Archdeacons
(Part 2)
By the 7th century, specific references of the Indian Church began to appear in Persian records. The Metropolitan of India and the Metropolitan of China are mentioned in the consecration records of Patriarchs of The East.
There were other developments in the Persian Church of potential import to the Indian Church. A renaissance of the pre-Chalcedon faith began, led by Jacob Bardeus, emphasizing the West Syrian Christological tradition of the One United Nature, influencing the church in Persia as well. Availing the relatively equable political climate following the Arab conquest of Syria and other parts of West Asia, a Maphrianate of the anti-Chalcedonies was established by Mar Marutha, a native Persian, became the first Jacobite Maphriana (Catholicose) of the East. The jurisdiction of this Catholicose at Tigris extended to in lower Mesopotamia and further east.
On the life of the Church in India during the first 15 centuries, the balance of historical evidence and the thrust of local tradition point to its basic autonomy sustained by the core of its own faith and culture. It received with the trust and courtesy missionaries, bishops and migrants as they came from whichever Eastern Church Tigris or Babylon, Antioch or Alexandria, but not from the more distant Constantinople or Rome. There were times in this long period when the Christians in India had been without a bishop and were led by an Archdeacon. And requests were sent, sometimes with success, to one or another of the eastern prelates to help restore the episcopate in India. Meanwhile the church in Persia and much of west Asia declined by internal causes and the impact of Islam, affecting both the Nestorian Patriarchate of the East (Babylon) and the Jacobite Catholicate of the East (Tigris).
In conclusion up to the 16th century there was ecclesiastical connection between the Church in West Asia and the Church in Malabar. The Bishops who came from Babylonian Patriarchate were Nestorian. Those who came from Antioch or Catholicose of the East who was under the Jurisdiction of Antoich were Jacobite. What is certain is that the Malabar Christians and the Persian Christians had ecclesiastical connections.
H.G Paulose Mor Gregorious, a bishop of “Catholic faction of Malankara”, then remban Paul T Varghese and Principal of the Orthodox Theological seminary, Kottayam and world renowned scholar, wrote on October 9, 1968 in the "News from Seema" page 21-22, "We in India belong to this Patriarchate even if we have our own Catholicose and are autonomous. We have no other sources from which to renew our ancient tradition, except the tradition of Antioch, of the Great Syrian Church, which once had spread through the length and breadth of Asia, right up to China and Korea. It would be the height of ingratitude and most deplorable folly on our part if we grieve his hart (the Patriarch) with any world which seeks to dissociate ourselves with the patriarchate of Antioch."
Renowned historian Mr. George Varghese of Malankara Orthodox Church wrote “Malankara Sabha (an official church magazine of Malankara Orthodox Church)” “ From the time of Nicea synod till 1490 Malankara church was with Jacobite / Orthodox faith. From 1490 until the time of Udumperroer Synod, 1599, Nestorian Faith influenced Malankara. 1665 Mor Gregorious of Jerusalem reestablished the Jacobite / Orthodox faith. (The Malankara Sabha, Page 21, Issue No. 41, August 1986)
In reply to the above statement Rev. Fr. Dr. V.C. Samuel wrote, “ From 470 the Catholicate of Persia were influenced by the Nestorian Faith and by 486 it officially accepted the faith. After that by 629 only the Anthiocan Syrian Catholicate was able to reestablished in Persia (The Malankara Sabha, Page 25, Issue No. 41, October 1986).
For a true faithful there are yet sufficient evidences to show that Malankara was an archdiocese of the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch. Dr Neal says, ‘a Jacobite bishop arrived in Malankara in AD 696,’ ‘History of the Holy Eastern Church, Vol II P 88.
