Sunday, January 9, 2011

A Dissenting note to certain statements of Dr.Thomas Mar Athanasios Metropolitan

History of Malankara Orthodox Church has been mutilated to the extent that more you try to understand it, more confused you become. Almost all historians starting from Ittoop writer to the mind boggling number of present day historians (few exceptions like Fr.Dr.V.C.Samuel excluded) have contributed their mite to make the picture as clear as muddy water.Dr.Thomas Mar Athanasios Thirumeni has not tried his hand in history parse but his article Sabhanthara Bandhangalil Samyamanam Avasyam (Diocesan Bulletin vol21, No11) contains some interpretations of history which are based on certain incorrect premises. As a person I am one who has highest regard for Thirumeni and have very good personal rapport which will certainly continue in spite of differences in views.
A condensed translation of the first two paragraphs of the article referred herein is as follows. According to the historians of MOC it is in the 17th century that Orthodox faith started in this Church in . At that time, other Christian denominations named us Jacobites and we became a congregation of faithfuls under that name. This limits our tradition to 3 centuries and we do not have a legacy of 2000 years. Although as Christians we have a tradition of 2000 years, it is a common legacy for other denominations too. If we have to claim an orthodox identity of 2000 years we have to take the stance that orthodox Church was in existence here much prior to that ………etall

There are a few errors in the above statements. The first wrong premises are that Orthodox faith can be there only if a western Syrian connection is there. No west Syrian connection, no orthodox faith; nothing can be more away from truth. The Persian church with which the Malankara Nazarenes had connection in pre Udayamperoor days were as much Orthodox in their faith as anyone. Of course, they were branded Nesthorians and therefore heretics and hence untouchables by the western Syrian tradition. But contemporary theological studies have revealed that the Nesthorian-Cyrilian theological clashes were more due to external factors (charitable view of not understanding each other to a more harsh view of personality clash)The authentic publication Orthodoxia also recognizes the so misnamed Nestorian Churches as part of  the Orthodox faithfuls.Factually too, one cannot be objective and hold that the Persian Church was not Orthodox in faith. Of course one can safely state that the Persian Church is not following the faith of the Church conglomerate of Oriental Orthodox fraternity. But Orthodoxy exists even outside the Orientals.
Next point to be taken note of is that the Malankara Church very strongly followed the apostolic faith, which in their lexicon was Marthomayude Margavum Vazhipadum and they were very clear about their identity which was different from Kefayude Margam .(Of course this has nothing to do with the 20th century controversy over the Thrones of St.Peter and St.Thomas, it only referred to the cultural and lifestyle difference between the Indians and Westerners ) The statement of Mar Athanatious that the Throne of St Thomas is a recent creation is also incorrect. Much before the establishment of Catholicate in India, the Malankara Metropolitans had been using that title for which documentary evidence is available.

The argument of Thirumeni that by the establishment of Catholicate and holding the view that the relationship with West Syrians is only 3 centuries old, we loose all our tradition of 17 centuries prior to that is logically and factually incorrect. I am baffled to see that a learned person like Thirumeni can make statements that can be interpreted as that protestant faith of Marthoma Church followers and the Kefa margis can claim the 21 centuries of the tradition of Marthomayude Margavum Vazhipadum and not the followers of the  original Margam!!!!




6 comments:

  1. Good article.. Actually I was confused by the article of thirumeni and it raised many doubts in my mind. But this article help me to get a clear picture... Thank you sir..BIBIN, Karthikappally

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  2. Dear Thomas Chandy,
    If you are saying that we in Malankara belonged to the nestorian 'Church of East' and the beliefs of this 'Church of the East' is indeed truly Orthodox, even though they are not part of the Oriental Orthodox commmunion, I have the following questions:
    1) Why can' the MOC establish full communion with the Church of the East? After all you are saying that their faith is truly Orthodlox.

    2) Actually an more fundamental question is, what is the need for a seperate Church of the East with a HQ at Trichur and MOC with a HQ at Kottayam? If both faiths are truly Orthodox, then they should be one; right?

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  3. Dear Thomas Chandy
    This Bishop of Muvattupuzha(Kandanadu diocese) ) try to convince ordinary people his idea or faith in a very different way!When he was in Jacobite Faction he wrote an Heresy article "ITHU VISWASATHINTE KARYAM"whereby portraying St.Peter as Christ(rock)in the earthly Church!Jacobite faction still use that for canvasing innocent/ignorant people to follow this heresy faith!
    His Doctrate or PHD was study in Comparison of Budha Relegeon and Christian relegeon!Therefore he is not an Historian!
    coming to history IN A.D.1490 the Jerusalem Patriatrch (Nestor)sent 4 bishops(Thoma,Yohannan,Yakkob.Yabaloho) in Malankara/kerala!The Malankara Christians did not accept their liturgy or follow them!Like in Persia Although Nestore faith was there the Christians there who were not completely following Nestorian Faith!Likewise in Malankara There were two groups which follow nestore and other Persian Christianity(Non-nestore)under catholicose!The Catholic church(Latin) were early Historians here were only writing the nestoian faith they saw in North of Kerala!

    Yeldho Mar Baselios(A.D.1686) the Catholicaose/Mafriana from Persia while in malankara used Kaldaya Syriac/East syriac!
    Abdul Jaleel Mar Gregorios(A.D.1665) used Kadaya Thaksa and he used Unleaven bread in Holy Qurbana!

    These are Facts,we should remember that when debating Malankara Church History!another fact is that What most of the Jacobites believe that Church in Antioch is Mother Church which is entirely wrong!

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  4. Fr. Shebaly

    Dear Thomas Chandy:
    Thanks for bringing out the article before public eyes.

    It raised my eyebrows a bit...Hmmmmm

    Editor
    orthodoxherald.com

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. This is in reply to questions raised by Malankara Syriac Orthodox(whoever that might be)

    The questions can only be answered by the Church Hirarchy of MOC.So the questions are addressed to a wrong person.

    Thomas Chandy

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