CHAPTER 2

THE PHASES OF REFORMATION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT

OF THE MAR THOMA CHURCH (1800-1944)

2.1. Introduction

Even though the political reformation started by the reign of Marthanda

Varma (1729-1758) in Travancore, the modern system of public administration and

Judiciary, the Rule of Law, secular education and industrial development were

established in Travancore and Cochin by the reformation of Colonel Munro (1812-

1818). This enlightening socio-political background enabled the Malankara church1for

its reformation activities. This chapter is an attempt to find out the progressive phases

that led to the establishment of Mar Thoma Church as a reformed one in Kerala.

2.2. Process of Reformation

The process of reformation can be divided here into five phases,on the basis of

major shifts in their emphasis, principles and leadership.

2.2.1. First Phase (1800-1816)- Indigenous Beginning

This phase began just before the arrival of the CMS missionaries, which led to

the functions of a few indigenous movements in the Malankara church.

2.2.1.1.Gospel translation

1 This term used in this chapter to refer the Puthenkoottukar

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Ramban Philipose of Kayamkulam translated four gospels from Syriac to

Malayalam. This copy was given to Dr. Claudius Buchanan in 1806 by Mar

Dionysios I and printed in 1811 AD.2 This was the first attempt in Kerala to publish

the holy scripture in the vernacular language.

2.2.1.2. Arthat Padiyola

The second movement was the pledge of the St. Mary’s Church at Arthat,

Kunnamkulam under the leadership of Pulikkottu Joseph Ramban in 1806 AD. This

decision of the church was known as “Arthat Padiyola”3 This was the declaration of

their loyalty to the faith and practices of St. Thomas traditions and of the autonomy of

the Malabar Church under the apostolate of St. Thomas. It repudiated any kind of

bondage with the foreign churches of Antioch, Rome and Persia.

2.2.1.3. Seminary

The third indigenous movement began in the Kandanad Assembly, convened

by Mar Thoma VIII in 1809 AD. As per the suggestions of Pulikkottu Joseph

(Uttoop) Ramban and Kayamkulam Philipose Ramban, the assembly decided to

establish two seminaries for the training of clergy, one in the south and other in the

north.4 This inspiration may have come from the Diocese of Verapoly which had three

seminaries at that time. Ramban Joseph Pulikottil5 himself took the risk to establish

2 David Daniel, op. cit., 135-1363 The declaration is recorded in Old Malayalam Script in a copper plate and presented in the oriental manuscript Library of the Kerala University, Trivandrum. Cited in N.M. Mathew, Malankara Marthoma Sabha Charitram Vol.2.( Tiruvalla:EJI,2006 )) 217-218.4 This is the eighth decision of Kandanad Assembly. This Padiyola was cited by Semavoon Mar Dionysios, Kandanad Grandha Vari, Edited by Joseph Cheeran, (Kunnamkulam: MJD Pub. 2008), 44.5 He was consecrated as Pulikottu Mar Dionysios II by Mar Philoxenos of Thozhiyur in 1815 and was recognized as the ninth Metropolitan of the Malankara Church by the Royal declaration of the state government in 1816. This was the involvement of the state government to decide the metropolitan of

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the seminary at Kottayam, and he laid the foundation stone on February, 1813 and

opened it in 1815. He got full support from Colonel Munro and Mar Thoma VIII. For

the next seventy four years, this seminary was the centre of the Reformation

Movement for the Malankara church.

2.2.2. Second Phase (1816-1836): Seminary Movement

2.2.2.1. CMS Missionaries

The involvement of the Anglican Church began in the Church and in the

seminary with the arrival of CMS missionaries in 1816 AD. They were invited for

helping the Malankara Church for the education in seminary, for establishing schools

and in the translation of the Bible. Their works were very efficient in these fields.

They published the Malayalam Bible in 1820. The Seminary was the meeting place of

these two traditions: on one side the unique blend of the Syrian Orthodox, East

Syrian, Roman and Hindu practices ,and the other side, the highly evangelical

Anglicanism. As a result of this discourse, Palakkunnathu Abraham Malpan,

Kaithayil Geevarghese Malpan and others had much interest in the purification of the

Malabar Syrian Church from the errors in its faith and practices.

