This is with reference to the column Letter from Metropolitan published in the Diocesan Bulletin of Kandanad East Diocese,issue dated March 15th.I am referring to the portion dealing with the events relating to the factional fight that took place in Malankara Church with Palakkunnathu Mathews Mar Athanasiose and Pulikottil Joseph Mar Dionysus heading the two factions.Points under reference herein are as follows:
1.There was no serious difference of opinion within Malankara Church prior to the arrival of Pulikkottil Thirumeni after his consecration as a Bishop.
2.There does not appear to be any historical record to prove that Palakkunnathu Athanasiose was a controversial Bishop on his stances on faith related matters
3.After he took over he co operated with his predecessor Cheppat Mar Dionysious,Bishop from Antioch Joachim Mar Coorilose and Osthathiose Abdulnoor
4.Pulikkottil Thirumeni's election papers were fabricated(Athanasiose Thirumeni quotes here and in many places the Malankara Church history of YakoobIII Patriarch)
In short Thirumeni quotes select events and writings to portray Palakkunnathu Mar Athanasiose as legitimate and accepted leader of Malankara Church and Pulikotil Thirumeni as the person responsible for the split in the Church.The problem appears to be that of quoting events selectively for proving a point.To have a proper understanding of the events leading to the split,one has to go slightly back in history,that of the attempt made by Britishers to take Malankara Church to Protestantism.
The events narrated by Mar Athanasiose has its roots in the work of Palakkunnathu Abraham Malpan.The malpan appears to be a person enamoured by the white skin.He got himself re ordained by a Bishop from Antioch when there was a hue and cry that the Bishops of MOC ordained by Thozhiyoor Bishops didnot have proper high priesthood(reason being that the Thozhiyoor Bishops themselves were not ordained properly,according to some)..He got fined by the Travancore King of that time for that,for which historical records are available.Further,when the CMS Missionaries preached Protestant faith he got enamoured by that and became the leader of the so called Reformist Movement.He used his influence with the Patriarch of Antioch and got his nephew Deacon Mathai consecrated as a Bishop with a view to take over the Malankara Church and take it to Protestantism.That was how Palakkunnathu Mar Athanasiose became a Bishop.There was no meeting of Chuch representatives to elect him as a Bishop,the reigning Malankara Methran was totally in the dark,the whole thing was done surreptitiously.He could not even produce a snathicon from the patriarch who consecrated him.His only claim to the post of Malankara Methran was that he was consecrated by the patriarch of Antioch and the reigning Malankara Methran was consecrated by an Indian Bishop(of Thozhiyur Church).The additional disqualification(according to Palakkunnathu and his camp followers)was that Cheppattu Thirumeni was old.
Normally it could not have been much difficult for Palakkunnathu group to influence the Travancore Rajah,given the support of the British Empire's resident.But Rajah withstood the pressure of British resident for quite a long time before finally succumbing to the pressure from the resident.Any student of Travancore History would find that the Rajah was for all practical purposes remote controlled by the resident.If he uncharacteristically resisted the resident it could have been only due to his sense of justice.Cheppattu Mar Dionysious played into the hands of Palakkunnathu by abdicating in favour of Joachim mar Coorilose and thereby making it easy for the Crown to oblige the resident.Palakkunnathu Mar Athanasiose must have thought that he should at least do the last rites of the prelate whose indiscretion made his usurping of power easier.
Pulikottil Thirumeni stepped in as per the wishes of a large number of faithfuls who didnot like the idea of Malankara Church going the protestant way.Before accepting the Crown of Thorns of a Bishop,he had very long deliberations and took up the job on persuasion by a large number of Malankara Church faithfuls.He had a long drawn battle to free the Church from the clutches of deviation from faith.Naturally,he had to get the Royal proclamation undone for preventing the deviation from faith.
I am unable to comprehend how Dr Athanasiose overlooked all this and started his analysis from a time when Palakunnathu Mar Athanasose had manipulated everything in his favour and mainly due to the Royal Proclamation in his favour,there was calm outside and storm inside Malankara Church.Marthoma Church tries to make it as though Palakunnathu Mar Athanasiose was the legitimate Methran and Pulikkottil Thirumeni was a usurper,Having got the Royal proclamation in his favour,Palakunnathu could rule over the Church in Malankara as no one could dare to oppose him for fear of incurring the wrath of the crown as well as the musclemen of Palakunnathu Bishop.This is the reason for the exterior calm that Dr Thomas mar Athanasiose is talking about.Having ousted and consigned to Cheppadu Church,Cheppattu mar Dianisious was inconsequential for Palakkunnathu and conducting a Kantheela and leading the funeral service is nothing but small mercy.
