Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

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The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC)

The MOSC descends from the

Self-reporting roughly 2.5 million members (with external estimates of roughly 1 million)[20] across 30 dioceses worldwide, a significant proportion of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church's adherents reside in the southern India state of Kerala with the diaspora communities in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.^[21]

History

Early history

According to tradition, Christianity first arrived in India with

Many Saint Thomas Christian chose to remain independent from the Catholic Church. Patriarch Gregorios Abdal Jaleel, the Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Jerusalem, witnessed the 1665 ordination of Thomas as Bishop Thoma I, who forged a renewed relationship with the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and Saint Thomas Christians, which laid the foundation for adopting West Syrian liturgy and practices over the next two centuries. Those who supported the indigenous church leader of Malankara, Thoma I, and adopted West Syrian liturgies and practices and Miaphysite faith evolved into the Malankara Church.^{[29][30][31][32][33]}

19th century

The Arthat Padiyola declared that the administration of Malankara Church was independent and the bishops from Rome, Antioch, and Babylon had no role in the Malankara Church hierarchy, despite continued efforts to integrate the remaining independent Saint Thomas Christians into these patriarchates. In 1807, four gospels of Holy Bible in Syriac were translated to Malayalam by Kayamkulam Philipose Ramban. The Malankara Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kottayam was established in 1815 under the leadership of Pulikottil Ittup Ramban (Mar Dionysius II). The Mavelikara Synod (Padiyola) led by Cheppad Mar Dionysius rejected the suggestions put forward by Anglican missioneries and Reformation group and declared the beliefs and theology of Malankara Church were same as the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch.^{[citation needed]}

20th century

In 1934, The Malankara Church adopted a constitution for smooth functioning of the church, parishes and institution. In 1947, Saint Gregorios of Parumala was declared as a saint by the Church. In 1952 the Official Residence of the Malankara Metropolitan and the Headquarters of Malankara Church was shifted to Devalokam from Pazhaya Seminary. In 1958, The Supreme Court declared Catholicos Baselios Geevarghese II as the legitimate Malankara Metropolitan. The two factions of the Malankara Orthodox Church rejoined. In 1964, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch participated in the enthronement ceremony of the Catholicos and Malankara Metropolitan, Baselios Augen I. In 1995, the Supreme Court of India declared the MOSC constitution adopted in 1934 was valid.^[citation needed]

21st century

In 2002, fresh elections were conducted in Malankara Association under the observation of Supreme Court of India. The Supreme Court declared Catholicos

The spiritual head of the church is the Catholicos of the East, and its temporal head is the

The church has used the

Gregorios Abdal Jaleel came to Malankara from Jerusalem in 1665 and introduced Syriac Orthodox liturgical rites. The most striking characteristic of the Antiochene liturgy is its large number of anaphoras (celebrations of the Eucharist). About eighty are known, and about a dozen are used in India. All have been composed following the Liturgy of Saint James.^[42]

Christians of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church pray the canonical hours of the Shehimo at fixed prayer times seven times a day.^[43]

The liturgy of Mor Addai is still in use, in anaphora form, similar to the Maronite Sharar. The anaphora of St. John Chrysostom is sometimes used.

Saints

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In conformity with other Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, and also with the Catholic Church, the Malankara church adheres to the tradition of seeking the intercession of saints. Several have been canonized:

• Geevarghese Gregorios of Parumala: Entombed in St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Parumala
  , and canonized by Geevarghese II in 1947
• St. Thomas Church, Kothamangalam
  , and canonised by Geevarghese II in 1947
• Geevarghese Dionysius of Vattasseril: Entombed in the Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam
  , and canonized by Mathews II in 2003
• Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvares: Entombed in St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Ribandar, and declared a regional saint by Paulose II in 2015. (Not officially canonized a saint)^[44]
• Fr. Roque Zephrin Noronah: Entombed in St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Brahmavar, and declared a regional saint by Paulose II in 2015 (Not officially canonized a saint)^[45]

• 
  Geevarghese Gregorios of Parumala
• 
  Geevarghese Dionysius of Vattasseril
• 
  Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvares

Malankara Metropolitan

The temporal, ecclesiastical and spiritual administration of the church is vested in the Malankara Metropolitan, subject to the church constitution^[46] which was adopted in 1934. The Malankara Metropolitan is president of the Malankara Syrian Christian Association (Malankara Association) and its managing committee, and trustee of community properties. He is the custodian of the Pazhaya Seminary and other common properties of Malankara Syrian Community. He is also the custodian of vattipanam interest which was deposited in Travancore Government by Marthoma VII. He is elected by the Malankara association.

