Indian Christianity

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN
Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan sent his 23 year old nephew who was at that time a deacon, to Syria in
1843 and got him ordained as Bishop of the Malankara Church under the title Mathews Mar Athanasius
by the Patriarch of Antioch. In 1852, and a royal proclamation was issued recognizing Mathews Mar
Athanasius as "Malankara Metropolitan".
Mathews Mar Athansius
1818-1877
Immediately on return, he was declared the Malankara Metropolitan by the decree of the King. Following
this Pulikottil Joseph Ramban of the orthodox tradition went to Antioch and got himself consecrated as
bishop with the name Joseph Mar Dionysios. However because of the presence of the Resident of
Britain who supported reformed theology he could not get an order to the position of Metropolitan of
Malankara.
Maramon Church
Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Peter III himself came down in 1875 and convened the synod of
Mulamthuruthy in 1876. During this synod the church accepted the spiritual supremacy of the Patriarch
of Antioch. The Patriarch who stayed in Malankara for almost a year attempted to establish his authority
here by hook or by crook. But he could not succeed in it; and he believed that Mar Dionysius was
standing in his way in achieving this aim. Hence the Patriarch devised schemes to curtail the authority
and influence of Mar Dionysius. He divided the Church into seven dioceses and consecrated six
Metropolitans over the six sections leaving only one to Dionysius Before consecrating them the
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