2.2.2.2. Reformation Committee (1818)

As per the influence of the Reformation movement in the seminary, the

Metropolitan, Thazhathu Punnathra Mar Dionysios III convened a Synod at

the Malankara Church at fist time. For the next sixty years it was not by the community. Since 1893 it has been determined by the courts. It was a fate of Malabar Christians. John Fenwick, op.cit., 315-334.

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Mavelikkara in 1818 AD. This assembly constituted a committee with six clergy-men

for studying the matters needed for reform. The seminary professors Abraham Malpan

and Geevarghese Malpan were the members of this committee. They analyzed every

practices and liturgies of the church, and decided with the permission of Mar

Dionysios III to reform the erred Taksa and practices of the Church.6 Even though

there has an interest on the side of missionaries to unite the Malabar Church with the

Church of England from the visit of Richard Kerr and Claudius Buchanan in 1806,7

Abraham Malpan and the Reformation Committee did not intend the Reformation to

be Anglicanization. On the other side, the protestant zeal of the new missionaries

Joseph Peet and Wood Coock and the inappropriate intervention of Bishop Daniel

Wilson in the administrative matters of the Malankara Syrian Church lead to the

Mavelikkara Synod in 1836 AD. Cheppat Mar Dionysios IV (1827-1852) and the

assembly banned all kind of activities of the missionaries in the Church. On one side,

it saved the church from Anglicanization. On the other side it closed the door for any

kind of change in the church, which bonded to the supremacy of the Antiochene

Patriarch and affirmed at first time the faith in theotokos.8

2.2.2.3 Abraham Malpan

After the Assembly, a Reformation Committee member Abraham Malpan and

eleven other priests sent a request to the British resident Colonel Fraser, against the

6 N.M. Mathew, Malankara Sabhacharitram Vo. I (Mal) (Tiruvalla: MEJIE, 2006), 246, 247. 7 C.B.. Firth, Introduction for the Indian Churches (New Delhi: ISPCK, 2008), 166-167.8 T.C. Chacko, Malankara Marthoma Sabha Charitra Samgraham 1936 (Tiruvalla: EJI, 2000), 61, 62.

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movement of Cheppat Mar Dionysios. The content of the letter9 revealed the intention

and attitude of Abraham Malpan and his meaning of reformation. Those are,

1. Application for replacing Cheppat Mar Dionysios from the office of

Metropolitan, as he was not observing the true faith and practice of the

Jacobite Syrian Church.10

2. All errors listed in the letter were not Antiochene practices but represented

Roman, Nestorian and Hindu Practices.

3. His loyalty to Antioch was still asserted in his letter.11

4. Affirmation of the authority of the Bible, Syriac Canon and the Holy Synods.

Abraham Malpan continued his work for the revised vernacular liturgy in the

seminary for the next three years untill 1840 AD. However his revised liturgy was not

documented anywhere. Thus led to many debates concerning the rite used by

Abraham Malpan and whether it was more conservative or reformed one.12

2.2.3. Third Phase (1836-1877): Maramon Movement

2.2.3.1. Maramon Parish

Abraham Malpan, the Professor of Syriac at the Old Seminary initiated the

Reformation in his own parish at Maramon from 1836. Eventually, he resigned from

the seminary and returned to Maramon for empowering the reformation movement in

1840. His reformation activities in Maramon were;

9 The full script is cited in Ibid., 72-79.10 The term ‘Jacobite Syrian Church’ was used as the nick name of the Syrian Orthodox church. This term in Malabar used for affirming the west Syrian rite and the Episcopal succession from the Antioch. 11 This would have reinforced his already strong loyalty towards Antioch. His submission to re-ordination by Mar Athanasios Abdul Messih shows this and his admiration for the Syrian orthodox Patriarch seems to have continued to the end of his life. Fenwick, op.cit., 408.12 Fenwick, op. cit, 411.

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1. He removed the statue of Muthappan from the Church and stopped the

festival, Muthappan Chatham13in 1836.

2. Due to the wrong practices of the festivals and Qurbana in order to please the

saints like Muthappan, he removed the prayers to the saints and the prayer for

the dead.

3. He celebrated the Holy Qurbana in Malayalam by using a revised liturgy at the

Maramon Church in the same year (1836). Unfortunately, his revised liturgy

did not survive now so that we could know what revisions he made.

4. He gave the elements of Holy Qurbana separately to the people and banned

auricular confession.

