Indian Christianity

More documents

Recommendations

Info

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN MULANTHURUTHY PADIYOLA (Agreement signed and submitted to Moran Ignatius Peter III, H.H Patriarch of Antioch by the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church in 1876) Obeying your Holiness’ Kalpana, dated 19 th Edavom 1051 (1876) to all Churches, we have assembled on the 15 th Midunam in this Church at Mulunthuruthy, built in the name of Mor Thoma Sleeha (Apostle) and we heard of our Holiness” Circular Kalpana, read publicly on the occasion of the inauguration of the Synod, asking us to codify measures to the effect that we may be firm in the Orthodox faith and in the obedience to the commands from the Throne of Antioch. As it is essentially necessary to show that our Church in Malayalam (Malankara), had been continually watered and nurtured by the presence of Antioch, we submit a brief history of this Church, from the time it was guided by St.Thomas and we submit also measures to be taken, so that this Church, may not hereafter, be robbed by the enemies and it might always remain firm in the faith and obedience. And we do most humbly request, that our prayers may be read and measures confirmed by Your Holiness. In the 52 nd year of our Lord, St.Thomas arrived in Malayalam and preached the faith to our forefathers, established the Church and founded churches and appointed priests and they adhered to the true faith and in course of time, when the Church was in distress owing to the scarcity of priests, the honourable Knai Thoma came to Malayalam in 345 and learning the pitiable condition of the Church and the possibility of its total extinction if immediate help is not rendered, he again came with Metran, priests and deacons and laymen from the Land of Syria under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch, with a big amount of money – and for the progress of our community, he obtained privileges and caused to consecrate Metrans from this land and the Church was thriving in high honour, upto 825 when the merchant Iyob and Syrian Prelates arrived in Malyalam and the Church progressed in honour and esteem. And at that period, ‘Paramkikal’ (Portuguese Roman Catholics) came and proselytised our forefathers by force into their slavery and again in 1600, a Synod was convened at Udayaperror by Allesu (Alexis) Paranki Metran who burnt all our Syriac books and made changes in the true faith. And when prelates from the traditional Pakalomattom family were ruling over us the Moran Patriarchis Bava arrived in Malayalam in 1653 and he was done away with, brutally and we assembled at Cochin Mattancherry and took the Oath, that we would never have any relation with the Parankies: and they gradually succeeded in taking by deceit a portion of our people. In 1665 came Mor Gregorios Bava of Jerusalem at the order of the Holy Throne and he consecrated the Archdeacon who had been administering the Church at that period. And in 1686 Baselios Bava and Ivanious Episcopa reached Malabar and since it was a period of decline of the Paranki power, Ivanious Episcopa expelled all the Paranki practices, and everything in accordance with the Jacobite Syrian practise was reestablished during his life here for 30 years. Then in 1751 came Baselios Maphrian and Metrans Gregorious and Ivanious and others and regularised the consecration of Mor Thoma Episcopa, giving him the title ‘Mor 166
HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN Divanyasious’ and giving him Staticon and other privileges. And in 1815 Pulikottil Youseph Divanyasious Metropolitan of the line of Kattumangatt Metran, founded the Kottayam Seminary and earned properties for the same and made arrangements for instruction – in a laudable manner. Then came English Missionaries and stayed with us deceitfully influenced some to feel that their ancient practices were not desirable. Consequently, the Church, through the then ruling Metropolitan Mor Divanyasious (III) appealed to the Throne of Antioch; as a result of which, Mor Athanasius Abdul Masih and Sabor Remban came in 1825 and the missionaries, influencing the ruling Kidangan (Philoxenous) metropolitan, succeeded in sending them back and since we could not concede to the behests of the missionaries, that we should follow practices contrary to our faith and canons the representatives of all churches assembled at Mavelikara Church on 5 th Makarom 1011 and drew up a Padiyola, which convinced them that they could never overturn us or our faith through deceit and hence they caused a split and as a consequence they sold out much of our properties and in addition, they sent Deacon Mathai of Palakunnath, of the parish of Maramon, who had been expelled from our Church, to Madras for education and Protestant orders and from there too he was expelled by the authorities for misconduct. And he, fabricating letters as those of certain churches, belied before the Holy Throne that he was a ‘Kasseeso’ (Priest) and through such crooked means got himself consecrated Metran, and returned to Malayalam where-upon all the churches were called together at Kandanad by Philipose Mor Divanyasious Metropolitan, and as a result of scrutiny of his ‘Sthathikon’, his