Indian Christianity

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN
Church. The Other group is known as the Malankara Syrian Church. or commonly called as Jacobite
Church.
The Malankara Association Managing Committee met at Parumala under the Presidentship of Mar
Dionysius VI and resolved to install Mar Ivanios, Metropolitan of Kandanad Diocese as the Catholicos of
the East. The then Patriarch Mar Abdul Messiah camde down to Kerala installed Mar Ivanios of
Kandanad Diocese as the first Catholicos of Malankara Church and give him the title Mar Baselios. The
installation was on 15 Sept. 1912 at the Niranam Church, founded by St. Thomas.
Malankara Metropolitan had deposited about 3,000 Poovarahan (gold coin currency of Kerala at that
time) on 8% interest, with the British government. This desposit money is known as Vatti paanam. As the
Church got seperated a raging court case ensued which prolonged over many years in bitterness to both
groups.
In the midst of these power struggle in AD 1930 A group of people left the Jacobite church together with
Mar Ivanios and Mar Theophilos to join the Roman Catholic following the Syro-Malankara Rites and
Liturgies. This Church is commonly known as Reeth Sabha. Later two other Bishops, Mar Savarios and
Thomas Mar Diyascorus also joined with the Syro Malankara Rites.
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