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 17^th 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 20^th 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!!!!