by Chev. P.J Philip
Note from P.J. Philip, Advocate, Kochi (Oct
29, 2010)
I feel that it will be interesting to research and find out the Core of
the dispute between the Catholicos Faction and MJSOC. I have prepared a document
which I would like to share with you. Introduction
The unfortunate difference of opinion between the two groups of members among
the Syrian Christians in Malankara has got both ecclesiastical and temporal
side.
The seed for the ecclesiastical aspect for the difference of opinion is manifest
in what is commonly referred to as Koonan Cross Oath in the year 1654. By the
16th Century, Christianity had gained a fairly substantial foothold in the
Malankara Church, an area which was then comprised in State of Kerala. The
dominant faith was of Syrian Orthodox Church in the apostolic throne of St.
Peter of Antioch. His Holiness the Patriarch of Antioch and All the east
situated on the throne of Antioch was the spiritual head of the church.
Portuguese Interference in 16th century
In and around 16th century, the Portuguese gained considerable political power
in the West Coast of India and they were Roman Catholics. They compelled the
local Syrian Christians of Malankara to accept the Roman faith and they
succeeded to a certain extent.
In those days, the Malankara Church was governed by a Metropolitan sent by the
Patriarch of Antioch. At the same time in the local level, the church affairs
are governed by Malabar Yogam (i.e. assembly). There was also an indigenous head
of church of Malabar, commonly referred to as the Arch Deacon. The Arch Deacon
is the highest priestly rank and is the head of all the clerics and is
responsible for the whole worship of the church and represents the Will of the
bishop in his absence. The indigenous Arch Deacon of Malankara Church serves the
needs of the ecclesiastical organization of the Church and the continuance
governance of the people of the church was secured by the said indigenous Arch
Deacon serving as head of the priest in Malabar and representing the will of the
Bishop.
Role of the Arch Deacon
From the local point of view, the Arch Deacon was not only most important priest
of the community but he was also "the prince and head of the Christians of St.
Thomas" and had such titles as "Arch Deacon and Gate of All India, Governor of
India". The origin and the meaning of the term "Gate" is mysterious and it is
believed that it is a Christological title: "I am the Gate of the sheep" (Jn
10:7).
The office of the Archdeacon of India seems to have been hereditary. It was the
privilege of the Pakalomattam family, at least from the sixteenth century
onwards. Indeed, we know about a number of Pakalomattam Archdeacons, beginning
with 1502, when Metropolitan John of India appointed George Pakalomattam as Arch
Deacon. The name of the family varies, and the family seems to be identical with
the Parambil family, translated into Portuguese as De Campo. The Archdeacon had
all the attributes of a secular leader and was normally escorted by a number,
sometimes several thousands, of soldiers.
It is important to note that while there could be several bishops appointed for
the Malabar Diocese, there was always only one Archdeacon, a custom contrary to
the canons of the Church of the East. This situation is best explained by the
fact that from the point of view of the East Syrian Church structure, the
Archdeacon was an ecclesiastical function, but from that of the St Thomas
Christian community, it was also a socio-political, princely function,
representing the unity of the Christian nation, or caste of India.
Oppression of Alexis de Menezes, Archbishop of Goa
When the Portuguese arrived on the Malabar Coast, the Christian communities that
they found there had had longstanding traditional links with the East Christians
at Antioch and in Mesopotamia.
Alexis de Menezes, Archbishop of Goa from 1595 until his death in 1617, together
with his Jesuit advisers, decided to bring the Kerala Christians to obedience,
an obedience that they conceived as complete conformity to the Roman or 'Latin'
customs. This meant subjecting them to the Latin Archbishopric of Goa under the
Pope of Rome. The most important stage of their activity was the famous Synod of
Diamper (Udayamperoor) in 1599, when the local Christians' customs were
officially anathematized as heretical and their manuscripts were condemned to be
either corrected or burnt.
Koonan Kurishu Satyam (Bent Cross Oath) in Mattancherry, Cochin, in 1653
The oppressive rule of the Portuguese provoked a violent reaction on the part of
the indigenous Christian community in Kerala. This resulted in the Koonan
Kurishu Satyam (Bent Cross Oath) in Mattancherry, Cochin, in 1653, when the
rebels, headed by their Archdeacon, made a vow not to accept any allegiance
unless to a Syrian Church. In the same year Archdeacon Thomas was ordained, by
the laying on of hands of twelve priests, as the first indigenous Metropolitan
of Kerala under the name Mar Thoma I. Later, in 1665, on the arrival of Mor
Gregarious Abd al-Jalil, a bishop sent by the Antiochian Syrian Orthodox
Patriarch, the Syrian Christians in Malankara were able to re unite and continue
in their original faith under the apostolic succession from the throne of St.
Peter at Antioch.
Events Leading to the Ordination of Mar Thoma in 1653
During the entire period, beginning with the intervention of Archbishop Menezes
of Goa in the affairs of the Church of Malabar in 1598 up to the consecration of
Archdeacon Thomas as Mar Thoma I in 1653, events were dominated by a constant
tension between the Latin Archbishops designated by the Portuguese and the
Archdeacons leading the St. Thomas Christian community. The strife between the
Portuguese missionaries and the indigenous Christians and their Iraqi prelates
was not of a truly doctrinal, but of an ecclesiological and jurisdictional
character. However, something else was also involved: the identity of the St.