There is a granite cross, preserved at Santhom Madras, inscribed therein in old Palavi language, dating back to 8 th century. Translation of Dr Burnel as GM Rae certified reads, ‘Suffering of the One, true Christ and God in the Highest and ever Holy Guide, was punishment on the Cross.’ In other words, the One crucified and suffered was God. Palavi was Persian language, not Indian. Nestorians never believed the concept of suffering God. They curse those who say God suffered. So there is no possibility that a Nestorian would epitomize something, which he detests. On the other hand Jacobites do hold that Jesus Christ was God while suffering on the Cross. His Godhead did not separate from His body or soul even for a split of second- “Theopaschite theory.”
Another granite inscription - a ditto copy of the cross - written in 7 th century is kept in Kottayam Valiapally. This clearly shows that some Persian-Jacobite wrote and brought that to Malankara. Thus Malankara Church was Jacobite during 8 th century.
[7th Century Persian Cross at the Kottayam St.Mary's Church (ValiaPally)]
Bishop Mor Dionesius I presented a Syriac (Estrangleo) bible to Dr Buchanan in 1807. He preserved it at Cambridge University. The bishop said to Buchanan, ‘we kept this bible for thousand years. Now it is safer with you.’ Faithful of Mavelikara Church said to Buchanan, ‘we had bible for the past 1400 years, ’ (‘Christian Researches in Asia,’ p.137). Now the question remains whether or not the said bible was Nestorian or Jacobian. This Bible contains reading index for special occasions / festivals. St. Mary is mentioned as Theotokos, (Mariam Yeldoth Aloho). Nestorians calls her Christotokos. ‘Theotokos’ is heresy for them. This sufficiently proves that the said bible was Jacobian. If the faithful so dearly kept a Jacobite bible there is no doubt for me that those who kept it also held the same faith. Thus Malankara Church was under the patriarch of Antioch at least from the time of Syrian colonization of Malabar.
The Catholicose of Selucia who had contacts with Malabar was under the supremacy of the same patriarch. By the end of 5 th century it fell to Nestorians. Nestorians waited opportunity to sneak into Malankara as and when they got opportunity. Patriarchs after Michael Rabo and last Catholicose Barebraya were very feeble and could achieve nothing worth to record and they neglected Malankara or they assumed everything was fine. Nestorians took advantage of the situation and sneaked into Malankara. For two centuries Nestorians exerted their influence in Malankara. Buchanan records what the faithful told him, ‘whatever is your faith, our faith is undefiled because we come from land where the disciples were first called Christians,’ Christian Researches in Asia, edn 1812 p. 147. This instance would prove that the ignorant faithful received them under mistaken identity thinking that they came from the same patriarch. Please read, “Indian Church of St Thomas, by EM Philip ch 16.
According to Rev. Dr. I. Daniel Corepiscopa of Catholicose faction of Malankara Church, in his book "The Syrian Church Of Malabar" published in 1945 from Madras, writes, "Thr Syrian Church of Malbar was founded by St. Thomas. It came into close connection with the Persian Church, but this connection in its latter stage was not with the Nestorian section but with the Maphriante in Tigrith which was West Syrian Orthodoxy. Only between 1490 and 1599 the Syrian Church was in close contact with Nestorian, which however, was not due to a right understanding about the true nature of that tradition but due to mistakes. Nevertheless, the connection had not jeopardized the Orthodoxy of the Church. The Roman Catholic attempt inder the Portuguese was to bring the Syrian Church under Roman fold and event of 1653 was a total reacation against it. With the arrival of Bisop in 1665 the Syrian Church came for the first time in direct contact with the West Syrian Patriarchate which so far had been indirectly maintained through the Maphrianate of Tigrith. Trough this event the ancient Orthodox Faith of the Syrian Church was once again restored."
In the same book were he try to establish the legitimety of the 1912 Catholicate institution, he writes, "The Syrian Church was orthodox all through the past in its history, that it was autonomous in its church administration, and the the institution of the Catholicate in 1912 in it was valid and in accordance with the true traditions found within the West Syrian Church"
Though there were such ecclesiastical connections and ministrations, the church in Malabar (Malankara) was in administration under the Archdeacons
This page is compiled & maintained by: Thomas Daniel (Reji)
