Fr. Geevarghese Chediath (b. 1945) is G a priest of the Diocese of Pathanamthitta of . Chediath the Malankara Catholic Church. He had his Seminary Studies at the St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Kottayam and was ordinaed in 1969. He was Vice-Rector and later Rector at the St. Aloysius Minor Seminary, Trivandrum. He had his Doctoral Studies at Augustinianum, Rome. He wrote his Doctoral THE MALANKARA CATHOLIC CHURCH Dissertation on the Christology of Mar Babai G. CHEDIATH the Great (+628). He taught at the St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary Kottayam and at the St. Mary’s Malankara Major Seminary Trivandrum. He taught Patristics, Church History, Christology and Ecumenism. He is a member of the Pro-Oriente Syriac Commission, Vienna. He represented the Church at International Theological Dialouges. He has written more than 100 books. At present he is the Chancellor of the Diocese of Pathanamthitta. This books draws a vivid sktech of the History of the Malankara Catholic Church from the apostolic times till the present day. O I R S I OIRSI-366 PUBLICATIONS Vadavathoor P.B. No. 10, Kottayam 1 THE MALANKARA CATHOLIC CHURCH 2 3 G.Chediath THE MALANKARA CATHOLIC CHURCH Translated by A. J. Joy Angemadathil OIRSI No. 366 OIRSI No. Kottayam 2012 4 5 CONTENTS G.Chediath, The Malankara Catholic Church (Tr. by A. J. Joy Angemadathil) A Publication of the Oriental Institute of Religious Studies, India Paurastya Vidyapitham, Vadavathoor, Kottayam-686010 Kerala, India. Introduction 7 1. The Malankara Catholic Church-Its Apostolic Origin 9 2. St. Thomas the Apostle of India : Certain Historical Evidences 13 3. The Malankara Church up to the 16th century 18 4. The Western Missionaries and the Malankara Church 25 5. The Synod of Diamper (1599) 31 6. The Synod of Diamper and the Changes effected in the © G.Chediath, 2012 Malankara Church 37 7. From the Synod of Diamper to the Coonan Cross Oath (1599-1653) 41 8. The Coonan Cross Oath (1653) 45 9. The Apostolic Malankara Church: the Catholic Church 50 10. The Puthenkur History (1653-1815) 57 11. The Malankara Church and the 50 CMS Missionaries (1815-1840) 61 12. The Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church (1840-76) 67 13. The Synod of Mulanthuruthy (1876) Formation of the Marthoma Church (1889) 70 ISBN : 978-81-88456-91-8 14. The Establishment of the Catholicate (1912) 73 Printing : Bethany Offset Printers, Kottayam - 686010 15. The Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church (1912-30) 79 Ph: 0481-2571355 16. The Malankara Church and the full Catholic Communion 82 e-mail: bethanyktm@ gmail.com 17. The Crowning of the Reunion attempts 93 Price : 100/- 18. Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios (1882-1953) 100 6 7 19. The Malankara Catholic Church (1930-1953) 114 20. The Malankara Catholic Church (1953-94) 137 21. Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios (1916-1994) 161 22. The Late Bishops 176 INTRODUCTION 23. Abun Geevarghese Mar Timotheos (1928- ) 188 24. Major Archbishop Moran Mor Cyril Baselios Catholicos 192 25. Religious in the Malankara Church 202 This book gives a brief description of the Malankara Church from the apostolic times till today. The history up to the historic Reunion of 26. Ecumenism and Reunion 208 Archbishop Mar Ivanios with the Catholic Church in 1930 is given in 27. Identity and Individuality in Catholic Communion 211 summary form. The history of the Reunion Movement under the leadership of Mar Ivanios, the emergence of the present day Malankara Catholic 28. The Malankara Catholic Church Today (2005-2012) 222 Church and its growth in the past 82 years (1930-2012) is rather clearly Appendices treated. 1. The Memmorial Stone 231 The first 15 chapters serve as a door to the rest of the book. These chapters speak about the origin of this Apostolic Church and its ecclesial 2. The Bishops of the Malankara Catholic Church 232 life till 1930. The Malankara Catholic Church did not originate in 1930. It 3. The Malankara Catholic Dioceses 233 had, in fact, its origin from the preaching of St.Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. It continued as the one, holy, Catholic 4. Terms Explained 234 and Apostolic Church till the 17th century. The 16th/17th c. developments in 5. Abbreviations and Bibliography 239 the Indian Church led to factionalism and split in the Church. In 1653 there occurred a revolt, known in history as the Coonan Cross Oath, of almost all the Thomas Christians against the undue interference in the life of the Church by the Portuguese, who were the colonial power in those days. Eventually one section came under the influence of the West Asian Syrian Orthodox Church and later under the West European Anglican Church. That group lost the full Catholic communion and came to be known as the Puthenkuttukar (people of the new allegiance). The other group, which formed the majority, was known as the Pazhayakuttukar (people of the old allegiance) and they are today’s Syro-Malabar Catholics. History witnessed several further splits in the Puthenkur community: a small group formed the Thozhiyur Church (1772), another group became CMS-Anglican (1836), another group became Reformed Jacobites or Marthomites (1889), a fourth group became Orthodox (1912) and one group reunited with the Catholic Church (1930) and the rest formed a separate registered Society as the Jacobite Syrian Church (2003). 