Mar Thoma Throne

Mar Thoma Throne aka Malankara throne is the ecclesiastical chair used in the enthronement of the Primate of the Malankara Church and given the title of Malankara Metropolitan. Till 1500 the head of St Thomas Christians of Malabar was Popularly known by the name Jathikku Karthavyan (meaning leader of the community ).By 1500, Malankara Church had Parish elders and a Church leader. . In the ‘’Decrees of The Synod of Udayamperoor’’ presented to the St. Thomas Christians in their mother tongue Malayalam, Malankara Mooppen was the name used to refer the Church leader, except on three occasions.[1] During the period of Colonialism, (i.e., from the 16th century), the Portuguese Jesuits began deliberate attempts to annex the community into the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, and in 1599 A.D., they succeeded in their attempt through the infamous Synod of Diamper. Resentment against these forceful measures led the majority of the community under their Arkadyaqon Thomas to swear an oath never to submit to the Portuguese, known as the Coonan Cross Oath in 1653. For the first time in 1653 the Church leader was given the title Mar Thoma when Thomas Arkadyaqon was consecrated as Mar Thoma I. The Dutch model chair was said to be gifted by Raja of Thekkumkoor Dynasty who was against the Portuguese hegemony and supported Marthoma I against Jesuits and Portuguese .[2]

The Malankara simhasanam (Malankara throne or Mar Thoma throne) is now under the possession of Mar Thoma Syrian Church. In 1889 after the verdict of Royal Court of Travancore (popularly known as Seminary suit) ,Jacobite faction who where victorious ,out of resentment had emptied everything from the room which was used as the Seat of Malankara Metropolitan by Palakkunnathu Thomas Mar Athanasious , and put it outside the premises along with this chair " Malankara Throne" which was used for all episcopal coronations till that time by Malankara church . The Malankara throne visualized as the ecclesiastical authority of a Ancient Holy see of St Thomas which was re-established after the Oath of Bent Cross however the Patriarch Faction then who argued about the Primacy of the Holy See of St Peter through Antioch couldn't realize the significance of this chair in the Malankara Church history.However they abandoned the chair and many other historic artifacts by being overzealous in evicting the defeated Palakkunnathu Thomas Mar Athanasious in the same night itself when the judgement came.They further embarrassed the metropolitan by saying isn't this is the claim for your independent roots, take your degradable "Throne of Mar Thoma" too, Thomas Mar Athanasius had to then take that chair to Maramon and eventually to Tiruvalla. Hence thereafter all ordinations to Marthoma episcopacy was done using this chair .

Jacobites hold the view that this chair was never called MarThoma Throne based on the fact that no historical evidence has ever been shown anywhere about this chair that it was used in the consecration of MarThoma I. However Jacobites believe that this chair was gifted by the Raja of Travancore to the Malankara Metropolitan on the occasion of the Royal proclamation and hence called Malankara Throne. After Palakkunnathu Thomas Mar Athansius and his ally (Metran Kakshi) lost the seminary suit against the Bava Kakshi (Jacobites), he and his ally took many things including this chair as well as two plates of Tharisapally cheppeds from the Old seminary at Kottayam.

Malankara Metropolitan was a legal title given to the head of the Malankara Syrian Church by the Governments of Travancore and Cochin in South India. This title was awarded by a proclamation from the government of Travancore to the legal heirs of Malankara Syrian Church.In 1816 Pulikottil Joseph Mar Dionysius became a bishop and he got an approval letter known as the Royal Proclamation from the Travancore government to function as the Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrian Church community. Then on wards the head of the Church came to be known as Malankara Metropolitan. The position of the Malankara Metropolitan in the 19th century is a growth from the position of the Arch Deacons and MarThoma metrans . The power and authority of the Malankara Metropolitan got more recognition than the power and authority of the Archdeacons and MarThoma metrans because of some political changes in the country through the establishment of British rule.

The synod convened by the Mar Dionysius at Mavelikkara on 16 January 1836, accepted the supremacy of the Syrian Church of Antioch. They also stated that only bishops permitted by the Patriarch, had the authority over the Malankara Church.