5. The Holy Qurbana was not celebrated when there were no congregations to

receive it.

The Maramon Church gave full support to the reformation movement of

Abraham Malpan. After 1840 this movement had spread to Kozhenchery,

Kallooppara, Mallappally, Eraviperur, Anaprambal etc... But both the Maramon and

Kozhenchery churches were seen as the only two fully reformed parishes.14

2.2.3.2. Mathews Mar Athanasius

The Metropolitan, Cheppat Mar Dionysios excommunicated Abraham Malpan

and the entire congregation at Maramon, and he refused to ordain any students of

Abraham Malpan. By this anti-reformation attitude of the Metropolitan, Abrham

Malpan wished to replace him with a new person who had a pro-reformation attitude.

This was necessary for the survival of the Reformation Movement. As a result, Dn. 13 Muthappan Chatham was a festival and Qurbana for pleasing the saint, Mar Basselios Maphrian died at Kothamangalam church in 1685. Maramon was one of the major centers for this festival. 14 [T. Chandy], Abraham Malpan (Thiruvalla: Mar Thoma Sabha Pub.Board, 1971), 25-28.

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Mathew, his student, nephew and member of Maramon church was consecrated as

Mathews Mar Athanasius in Mardin in 1841 AD. He came back to India in 1843 and

was recognized as the Metropolitan of the church by the Royal Proclamation. He was

the first Indian Bishop who had prolonged exposure to the normative Syrian orthodox

practice.15 During his reign, he attempted to bring the conservatives and reformists

together under his leadership. He continued the Reformation through the

administration, ministry, and practices of the Church.

2.2.3.2.1 Malankara Sabha Canon

Mathews Mar Athanasius executed a “chattavari-ola”16 (rules and

regulations) in the Kottayam Assembly of 1853 and published a canon for the

Malankara Syrian Church in 1857. The basic elements of these regulations followed

the Antiochene tradition. But it affirmed the autonomy of the Malabar Church by not

mentioning any kind of relationship to the Antiochene Patriarchate.17

2.2.3.2.2 Reforming Church practices

Mathews Mar Athanasius encouraged reading of the scriptures and prayers in

the vernacular language, Sunday school for elders and children, preaching in the

middle of the Holy Qurbana, evangelistic works, training in seminary, the translation

of the liturgy into Malayalam. He made a courageous attempt to remove the

veneration to the image of St. Mary at the Kottayam Church. He banned the

15 John Fenwick, op.cit, 454, 455. 16 Semavoon Mar Dionysios, op.cit., 60-78.17 Mathews Mar Athanasios Metropolitan, Malankara Suriani Sabhayude Canon 1857 (New Delhi: Dharma Jyoti Vidya peet, 2008), 13-18.

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invocation of saints, worship of relics and other superstitious practices which had

been introduced in the Syrian Church by the Roman Catholic Church.

2.2.3.2.3 Social Movements

In addition to Abraham Malpan’s movement Mathews Mar Athanasius

engaged in social issues in relation to the Syrian Christians. He put an end to the

forceful labour and oppressions of the Syrian Christians in Kottayam and Ayroor.18

Up to 1879, the Malabar Church was not purely Antiochene but it was hybrid

in nature, especially its liturgies and practices.19 There were two strong movements of

the conservatives and reformists during the end of Mathews Mar Athanasius. The

conservative group accepted Pulikkot Joseph Mar Dionysios as their leader from 1866

AD instead of Mathews Mar Athanasius and his successor Thomas Mar Athanasius.

In 1876, they met under the leadership of Patriarch Peter III in Mulanthuruthy and

made 18 canons for the administration of the church. This Synod affirmed the

Jurisdiction of the Patriarch over the Malabar Church and established the Syrian

Christian Association with the Patriarch as its Patron and the ruling Metropolitan as

its president. With the help of Peter III and the British government, Joseph Mar

Dionysios was officially declared as Metropolitan in 1876.20 After the demise of

Mathews Mar Athanasius in 1877, his successor Thomas Mar Athanasius Suffragan

Metropolitan, was installed as Metropolitan parallel to Joseph Mar Dionysios, and

stayed at the Old Seminary.