8 Introduction 9 There were continuous efforts from the part of Puthenkuttukar and Pazhayakuttukar for reestablishing the lost unity of the Church. But none of the attempts succeeded. In 1926 the bishops of the Orthodox faction entered into ecumenical negotiations with the Roman Catholic Church. They deputed Mar Ivanios to enter into negotiations. They demanded that their autonomy should be maintained and their bishops should 1 have the right to take care of their faithful wherever they are. Rome agreed to receive them into full and visible Catholic communion and they in their The Malankara Catholic Church turn agreed to accept the Pope as the successor of St. Peter in the ancient See of Rome. There was a mutual recognition and mutual acceptance as a result of the negotiation. The community was received into the Catholic Its Apostolic Origin communion as a Church sui juris or as an Individual Church. Thus the lost full communion of 1653 was regained in 1930 through the historical Reunion. A new door was opened for all Thomas Christians who desired to enter into the visible and full Catholic communion. Of course, all the Our Lord Jesus Christ sent his twelve disciples to the four corners participants in the negotiation were led by the ecclesiology of those days. of the world as heralds of the Good News of salvation, which is “to give great joy to the entire world”(Lk 2:10). He sent them by giving them “all The reunited group emerged into a vigorous Christian community. authority in heaven and on earth”(Mt 28:18). Being strengthened and It became a dynamic missionary Church. It has contributed its own share fortified by the reception of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost day, they became in the integral human development of the people in this part of the globe. His witnesses “in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and to the There was mutual enrichment for the Roman Church and the Malankara end of the earth (Acts 1:8). They preached to all the nations repentance Church because of the Reunion. It is the unique ecumenical Movement of for the forgiveness of sins (Lk 24:47). The Lord worked with them and the 20th century, which was crowned with success. It has become a bridge through them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it (Mk 16:20). The Apostle Thomas was one among the twelve. Church between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. With the post-Vatican ecclesiology of the Catholic Church, there is ample chance for further St. Thomas in India dialogue and negotiations for full and visible communion. St.Thomas preached the Gospel in Kerala and the other parts of May I express my heartfelt thanks to Rev. Prof. Dr. Andrews India and laid the foundation for the Christian Church here. On account Mekkattukunnel for kindly including this work in the OIRSI Publication. of it, he is regarded as the Apostle of India. The Christians here are May I thank Rev. Fr. C. M. George, Rev. Dr. Philip Chempakasery and known as Thomas Christians (Marthoma Christianikal,) in the sense that they received the Gospel message through his preaching. Even today Fr.C.C.John for their suggestions and corrections. I am very happy to they are known as Thomas Christians. dedicate this work to the Major Archbishop Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos. Like the other disciples of the Lord, Thomas was also from Galilee in Palestine. He was a fisherman by profession. We know little either G. Chediath about his early life or relatives. He readily responded to the call of Jesus Catholic Bishop’s House, and gladly followed him. He was known by the name Thomas, meaning St.Peter’s Junction, twin born. The Greek word for Thomas is Didymus (Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Pathanamthitta. 689645. Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13). In the Gospel according to John, there are three Kerala,India. special references about Thomas (11:8ff. 14: 5ff; 20:28-29). In some of [email protected] the ancient manuscripts of this Gospel, 14:18-23, we see Judas Thomas 20 September 2012 or simply Thomas instead of Judas. In John 21:1-4 we see Thomas who 10 The Malankara Catholic Church The Malankara Catholic Church - Its Apostolic Origin 11 is called Didymus. In the ancient Church, especially in the Churches in Kodungalloor (Cranganore), Palayur, Paravur (Kottackavu), Asia Minor, there were traditions about St.