Thomas Christians. In their striving to preserve their identity, the most
important role was given to Archdeacon. Archbishop Alexis de Menezes, who was
both an ambitious and indeed violent person and a very able Church politician,
succeeded in bringing the Archdeacon to obedience to a certain extent.
The difference of opinion and tension between the Latin Archbishops and the
Archdeacons - first George of the Cross and then his nephew, Thomas Parambil (de
Campo) - continued and resulted in several revolts of the latter against the
former, whenever the Archbishop tried to curtail the traditional rights of the
Archdeacon. In this way George of the Cross (the then Arch Deacon) revolted
against Francisco Roz, Archbishop of Angamali (1601-1624), first in 1609, when
the latter excommunicated him, and also in 1618. Although George had more
friendly relations with Roz's successor, Stephen Britto (1624-1641), he also
revolted against the latter in 1632. The rule of the next Archbishop, Francis
Garcia (1641-1659), was again dominated by constant tension between him and the
Archdeacon, Thomas Parambil, until the latter apparently decided definitively to
break away from Roman jurisdiction. In 1648-1649 he sent a number of letters to
several Oriental Patriarchs including Syrian Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch
requesting them to send bishops to Malabar.
As a response to these letters, a certain Mar A'tallah, Patriarch of Antioch,
arrived in India. But the Portuguese detained him in Mylapore and he was drowned
in the sea. The detention of the Patriarch so enraged the Archdeacon and his
party that they revolted against the Portuguese. On January 3, 1653, a mass of
people gathered in Mattancherry in Cochin, and swore an oath not to obey the
Portuguese, but only the Archdeacon, who on May 22 of the same year was ordained
bishop, under the name Mar Thoma, by twelve priests laying their hands on him.
It is rather clear that this secession cannot be explained by its immediate
pretext, but was the fulfillment of a long-nurtured wish of the Archdeacon, who
could not accept his subjugation, and of the local Christians, who wanted to
preserve their traditions and autonomy.
CMS Missionaries and Deposit of 3000 Star Pagodas
The Patriarch of Antioch was initially exercising ecclesiastical powers over the
Syrian Christians of Malankara commonly referred to as Malankara Syrian
Christian Church. In the 19th century British power exercised their influence in
Southern India they pressurized the Malankara Syrian Christian community to
embrace Protestant faith. They too succeeded in some measure. Several attempts
were made by CMS machinery to perused Jacobite Syrian Christians to join with
the CMS machinery. However, this did not succeed due to opposition from Syrian
Christian and persons having allegiance to Patriarch of Antioch. This resulted
in the appointment of arbitrators to decide upon the dispute between CMS
machinery ad Syrian Christians regarding the right to ownership of properties of
the church and the beneficial interest arising out of charitable deposit of 3000
Star Pagodas.
In the year 1808 a trust for charitable purpose was created by the then
Metropolitan of Malankara by name Mar Thoma VI (Dionysius Great) by investing
3000 Star Pagodas equivalent to Rs. 10,500 in the British Treasury at 8%
interest per annum.
Cochin Award of 1840 - Vattpanam Case
The right to ownership of properties of the church and the beneficial interest
arising out of charitable deposit of 3000 Star Pagodas was settled by Cochin
Award of 1840. The Award divided the properties between the two and the right to
receive the interest on 3000 Star Pagodas was given to the Malankara Syrian
Christian Church. Properties so allotted to the Malankara Syrian Christian
Church, as per the award, were to be administered by the trustees - comprising
of a Metropolitan trustee, priest trustee and lay trustee - to be elected by the
Syrian Christian Community from among themselves.
The effect of the Cochin Award was that the dispute between Church Mission
Society and Syrian Christian Church in Malankara came to an end. However between
1808 and 1840 vast assets have been acquired with the trust created by the
Dynasius the Great and these were controlled and administered by the person who
was the head of the Church along with two other co trustees and layman. The
interest referred to above popularly known as Vattipanam was paid till 1877 AD
to the Metropolitan Mar Mathews Dionysius and two persons under him who were
elected as co trustees.
After the death of Mathews Dionysius it was paid to his successor Mar Thoma
Dionysius till 1844 AD when dispute arose between the members of the community
which lead to the Judgement commonly referred to as Travancore Royal Court
Judgement. In the said judgment claims made by Mar Joseph Dionysius and his co
trustees were upheld in as much as that they were recognized by the spiritual
head of the church His Holiness the Patriarch of Antioch and All The East.
Thereafter the interest continued to be drawn till the year 1908 A.D. by said
Mar Joseph Dionysius and his co trustees - one Korah Malpan and Ulahannan - and
after the death of Korah Ulahannan, his son C. J Kurian was elected to the
office as co trustees. In the year 1909 AD Mar Joseph Dionysius died and he was
succeeded by Mar Gheevarghese Dionysius.
Dispute Between Mar Gheevarghese Dionysius and His Co-Trustees
After Mar Gheevarghese Dionysius became metropolitan, misunderstandings cropped
up between him and his co trustees (Kurian Malpan and Korah Ulahannan) and they
had therefore declined to join him in receiving the interest which for that
reason continued to accumulate from the year 1908 AD.
The core of the dispute between two factions of the Syrian Christian community
really started in this difference of opinion regarding the custody of the common
trust properties between the Mar Gheevarghese Dionysius Metropolitan of one side
and his co trustees Korah Malpan and Kurian on the other side.
Editor's Note: The document was edited, reformatted and subtitles added for ease
of reading.
See Also:
An Analysis of the Present Legal Scenario in Church - 2007
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