I am sad to see a learned person like Dr Athanasiose is repeating the propaganda of Marthoma Church without a proper study of Historical events.
1.There was no serious difference of opinion within Malankara Church prior to the arrival of Pulikkottil Thirumeni after his consecration as a Bishop.
2.There does not appear to be any historical record to prove that Palakkunnathu Athanasiose was a controversial Bishop on his stances on faith related matters
3.After he took over he co operated with his predecessor Cheppat Mar Dionysious,Bishop from Antioch Joachim Mar Coorilose and Osthathiose Abdulnoor
4.Pulikkottil Thirumeni's election papers were fabricated(Athanasiose Thirumeni quotes here and in many places the Malankara Church history of YakoobIII Patriarch)
In short Thirumeni quotes select events and writings to portray Palakkunnathu Mar Athanasiose as legitimate and accepted leader of Malankara Church and Pulikotil Thirumeni as the person responsible for the split in the Church.The problem appears to be that of quoting events selectively for proving a point.To have a proper understanding of the events leading to the split,one has to go slightly back in history,that of the attempt made by Britishers to take Malankara Church to Protestantism.
The events narrated by Mar Athanasiose has its roots in the work of Palakkunnathu Abraham Malpan.The malpan appears to be a person enamoured by the white skin.He got himself re ordained by a Bishop from Antioch when there was a hue and cry that the Bishops of MOC ordained by Thozhiyoor Bishops didnot have proper high priesthood(reason being that the Thozhiyoor Bishops themselves were not ordained properly,according to some)..He got fined by the Travancore King of that time for that,for which historical records are available.Further,when the CMS Missionaries preached Protestant faith he got enamoured by that and became the leader of the so called Reformist Movement.He used his influence with the Patriarch of Antioch and got his nephew Deacon Mathai consecrated as a Bishop with a view to take over the Malankara Church and take it to Protestantism.That was how Palakkunnathu Mar Athanasiose became a Bishop.There was no meeting of Chuch representatives to elect him as a Bishop,the reigning Malankara Methran was totally in the dark,the whole thing was done surreptitiously.He could not even produce a snathicon from the patriarch who consecrated him.His only claim to the post of Malankara Methran was that he was consecrated by the patriarch of Antioch and the reigning Malankara Methran was consecrated by an Indian Bishop(of Thozhiyur Church).The additional disqualification(according to Palakkunnathu and his camp followers)was that Cheppattu Thirumeni was old.
Normally it could not have been much difficult for Palakkunnathu group to influence the Travancore Rajah,given the support of the British Empire's resident.But Rajah withstood the pressure of British resident for quite a long time before finally succumbing to the pressure from the resident.Any student of Travancore History would find that the Rajah was for all practical purposes remote controlled by the resident.If he uncharacteristically resisted the resident it could have been only due to his sense of justice.Cheppattu Mar Dionysious played into the hands of Palakkunnathu by abdicating in favour of Joachim mar Coorilose and thereby making it easy for the Crown to oblige the resident.Palakkunnathu Mar Athanasiose must have thought that he should at least do the last rites of the prelate whose indiscretion made his usurping of power easier.
Pulikottil Thirumeni stepped in as per the wishes of a large number of faithfuls who didnot like the idea of Malankara Church going the protestant way.Before accepting the Crown of Thorns of a Bishop,he had very long deliberations and took up the job on persuasion by a large number of Malankara Church faithfuls.He had a long drawn battle to free the Church from the clutches of deviation from faith.Naturally,he had to get the Royal proclamation undone for preventing the deviation from faith.
I am unable to comprehend how Dr Athanasiose overlooked all this and started his analysis from a time when Palakunnathu Mar Athanasose had manipulated everything in his favour and mainly due to the Royal Proclamation in his favour,there was calm outside and storm inside Malankara Church.Marthoma Church tries to make it as though Palakunnathu Mar Athanasiose was the legitimate Methran and Pulikkottil Thirumeni was a usurper,Having got the Royal proclamation in his favour,Palakunnathu could rule over the Church in Malankara as no one could dare to oppose him for fear of incurring the wrath of the crown as well as the musclemen of Palakunnathu Bishop.This is the reason for the exterior calm that Dr Thomas mar Athanasiose is talking about.Having ousted and consigned to Cheppadu Church,Cheppattu mar Dianisious was inconsequential for Palakkunnathu and conducting a Kantheela and leading the funeral service is nothing but small mercy.
I am sad to see a learned person like Dr Athanasiose is repeating the propaganda of Marthoma Church without a proper study of Historical events.
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