crookedness and deceit came to light and he with some members from the South went to Kallumkathra church and there a Padiyola with his signature and seal was drawn up, in which he promised that he would never deviate from the Orthodox faith and from the submission to the Holy see of Antioch and from the Canons promulgated by the 3 General Councils; and those few church members promised that so long as he follows that path, they would accept him as Metran. The records brought by Mor Yooyakim Kurillos Metropolitan, who had been deputed by the Patriarch as a result of the report of the Kandanadu Yogam (assembly) were found by the Quilon committee, as fabricated, and the Royal Proclamation was obtained by the Metran, who with government support unjustly ruled us and over churches and ruined all our resources – this man called ‘Beliar’ with crookedness together with power tried to overturn our faith and thus embrace Anglican faith has brought about schism and heresy; and repudiated the excommunication orders, firstly of our Holy Father, Patriarch Elias and secondly of Patriarch Yakub and now lastly of Your Holiness and despotically continues in his wicked actions, siding with the missionaries. Our oft-repeated grievances to the Holy See, describing his efforts to mar our faith, we had been preserving from the times of our forefathers were not redressed. Your Holiness, after your installation felt compassion on us and for solving our grievances, left your Throne and travelled to Constantinople, and London and met the authorities there and in Madras in Nilgiri, Trivandrum and Cochin and succeeded in revoking the Royal proclamation, which he had obtained on the plea that he was having the Patriarchal Bull with him. We have assembled here to confirm the aforesaid faith, submission and Church administration. Holy Father, from the Origin of this Church, we are under the jurisdiction of the Holy See of Antioch, which, in order to help and deliver us, on every occasion of our depression had offered us much riches and the Holy Anointing Oil – ‘Mooron’ through the prelates and confirmed us in faith and built many churches – and now the hardships Your Holiness suffered during the crisis – all these facts would never depart from our minds and from our posterity’s minds. From the earliest ages, the Syrians in Malankara and their churches are under the spiritual authority of the Patriarch of Antioch. Nobody else has any kind of authority. Since our Metrans and Priests receive Holy “laying on of hands” from the Holy See, the power to appoint and remove them rests with the Holy See. The spiritual administration over the Syrian Community and of their churches and the authority to appoint and remove metrans rest with Your Holiness. Now Your Holiness has come to Malankara, aware of our deplorable situation, to administer spiritually, our community and churches and by the grace of God suppress the enemies of the faith. We, hereby declare before the High priesthood of Your Holiness that from the Faith of the three Holy Synods handed over to the Holy Church, and from commandments of your Holiness, the Head of our religion and Faith, neither we nor our children would depart either to the right or to the left – up to our death. And we, take this Solemn Oath, holding Sleeba (Cross) and Evangelion (the Gospels) before God and in the presence of your Holiness, that there would be no departing from this until the last moment of our death. 167
Page 2 and 3:
HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA M.
Page 4 and 5:
PREFACE This book is the result of
Page 6 and 7:
HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA :
Page 8 and 9:
Page 10 and 11:
Page 12 and 13:
Page 14 and 15:
Page 16 and 17:
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21:
Page 22 and 23:
Page 24 and 25:
Page 26 and 27:
Page 28 and 29:
Page 30 and 31:
Page 32 and 33:
Page 34 and 35:
Page 36 and 37:
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
Page 42 and 43:
Page 44 and 45:
Page 46 and 47:
Page 48 and 49:
Page 50 and 51:
Page 52 and 53:
Page 54 and 55:
Page 56 and 57:
Page 58 and 59:
Page 60 and 61:
Page 62 and 63:
Page 64 and 65:
Page 66 and 67:
Page 68 and 69:
Page 70 and 71:
Page 72 and 73:
Page 74 and 75:
Kolla Varsham (Malayalam Era) HISTO
Page 76 and 77:
Page 78 and 79:
1321 Friar Odoric of Pordenone HIST
Page 80 and 81:
Page 82 and 83:
Page 84 and 85:
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
"Third Wave of Migration". HISTORY
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121: HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA :
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
Page 224 and 225:
Page 226 and 227:
Page 228 and 229:
Page 230 and 231:
After deep reflection had proclaime
Page 232 and 233:
Page 234 and 235:
Page 236 and 237:
According to the Anal Naga Baptist
Page 238 and 239:
Page 240 and 241:
Page 242 and 243:
Page 244 and 245:
Page 246 and 247:
Page 248 and 249:
Page 250 and 251:
Page 252 and 253:
Page 254 and 255:
Page 256 and 257:
Page 258 and 259:
Page 260 and 261:
Page 262 and 263:
Page 264 and 265:
Page 266 and 267:
Page 268 and 269:
Bible Studies Six Enigmas in the Bi
show all

Indian Christianity

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?