar Thoma IV –. Consecrated by Ivanios Hirudyathulla. Died on 24 March 1728 and was interred at Kandanad Martha Mariam Orthodox Church.
Mar Thoma V – – Consecrated by Marthoma IV. Died on 8 May 1765 and laid to rest at St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Niranam.
Mar Thoma VI – Consecrated by Marthoma V. Died on 8 April 1808 and laid to rest at St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Puthenkavu. Important events:
In June 1770, he accepted re-consecration from Antiochian bishops in order to avoid a split in the Church and the title Dionysius was accepted. Marthoma VI did not approve the appointment of Kattumangattu Abraham Coorilos as a metropolitan by a bishop from Antioch. This was the beginning of Malabar Independent Syrian Church. He was forced to conduct a service according to Chaldean Catholic rites but escaped during a rebellion in Travancore under Velu Thampi. Rev.Dr. Claudius Buchanan visited and made arrangement for the translation of the Bible into Malayalam. Marthoma presented him the Peshitto Bible written in the old Syriac. This manuscript is kept in the public library of the University of Cambridge.
Mar Thoma VII – Consecrated by Marthoma VI in 1796. During his time on 1 December 1808, a sum of 3000 Star Pagoda was given as loan in perpetuity to the British resident Colonel Macaulay. This is known as Vattipanam. Marthoma died on 4 July 1809 and was interred at St. Peter's and St. Paul's Orthodox Church, Kolencherry.
Mar Thoma VIII – Consecrated on 2 July 1809 by Marthoma VII. During his time Kottayam Suryani Seminary was opened and modern education began in Kerala. Marthoma died on 26 January 1816 and was interred at St. Mary's Cathedral, Puthencavu, Chengannur.
Mar Thoma IX –. Consecrated by Marthoma VIII without the consent of the people. So he retired to St.George Orthodox Church, Kadamattom, and spent the rest of his days in prayer and fasting.
Title of Malankara Metropolitan
It was when Col. John Munro was the British Resident of Travancore, that Pulikkottil Joseph Ittoop Ramban was ordained as a bishop by Geevarghese Philexenos of Malabar Independent Syrian Church on 22 March 1815. He was given the episcopal title Dionysius II, as he was the second bishop in the Malankara Church to get this title. After the death of Thoma VIII, he was made the head of the Malankara Church by a Royal proclamation issued by the King of Travancore and later by the King of Cochin. The proclamation insisted every Malankara Syrian Christian of Travancore-Cochin obey the Malankara Metropolitan. From then onwards the head of the Malankara Church legally came to be known as Malankara Metropolitan. The position of the Malankara Metropolitan in the 19th century is an upgrowth from the position of the previous Thomas and Archdeacons. The power and authority of the Malankara Metropolitan got more recognition than the power and authority of the previous Archdeacons' and Marthomas' because the British Residents of Travancore were favorably disposed towards the Malankara Church. From 1816, Dionysius II, Dionysius III, Dionysius IV and Mathews Athanasius were successive Malankara Metropolitans. However inspired and encouraged by the Anglican missionaries who had taught at the old seminary in Kottayam, Mathews Athanasius wanted to reform the traditional Syrian church. A parallel group under Dionysius V was working against his reformational schemes. During the latter half of the 19th century there occurred two factions in the community; the minority faction that favored reformation and the majority faction who were against it. Dionysius V of the invited and brought Ignatius Peter IV of Antioch to Malankara in 1875. The Patriarch divided the Malankara church into seven dioceses; Dionysius V was declared as the Malankara Metropolitan and was given charge of Quilon Diocese in the synod of Mulanthuruthy. Neither the incumbent Metropolitan Mathews Athanasius nor the Churches favoring him participated in the synod. A series of court cases followed thereafter. The Travancore Royal court, by order on 14 July 1889 declared that Dionysius V due to his allegiance to the See of Antioch and acceptance by the majority of Malankara Syrians, is the rightful Malankara Metropolitan and Thomas Athanasius has no rights or claims to that office. Thus the reformed faction separated and organized themselves as the independent Mar Thoma Syrian Church. The majority faction that kept Oriental Orthodox faith came under the leadership of the new Malankara Metropolitan Dionysius V, subject to the Patriarch of Antioch. However, later after the establishment of Catholicate in Malankara in 1912, again a rift occurred among Malankara Syrian Church over the spiritual authority of Patriarch of Antioch. There were several years of litigation between the two factions, the Metran faction, and the Bava faction. The Supreme court of India declared that the Patriarch has no power in Malankara Church and his spiritual power had also come to vanishing point since the establishment of Catholicate. This caused the Malankara Church to split into,
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church: Headed by Malankara Metropolitan and Catholicos of the East seated on the Apostolic See of Saint Thomas.
Thereafter the Malankara Metropolitans didn't use the name Marthoma with their ecclesiastical title until 1975. Pulikottil Joseph Dionysius – was consecrated by Philoxenos II, of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church. Died on 25 November 1816 and laid to rest at Orthodox Old Seminary, Kottayam.
Dionysius II
Dionysius III
Dionysius IV
Mathews Athanasius Palakunathu
Travancore Royal Court Verdict on Seminary Suit 1889
Dionysius V
Dionysius VI
Electing Catholicos Geevarghese II as Malankara Metropolitan
After the death of Malankara Metropolitan Geevarghese Dionysius VI of Vattasseril; the Malankara Association held at M.D Seminary Kottayam elected Catholicos Baselios Geevarghese II as the Malankara Metropolitan and passed a Constitution for Malankara Church popularly known as 1934 CONSTITUTION or Malankara Church Constitution. Since 1934, the Catholicos of the East is holding the Office of Malankara Metropolitan.
According to Supreme Court order, the Malankara Syrian Christian Association was conducted under the observation of Supreme Court of India in order to set right the position of Malankara Metropolitan H.H Catholicos Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews II. The Association Meeting held on 20 March 2002 at Parumala Seminary elected Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews II as the Malankara Metropolitan. The secret ballot voting was conducted at the Seminary and result was declared by the Supreme Court Observer Justice V.S. Mulimud. Total polling was 3483 votes. Out of this 3464 votes were cast in favour of Baselios Mathews II, 10 voted against and 9 were invalid. The total delegates registered for the Association was 3528., "The supreme authority of the Malankara Syrian Christian Association has been unambiguously approved by the Supreme Court.The factions no longer exist and there is only one official Malankara Church." The election was held as per the Supreme Court's 1995 judgement on the dispute in the Malankara church.