List of Malankara Metropolitans

1. Thoma I (1653–1670)^[47]
2. Thoma II (1670–1686)
3. Thoma III (1686–1688)
4. Thoma IV (1688–1728)
5. Thoma V (1728–1765)
6. Thoma VI (1765–1808)
7. Thoma VII (1808–1809)
8. Thoma VIII (1809–1816)
9. Thoma IX (1816)
10. Dionysius II (1816)
11. Dionysius III (1817–1825)
12. Dionysius IV (1825–1852)
13. Mathews Athanasius (1852–1877)
14. Dionysius V (1865–1909)^[48]
15. Dionysius VI (1909–1934)^[49]
16. Geevarghese II (1934–1964)^[50] From 1934 Malankara Metropolitan also holds the office of Catholicos of the East of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
17. Augen I (1964–1975), also Catholicos of the East
18. Mathews I (1975–1991), also Catholicos of the East
19. Mathews II (1991–2005),^[51] also Catholicos of the East
20. Didymos I (2005–2010), also Catholicos of the East
21. Paulose II
    (2010–2021), also Catholicos of the East
22. Mathews III (15th Oct 2021–Present), also Catholicos of the East^[52][53]

Catholicate

"Catholicos" means "the general head", and can be considered equivalent to "universal bishop."^[54] The early church had three priestly ranks: episcopos (bishop), priest and deacon. By the end of the third century, bishops of important cities in the Roman Empire became known as metropolitans. The fourth-century ecumenical councils recognized the authority of the metropolitan. By the fifth century, the bishops of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria and Antioch gained control of the churches in surrounding cities.^[55]They gradually became the heads of the regional churches, and were known as patriarchs (common father).

Outside the Roman Empire, patriarchs were known as catholicos. There were four catholicates before the fifth century: the Catholicate of the East, the Catholicate of Armenia, the Catholicate of Georgia and the Catholicate of Albania. The archdeacons reigned from the fourth to the 16th centuries; in 1653, the archdeacon was elevated to bishop by the community as Mar Thoma I.

The Catholicate of the East was relocated to India in 1912, and Baselios Paulose I was seated on the apostolic throne of St. Thomas as the Catholicos of the East by the disposed Patriarch of Antioch Abdul Masih. The headquarters of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Catholicos of the East is the Catholicate Palace at Devalokam, Kottayam, Kerala, which was consecrated on 31 December 1951. The new palace, built in 1961, was dedicated by visiting Armenian Catholicos Vazgen I.

The Holy Synod and Managing committee designated H.G.Dr. Mathews Mor Severios to the new Malankara Metropolitan and Catholicos of Malankara Church succeeding Baselios Marthoma Paulose II. He was consecrated as the 22nd Malankara Metropolitan during the Malankara Association that took place on the 14th of October 2021 at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Parumala and enthroned as the 9th Catholicos of Malankara Church on 15 October 2021.[8][9][10].^[56]

List of Catholicos of the East of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

The list of Catholicos of the East of Malankara Church:

• Baselios Paulose I (1912–1914)
  • Vacant (1914–1925)
• Baselios Geevarghese I (1925–1928)
• Baselios Geevarghese II (1929–1964)
  • From 1934 Catholicos is also holding the office of Malankara Metropolitan.
• Baselios Augen I (1964–1975)
• Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews I (1975–1991)
• Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews II (1991–2005)
• Baselios Mar Thoma Didymos I (2005–2010)
• Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II (2010–2021)
• Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews III (2021–present)

Administration

Until the 17th century, the church was administered by the archdeacon (Malankara Moopan).^[57] The elected archdeacon was in charge of day-to-day affairs, including the ordination of deacons to the priesthood. Ordinations were performed by Persian bishops visiting India. The Malankara Palliyogam (a forerunner of the Malankara Association) consisted of elected representatives from individual parishes. The isolation of the Malankara church from the rest of Christendom preserved the apostolic age's democratic nature through interactions with Portuguese (Roman Catholic) and British (Anglican) colonialists. From the 17th to the 20th centuries, the church had five pillars of administration:

• The Episcopal Synod, presided over by the Catholicos of the East
• The Malankara Association, presided by Malankara Metropolitan
• Three trustees: the Malankara metropolitan and priest and lay trustees
• The Malankara Association's managing and working committees^[58][59]

1934 church constitution

Envisioned by Dionysius VI, the church's general and day-to-day administration was codified in its 1934 constitution. The constitution^[60] was presented at the 26 December 1934 Malankara Christian Association meeting at M. D. Seminary,^[61] adopted and enacted. It has been amended three times. Although the constitution was challenged in court by dissident supporters of the Patriarch of Antioch, Supreme Court rulings in 1958, 1995, 2017 and 2018 upheld its validity.^[62]

The constitution's first article asserts the relationship between the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Malankara Church. The second article addresses the establishment of the Malankara Church by St. Thomas and ascribes primacy to the Catholicos. The third article regards the church's name. The fourth article describes the faith and its traditions. The fifth article examines church governance canon law.^[63]

Malankara Association

The elected Malankara Association, consisting of parish members, manages the church's religious and social concerns. Formerly the Malankara Palli-yogam (മലങ്കര പള്ളി യോഗം; Malankara Parish Assembly, its modern form is believed to have been founded in 1873 as the Mulanthuruthy Synod, a gathering of parish representatives in Parumala. In 1876, the Malankara Association began.^[64]

The church constitution outlines the association's powers and responsibilities. The