Mathews Mar Athanasius(Nephew of Abraham Malpan) was ordained as Malankara Metropolitan by the Patriarch in Antioch(Mar Thoma XIII). After his reign Palakunnath Thomas Mar Athanasius(son of Abraham Malpan) was consecrated as Malankara Metropolitan(MarThoma XIV) . Both of them wanted to introduce reformist ideas in the Malankara Syrian Church; thus evolved two factions in the Malankara church called Bava kakshi who resisted the introduction of reformist ideas and Metran kakshi who supported the reformation of the church . The Bava Kakshi under Pulikkottil Dionysious II brought Patriarch Peter III and declared full subordination of the Malankara church to the Patriarch through Synod of Mulanthurathy .The Patriarch divided the Malankara church into seven Dioceses and ordinated six other bishops. Pulikottil Joseph Mar Dionysious who was in charge of Diocese of Quilon was declared as the Malankara Metropolitan of the Church. However the reformist faction didn't agree with the decree of the Malankara synod presided by the Patriarch. Dionysious V of Jacobite faction approached the Royal Court of Travancore aganist Palakkunnathu Thomas Mar Athanasious the reigning Malankara Metropolitan and against occupying assets of church and seminary. Appellant Dinoysious V and Jacobite faction won the case in 1889 and Palakkunnathu Thomas Mar Athanasius was deprived of the title of Malankara Metropolitan and evicted from Syrian Seminary. According to the Travancore Royal court decree,then onwards Palakunnath Thomas Mar Athanasius and his ally has no rights in the Malankara Syrian Church. After the Royal Court verdict reformist faction(Metran Kakshi) organised themselves as Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church under the indigenous Christian Heritage with Apostolic succession.

According to Malankara Marthoma Syrian church view, Abraham Malpan started implementing reformist ideas in Malankara Church. However Chepat Mar Dionysius was not prepared to accept such changes. So he refused to ordain the deacons who had undergone training with Abraham Malpan. He also excommunicated Abraham Malpan. So Abraham Malpan went to his mother-parish at Maramon. He stood strong in faith and convictions when faced with serious challenges and great difficulties. However the whole parish stood with him. Others who favoured the reforms went to hear his preaching and were strengthed by his exhortations. Some other parishes also decided to adopt the programme of reformation. Abraham Malpan realized that unless he had the support of a bishop who was sympathetic towards his reforms, there was little prospect of the movement gaining ground. So he sent his nephew Deacon Mathew, who was then studying in Madras, to the Patriarch at Mardin in Syria. The Patriarch, being impressed with the character and ability of the deacon, in due course ordained him as priest and consecrated him as Metropolitan, with the name Mathews Mar Athanasius. The new Bishop arrived in Cochin in 1843 with credentials received from the Patriarch.

The new Metropolitan went to Trivandrum and tried to obtain the Royal proclamation declaring him as the Metropolitan of the Malankara Church. Chepat Mar Dionysius opposed this. Mathews Mar Athanasius got the royal proclamation in 1852 declaring him as the Metropolitan of the Malankara Church. Abraham Malpan died at the early age of 49 years in 1845. Having received the Royal proclamation, Mathews Mar Athanasius made himself more active and involved in the cause of reformation. Years later a group led by Pulikottil Joseph Mar Dionysius who was consecrated by the Patriarch of Antioch worked vigorously against him and his attempts to continue reformation. Mathews Mar Athanasius, consecratd his cousin Abraham Malpan’s son, as Thomas Mar Athanasius in 1868. The reformed party had possession of the Syrian Seminary as Mathews Mar Athanasius had been declared as the Malankara Metropolitan. The Partriarch of Antioch himself came to Kerala in 1875. A prolonged litigation followed, as to who was the rightful Malankara Metropolitan. Mathews Mar Athanasius died in 1877 and Thomas Mar Athanasius had to carry the burden of conducting the court cases, for the possession of the Syrian Seminary and Church property. This case was decided in the royal court of appeal in Trivandrum, in 1889. Two judges decreed that Joseph Mar Dionysius was the rightful Metropolitan of the Malankara Church as he expressed allegiance to the Patriarch of Antioch. One Christian Judge gave the verdict in favour of Thomas Mar Athanasius because of his conviction that the Malankara Church has been an independent Church from the beginning. The majority view prevailed and Thomas Mar Athanasius had to leave the Syrian Seminary and the properties there, because he upheld the autonomy of the Church. It was suggested that Thomas Mar Athanasius would be recognized as Malankara Metropolitan, if he agreed that future consecrations of Bishops should be by the Partriarch of Anticoh. He did not agree to this proposal as it was against the autonomy of the Church.

