Indian Malankara Orthodox Church Celebrates Catholicate Centenary

His Holiness Baselius Paulose II Catholicos of the East on the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas and Malankara Metropolitan

OCP News Service
15/09/2012

India/Kerala/Kottayam: The Indian Malankara Orthodox Church celebrates its 100th anniversary of the Establishment of Catholicate of East in India on 15th September 2012. The Catholicate was established in India on 15th September 1912, at St. Marys Church founded by St.Thomas in Niranam, Mar Ivanios Metropolitan was consecrated with the name Mar Baselios Paulose First as the first Catholicose of Indian Malankara Church.

The chief celebrant of the consecration ceremony was the Patriarch Mar Abdedmassiah of Antioch and All East. After the consecration, the Patriarch issued two Kalpanas declaring the importance, privileges, powers, and functions of the Catholicose. The Syrian and Indian Orthodox Church share similar ties with that of the Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches. Both Syrian and Indian Orthodox Churches continue to have  ‘administrative schism’ between them.

Special events and Divine Liturgy will be held at the St Marys Church Niranam on 15th September and the major events are scheduled for the month of November 2012.

Brief History

The Indian Malankara Orthodox Church was established by St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, who came to India in A.D. 52.

At least from the fourth century, the Indian Church entered into a close relationship with the Persian or East Syrian Church. From the Persians, the Indians inherited East Syrian language and liturgies and gradually came to be known as Syrian Christians.

In the sixteenth century, Roman Catholic missionaries came to Kerala. They tried to unite the Malankara Orthodox Christians to the Roman Catholic Church and this led to a split in the community. Those who accepted Catholicism are the present Syro-Malabar Catholics. Later Western Protestant missionaries came to Kerala and worked among Syrian Christians; That also created certain splits in the community.

In the seventeenth century, the Church came to a relationship with the Antiochene Church which again caused splits. As a result of this relationship, the Church received West Syrian liturgies and practices.

The Church entered into a new phase of its history by the establishment of the Catholicate in 1912.

At present, the Church is using the West Syrian liturgy. The faith of the Church is that which was established by the three Ecumenical Councils of Nicea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381) and Ephesus (A.D. 431).

It has around 2.5 Million faithful worldwide with thirty Dioceses. The Church has two Theological College and operates numerous schools, Colleges, NGO’s publications, charity institutions in India.

Inter-Orthodox Relations
The Indian Malankara Orthodox Church is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches along with Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches. It shares fraternal ties with Eastern Orthodox Churches. Several Eastern Orthodox Primates had visited the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church in the past.

Patriarchs of Russia, Romania, Archbishops of Cyprus, Catholicos of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenian Church in Lebanon, Patriarch of Syria and Ethiopia, His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie are some of the dignitaries who have visited the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church. The Indian Malankara Church has also received the Pope of Roman Catholic Church as well as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Ecumenical Relations
The Church is in a good ecumenical relationship with the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches.

Primate
The Head of the Church is Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan Enthroned on the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas. The present Catholicose is Baselius Marthoma Paulose II. Baselius Paulose II is the 111th reigning Catholicos of the East and 21st reigning Malankara Metropolitan and as such, Supreme Head of the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church.

Read the List of Primates of Indian Malankara Orthodox Church on Apostolic Throne of St Thomas:

Saints
St Gregorious of Parumala the first Canonized Indian Saint belongs to the Indian Church along with St. Geevarghese Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril and St.Eldho Mor Baselios of Kothamangalam.

Churches Established by St. Thomas
It has three original Churches founded by St. Thomas. They are St. Marys Church at Niranam and Thriuvthamcode Church at Kanyakumari which is one of the worlds oldest Church structures and the last one being St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Arthat, Kunnamkulam.

Famous Theologians
The Indian Malankara Orthodox Church is fortunate to have two great World famous Orthodox Theologians; Metropolitan (Dr) Paulose Mar Gregorious (Gregory of the East) and Fr Dr. V C Samuel.

Reunited Roman Catholic Community
The Brahmavar Orthodox Community a reunited Roman Catholic Community under the leadership of Metropolitan Alvarez Mar Julius and Saintly Padre Nuronah joined the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church. This community has around eight hundred families and they have been taken care by the Brahmavar Diocese of the Church.

Break Away Communities
The Marthoma Syrian Church of Malabar (A Protestant Denomination) and Malankara Catholic Rite (An Eastern Catholic Rite) are two major Christin communities which broke away from the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church. Marthoma Church separated under the Anglican influence and Malankara Catholic Rite under the Roman Catholic influence.

Mission Activities
The Church has taken appreciable attempts in spreading the Missions in India. The Mission activities function under the Mission board constituted by the late Legendary Metropolitan Osthathios Geevarghese of Niranam. NAMS(National Association for Mission Studies)regularly organizes regular workshops and mission programmes.

Iconography School
A Small iconography school functions at the Kandanad East Diocese of the Indian Church and attempts are being made to develop Indian styled icons.

Source:
OCP News Service