This is a list of Co-Trustees (Priest Trustee & Lay Trustee) elected by the Malankara Association^[65][66] of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church:

Dioceses

Metropolitan Bishops

The church's Episcopal Synod has the following diocesan bishops:^[68][69]

Churches with historical importance

• St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Parumala
• St. George's Church, Chandanapally
• St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Arthat
• St. Mary's Church, Thiruvithamcode, established by Apostle Saint Thomas
• St. Mary's Church, Niranam, established by Apostle Saint Thomas
• St. Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral, Puthencavu
• Mar Beshanania Orthodox Church, Vanchithra, Kozhencherry
• St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Pazhanji
• St. Mary's Church, Kottayam
• KalladaValiyapally
• KundaraValiyapally
• St. Thomas Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, Mulanthuruthy
• Thumpamon Valiya Pally
• Ambalam Pally, Kunnamkulam
• Thevalakkara Church
• Kottakkakathu Old Syrian Church, Karthikappally
• Puthuppally Pally
• St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Kandanad
• St. George Orthodox Valiyapally, Mylapra
• St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral, Kadampanad
• St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Kolenchery
• St. George Orthodox Church, Cheppad
• St. Mary's Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, Piravom
• St. George's Church, Kadamattom
• St Mary's Orthodox Church, Kallooppara
• St. George's Church, Chandanapally
• St. Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral, Puthiyacavu Mavelikara
• Old Syrian Church, Chengannur
• St. Stephen's Orthodox Cathedral, Kudassanad
• Kadeesa Orthodox Cathedral, Kayamkulam

Monasteries and convents

• Monastery of Saint Thomas, Vettikkal
• Mount Tabor Monastery, Pathanapuram
• The Bethany Ashram

Spiritual organizations

The church has a number of spiritual organizations:

Seminaries

The two seminaries which offers bachelor's and master's degrees in theology are Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam^[76] and St. Thomas Orthodox Theological Seminary, Nagpur.^[77] The Malankara Orthodox Seminary at Kottayam is the first Orthodox Seminary in Asia established in year 1815.

Ecumenical relations

The church was a founding member of the World Council of Churches.^[78] Catholicos Geevarghese II and other metropolitan participated in the 1937 Conference on Faith and Order in Edinburgh; a church delegation participated in the 1948 WCC meeting in Amsterdam in 1948, and the church played a role in the 1961 WCC conference in New Delhi. Metropolitan Paulos Gregorios was president of the WCC from 1983 to 1991.

The church participated in the 1965 Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches in Addis Ababa.^[79] It is a member of the Faith and Order Commission, the Christian Conference of Asia and the Global Christian Forum. A number of primates of sister churches have visited, including

• List of Malankara Metropolitans
• List of metropolitans of the Indian Orthodox Church

References

Bibliography

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• ISBN 9788815261687
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• Brown, Leslie W. (1956). The Indian Christians of St Thomas: An Account of the Ancient Syrian Church of Malabar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Fahlbusch, Erwin Fahlbusch, Geoffrey William Bromiley (198), The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2008,
  ISBN 978-0-8028-2417-2{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
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• Frykenberg, Robert E. (2008). Christianity in India: From Beginnings to the Present. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  ISBN 978-0-19-826377-7
  .
• Joseph Cheeran, et al.(2002) Tradition and History of Indian Orthodox Church, p. 300–423
• Menachery, George (1973). The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India Vol. II.
• Menachery, George (1998). The Indian Church History Classics: The Nazranies.
• Neill, Stephen (1966). Colonialism and Christian Missions. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• ISBN 9780521548854
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• ISBN 9780521893329
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• Tamcke, Martin (2009). Die Christen vom tur Abdin: Hinführung zur Syrisch-orthodoxen Kirche. Verlag Otto Lembeck. 3874765806.
• Vadakkekara, Benedict (2007). Origin of Christianity in India: A Historiographical Critique. Delhi: Media House.
  ISBN 9788174952585
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• Van der Ploeg, J. P. M. (1983). The Christians of St. Thomas in South India and their Syriac Manuscripts. Dharmaram Publications.
• Wilmshurst, David (2000). The Ecclesiastical Organisation of the Church of the East, 1318–1913. Louvain: Peeters Publishers.
  ISBN 9789042908765
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• Wilmshurst, David (2011). The Martyred Church: A History of the Church of the East. London: East & West Publishing Limited.
  ISBN 9781907318047
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• Winkler, Dietmar W. (1997). "Miaphysitism: A New Term for Use in the History of Dogma and in Ecumenical Theology". The Harp. 10 (3): 33–40.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

• Official website of the Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Syrian Church
• Complete website of Catholicos of The East and Malankara Metropolitan
• Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Constitution of 1934
• Indian Orthodox Radio | E – Radio from the Shores of Malankara to the World
• Indian Orthodox Herald: News about the Catholicate of the East
• Matha Mariam Media: A Complete Orthodox Web Portal maintained by Trivandrum Diocese
• ICON Indian Christian Orthodox Network – Catholicos of the East
• Malankara Orthodox TV