Mar Thoma I

His Beatitude Mar Thoma I (Mar Thoma the Great)
Malankara Syrian Church
Installed	22 May 1653 (Invalid), 1665 (Valid)
Term ended	1670
Predecessor	Archdeacon George of the Cross. (Malayalam-Kurisingal George)
Successor	Mar Thoma II
Orders
Ordination	1637
Consecration	22 May 1653 (Invaild), 1665 (Valid)
Personal details
Birth name	Thomas
Born	Kuravilangad
Died	25 April 1670 Ankamali
Buried	St Mary's Church Angamaly^[1]

Mar Thoma I, also known as Valiya Mar Thoma, was the first native Metropolitan bishop of India in the Malankara Syrian Church. He was the last Archdeacon and first Bishop of the undivided St.Thomas Christians of Malabar.After the death of Archdeacon George of the Cross(കുരിശിങ്ങൽ ജോർജ്);( Kurisingal being his house name), on 25 July 1650, parambil thoma kathanar elected and enthroned as new Archdeacon.when he was 30 years old ,he led the Church to the Coonan Cross Oath on 3rd January 1653 and to the subsequent schism in Saint Thomas Christians Church. After the Coonen Cross Oath, he was elected as a Bishop by Malankara Yogam (Association) and consecrated at St. Mary's Church Alangad, by laying of hands by 12 priests on 22 May 1653. This was an emergency step. Any how, the archdeacon began to exercise powers of Episcopal order, though he openly tried to obtain valid Episcopal consecration as a Bishop from the Church of Antioch. His valid canonical Episcopal consecration as a Bishop happened in the year 1665 by Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel the Patriarchal delegate of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch.(The exact date and place of this event is not yet known).

Introduction

Thomas the Apostle arrived to Kerala to preach the gospel to the Jewish community. Some of the Jews and locals became followers of Jesus of Nazareth. They were known as Malabar Nasrani people and their church as Malankara Church. They followed a unique Hebrew-Syriac Christian tradition which included several Jewish elements and Indian customs.

In Malankara (Present Kerala) St. Thomas did not appoint any bishops, but an elder (Mooppen in Malayalam) was selected to lead the people. The parish leader was called Edavaka Mooppen and the church as a whole had a Malankara Mooppen. This was the tradition till AD 1599, when the Malankara Church of St. Thomas Christians in India, formally became part of the Roman Catholic Church by the Synod of Diamper (Udayamperoor). After the Synod of Diamper three Jesuit Archbishops ruled their Church until AD 1652. The Archdeacons continued to function under these Archbishops.

The Malayalam versions of the Canons of the Synod of Diamper^[2] use the title Malankara Moopen for the Archdeacon throughout the report except in three places where they use the Latin word archidiaconus.^[3]^[4] There is no chance for the Malankara Church to use this Latin word. Portuguese were not familiar with the Malayalam wording Malankara Mooppen and so they might have used archidiaconus. The Malaylam name Jathikku Karthavian, given by some historians was not used in the Malayalam version of the canons.

Early life

Kuravilangad is a town located in the Kottayam district of Kerala, South India. The town is situated in the Meenachil Taluk, about 22 km north of Kottayam. Pakalomattom family was one of the oldest families at Kuravilangad. Thomas who later became the first Mar Thoma, was born at Parampil house of this family.

As Malankara Mooppen

Kuravilangad Pakalomattom Parampil Geevarghese Kathanar, the Archdeacon died in 1637. His relative Thomas Kathanar was then appointed by Archbishop Francis Garcia as the next Archdeacon. Thomas Kathanar and his followers swore the Coonen Cross Oath, that "they would no longer obey Archbishop Francis Garcia SJ or any prelate from the society of Jesus, nor would ever again admit the Jesuits into Malabar or to their churches".