2.2.4. Fourth Phase (1877-1893): Formation of the Mar Thoma Church18 K.K. Kuruvilla, op. cit., 21-22.19 Ibid, 29.; John Fenwick, op. cit., 456, 454.20 Z.M. Paret, Mulamthurity Sunnahadose (mal) (Kottayam: Jacob Mathew, 1966) 163-177.

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When the reign of Thomas Mar Athanasius began in 1877, the Church moved

into strong conflict between conservatives and reformists. Joseph Mar Dionysios, the

president of the Malankara Association, filed a suit against Thomas Mar Athanasius

who was holding the possessions of the Church and seminary. With the final

judgment of the Supreme Court against the pro-reformists in 1889, the church was

divided into two, the Jacobites and the Marthomites. Thomas Mar Athanasius,

Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church maintained good relation with Thozhiyoor

and Anglican Churches. He was influenced by the Anglican Protestant missionaries

and they were permitted to visit and preach in the Mar Thoma Parishes. When the

Vicar General Cherukara Philipose Malpan aged, he appointed Kovoor Iype Thoma

Kathanar as new Vicar General in 1892.21 There had been major shifts in the

reformation movement during his period (1877-1893), they were:

2.2.4.1 Bible and Heritage

The Vaidika Alochana Sangham met at Ayroor in 1878 AD and declared for

first time in the Reformation Movement, about the errors intruded into the Malankara

Church from the Antiochene Church. When they stated the principles of Reformation,

they excluded the Syriac canon and affirmed the authority of the Bible and the

heritage of the Malabar22.

2.2.4.2. Lay Movements

As a result of the Anglican missionary work and the spiritual revival in the

Mar Thoma Church, a lay movement started in the Church. The Metropolitan 21 V. Titus Varghese, Mar Thomas Athanasius Metropolitan (MAramon: P.T. Koshy, 1970), 13-18, 85, 94, 107. 22 The Script is cited by T.C. Chacko, op.cit.,133-135

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appointed Upadesis (Lay preachers) to preach the gospel in the church and to the non-

Christians and Asans (Teachers) nearby the Parishes for promoting education. This

system was introduced in the church from 1881.23

2.2.4.3 Indigenous Missionary Movement

Thomas Mar Athanasius banned several types of religious dances like kooth,

Padayani etc in the church and promoted Bible reading groups and area prayers. He

gave importance to the Bible study and spiritual revival.24 In a prayer fellowship at

Kallissery,he decided to establish an association for evangelistic works among the non

Christians in 1888AD. It was the first indigenous missionary movement in India. The

Malabar Mar Thoma Syrian Christians Evangelistic Association turned its attention

towards the Dalit community in Central Travancore and started a work in Othara. This

movement opened the Marthoma Syrian Church to all beyond the caste

discriminations.25 Ayroor C.P. Philipose kasseesa was the secretary this Association

for long period

2.2.4.4 Morality and charity

He emphasized in his letters the maintaining of social values and moral codes.

The purity of personal life and personal salvation was taken seriously by the

reformists. They were commonly known as Sathya Kristhyanikal (True Christians).

He ensured the believers’ participation and contributions to the functions of the

23 The letter of the Metropolitan (1881) revealed that the first Upadesi was Puthenkavu Chakkalayil Cheriyan Upadesi. When the marthoma evangelistic Association was established in 1888 he became its first evangelist. The copy of this letter was published in V. Titus Varghese, op. cit., 76. 24 Ibid., 70-72.25Alex Thomas, A History of the first Cross Cultural Mission of the Marthoma Church 1910-2000, (New Delhi: ISPCK, 2007), 35-37.

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Church. He encouraged people to help the poor and sick, and share for missionary

work. He started Sabha Tharaka in 1893 as an official publication of the church.26

The demise of Thomas Mar Athanasius without consecrating a successor made

new challenges before the church in 1893.