Again, litigation continued for the possession of individual churches. The reform party got only Maramon and Kozhencherry churches by court decision, and the Kottarakara church without contest. Five churches were to be used by the two parties on alternate Sundays. They put up small sheds in other places to hold worship services. Even though the reform party lost their hereditary and rightful possession, it became the occasion for the people to turn to God and to go forward in faith, trusting in the power of God. This led to a spiritual revival and great joy in spite of difficulties. It was this spiritual fervour which sustained the people. The Maramon Convention (Evangelistic Meeting) was started about this time in the year 1896. The famous Maramon Convention which we have been holding annually for over a century, is a source of great spiritual power and inspiration for innumerable people. The losses were forgotten in the zeal of spiritual fulfillment. The concern for the spread of the Gospel gave momentum to the reformation movement. The successive Metropolitans of the Church also continued in the same spirit, with the help of dedicated clergy whose leadership and sacrificial lives have been deeply appreciated by the people in the Church.

MarThoma I

Soon after the Coonan Cross Oath (Koonan Kurishu Satyam കൂനൻ കുരിശ് സത്യം), in 1653 AD, it became necessary to appoint a bishop as the head of the Malankara Church. They elected the then leader Parampil Thomas Kathanar as their first bishop. For this consecration they made a special throne-like chair. On May 22, 1653, Thomas Kathanar was seated on it and twelve kathanars (priests) placed their hands on him and elevated him to the office of bishop. He was given the ecclesiastical title Mar Thoma I. This throne used in 1653 was later used for the consecration of other hierarchs & primates of the Malankara Church and they all carried the title Mar Thoma. The usage of the title continued till the end of nineteenth century. However, in Malankara , from 1893 onwards Mar Thoma Syrian Church and from 1975 onwards Malankara Orthodox Church uses the title 'Mar Thoma' in the names of their supreme heads.


Metropolitans enthroned on this throne

Name Other name Year
Mar Thoma I Parampil Thomas Kathanar 1653–1670
Mar Thoma II -- 1670–1686
Mar Thoma III -- 1686–1688
Mar Thoma IV -- 1688–1728
Mar Thoma V -- 1728–1765
Mar Thoma VI Mar Dionysius I 1765–1808
Mar Thoma VII -- 1808–1809
Mar Thoma VIII -- 1809–1816
Mar Thoma IX -- 1816–1817
Mar Thoma XI Punnathra Mar Dionysius / Mar Dionysious III 1817–1825
Mar Thoma XII Cheppad Mar Dionysius / Mar Dionysious IV 1825–1852
Mar Thoma X, Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious I (Mar Dionysious II) (1815–1816) was consecrated at Pazhanji, outside Travancore-Cochin
Mar Thoma XIII, Mathews Mar Athanasius (1843–1877) was consecrated in Antioch
Mar Thoma XIV, Thomas Mar Athanasius (1877–1893)

There after the continuation of succession of all Marthoma Methrapolithas of Malankara was in Malankara Throne .

The present Marthoma is the 21st in the line of succession after the establishment of Marthoma Episcopacy.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Decrees of The Synod of Udayamperoor A.D.1500. (Malayalam document)
  2. ↑ P.V. Mathew. Keralathille Nazrani Kristhianikal (Nazrani Christians of Kerala) Vol. 2. Page 5

Further reading

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