After the Coonen Cross Oath, the elders of the church met at St. Mary's Church Alangad and decided to consecrate him as a bishop. Four months after Coonen Cross Oath, on 22 May 1653, twelve kathanars (priests) placed their hands on Thomas Kathanar and elevated him as a bishop. There is a dispute regarding this consecration as to whether it was valid or invalid. From the fact that he asked in public at a meeting in St. George Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Edappally, to Fr. Joseph De Maria Sebastiani, (who was the Apostolic Commissary sent by the Pope to resolve the crisis), to consecrate him as a Bishop, indicates that he himself did not believe that his consecration was valid. It can also be concluded that his consecration by 12 priests was invalid, from the fact that his consecration as a Bishop is said to have been validated by Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel (said to be a delegate of the Patriarch of Antioch), in the year AD 1665, but the place and date nobody knows. They chose the name Mar Thoma as they considered him the successor of St.Thomas the disciple of Jesus Christ. This action was not accepted by some of the churches such as Kaduthuruthy, Thodupuzha etc. Later on Bishop Sebastiani (He was ordained as a Bishop on 15 Dec. 1659) could convince many of the Kathanars, including three trustworthy and responsible priests, Kaduthuruthy Kadavil Chandy Kathanar, Angamaly Vengoor Geevarghese Kathanar and Kuravilangad Parambil Mar Chandy Kathanar and also many other churches and important laymen that the consecration was invalid. Realizing this many of the churches, Kathanars and laymen now withdrew their allegiance to Mar Thoma. They asked him to give up his dignity of Bishop, which was invalid, but he continued to wear the habit of Bishop and even started giving minor orders and blessing of Holy Oil etc, which acts, only a Bishop is entitled to do. Thus two parties are formed in the Malankara Church-one party with the invalid Bishop Mar Thoma and the other party under metropolitan Parambil Mar Chandy. This was the beginning of a schism in the Malankara Church. Both of them claimed to have Apostolic briefs of appointment as Bishop. To resolve the issue on 20 September 1661, the King of Cochin asked both parties, to present the Apostolic Briefs in his court. The Apostolic Commissary could produce Apostolic briefs from the Pope of Rome, while the Mar Thomas' party failed to produce any briefs. On 9 October 1661, Bishop Sebastiani, tried to capture Mar Thoma, with the help of the Portuguese General Captain Ignatius Sarmento, one Kurupp of Purakkad and the Cochin prince Godavarma II, from Mulunthuruthy Church, but he and his party escaped, during the previous night, wearing munds, swords, rollers in hands and special hats on their heads, just like gentile soldiers, so that they could not be recognized by the Nair soldiers.

Rise of Dutch power

The Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in old-spelling Dutch, literally "United East Indian Company") was established in 1602. By 1652, VOC trading posts were established in Malabar Coast in India. On 7 January 1663, Cochin was attacked and the king of Cochin surrendered to the Dutch on 20 March 1663.

Consecration

By 1665, Cochin was under Dutch control. That year Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel, said to be a delegate of the Patriarch of Antioch was able to come to Malankara and validate the Metropolitan consecration of Mar Thoma.

Four very efficient trustworthy and responsible priests, Kalliseril Anjilimoottil Itty Thomman Kathanar, Kaduthuruthy Kadavil Chandy Kathanar, Angamaly Vengoor Geevarghese Kathanar and Kuravilangad Palliveettil Parampil Chandy Kathanar^[5] were selected as his advisors.^[6] All the three, except Kalliseril Anjilimoottil Itty Thomman Kathanar, defected to the Syrian Catholic faction of the Malankara Church.

Last days

The last days of Mar Thoma I was comparatively peaceful period for the Puthencoor faction of the Malankara Church.

Valia Mar Thoma, Mar Thoma I, died on 25 April 1670 and was laid to rest in Ankamali St. Mary's Syrian Orthodox Church.^[7]

Preceded by	Metropolitan of the Malankara Church 1653–1670	Succeeded by Mar Thoma II

Preceded by Archdeacon Geevarghese	Metropolitan of the Malankara Church 1637–1670	Succeeded by Mar Thoma II

References

↑ http://sor.cua.edu/ChMon/Ankamaly/AnkamalyHVMary.html/
↑ Five of the Malayalam versions were available in 1952.
↑ Daniel, K. N. Canons of the Synod of Diamper, prepared using five of the available Malayalam versions.
↑ Antonio de Gouvea (1606) Jornada do Arcebispo Aleixo de Menezes quando foy as Serra do Malaubar.
↑ Mar Chandy Parambil
↑ Mathew N. M. History of the Marthoma Church, Vol. I. Page 183.
↑ http://stmarysangamaly.org/