2.2.5. Fifth Phase (1893-1944): Establishment of the Mar Thoma Church.

After the sudden death of Thomas Mar Athanasius Metropolitan, the

Thozhiyoor Bishops Mar Joseph Athanasius and Mar Geevarghese Coorilose

consecrated Titus I as the Mar Thoma Metropolitan in 1893.So that the history would

not be repeated , Titus I consecrated his successor Titus II Suffragan Metropolitan in

1898 and installed as metropolitan following the death of Titus I in 1910. His service

continued up to his death in 1947. During his reign, he consecrated three bishops,

Abraham Marthoma Suffragan Metropolitan in 1917, Yuhanon Mar Timotheos

Episcopa and Mathews Mar Athanasius both in 1937. For the Mar Thoma church, the

period of two Metropolitans, Titus I (1893-1910) and Titus II (1910-1944) was very

relevant and crucial in its organizational levels. Because it was the time of defining

what the church is. Throughout the history of establishment, the role of the Vicar

General Kovoor Iype Thoma Kathanar, Thazhattu Punnathra Chandapilla Kathanar

and Ayroor Cherukara C.P. Philipose Kassesa cannot be ignored. The major events

and decisions in the Church during this period are listed below,

2.2.5.1. Democracy and Episcopacy

26 V. Titus Varghese, op. cit., 79, 111.

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Titus I, Kovoor Achen and others decided to govern the church in a

democratic way and established Samasthalochana Sabha (Assembly) and a managing

committee in 1896.27 By this, the people of faith became the supreme authority and

limited the powers vested in Metropolitan. The Samasthalochana Sabha of 1901

approved the constitution for the church.28 This constitution affirmed the Episcopal

hierarchy, and the role of the laity in the church. In 1909, the Assembly accepted the

name of the church as “Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church”29

2.2.5.2. Role of the Laity

The role of the laity was expanded in the church life. They had an eminent role

in gospel preaching, missionary work, administrative bodies, and worship. The

establishment of Sunday School in 1905, Students Conference in 1910, Sthreejana

Sevika Sangham in 1919, Voluntary Evangelists’ Association in 1924, Board of

Education in 1933, and Yuvajana Sakhyam in 1933 made the laity as vibrant and

active in the holistic ministry of the Church. Titus II was an eminent builder of

institutions and organizations. The spirit of the reformation empowered the women to

participate actively in the worship and mission of the Church. This was a

revolutionary movement in the context of the Malabar Syrian Christians and the

cultural background of India.

2.2.5.3. Reformation Principles Settled

During the period of Titus II, on the basis, of the Taksa of Abraham Malpan’s

disciples and reports of the Taksa revision committees, the Alochana Sabha in 1927 27 N.M. Mathew, Malankara Sabha Charitram, Vol.2. (Tiruvalla: EJI, 2007), 156,157,158.28 Ibid., 158.29 Ibid., 157. T.C. Chacko, op. cit., 269

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affirmed the reformation principles of Abraham Malpan as ten changes in Taksa and

three changes in practices30. This was an attempt to define the reformed identity of the

Mar Thoma Church in the context of the protestant affluence in the church. These

principles banned prayers to the saints, prayers for the dead, blessing of the censor,

auricular confession, celebrating holy Qurbana without any participants; deleted or

edited the prayers which include the Doctrine of Transubstantiation or localization

and the concept of Qurbana as a repeating sacrifice; and suggested to give the holy

elements separately.31

2.2.5.4. Revised Liturgy

The two notions, pro-eastern and pro-protestant, developed in the Church. It

led the church into a debate about the meaning of reformation and liturgical revision.

In the period of Titus I, Ayroor C.P. Philopose Kaseesa argued for the revision of the

liturgy, but Kovoor Iype Thoma Kathanar and Punnathra Thazhattu Chandapilla

Kathanar resisted it.32 Even though both Titus I and II were very conscious about the

Eastern identity of the Mar Thoma Church, they were very open to receive goodness

from everywhere. So they appointed five committees to study about the revision of

liturgy in the years 1900, 1914, 1924 and 1927. Finally, Titus II published a revised

liturgy in 1942 AD which consisted of seven orders for the Holy Qurbana33. In the

30 Vattasseril Achen colleated the Thaksa of Alunilkkunnathil Geevarghese Kathanar from his Son Mathai Kassesha and the Thaksa of Padinjarekulathakkal Simon Kathanar from his son K.S. Thomas Kassessa and presented before the Sabha Council. The Thaksa of Geevarghese Kathanar was written by Mavelikkara Peedikayil Achen. See George Alunilkkunnathil, Malankara Sabhayil Naveekaranavum Maramon Idavakayum (Maramaon: Author, 1988), 29-31.; [T. Chandy], op. cit., 49-50.31 Refer Appendix.32 Thazhattu Punnathra Chandapillakkathanar, Vilapangalude Cherupusthakam 1925 (New Delhi: Dharma Jyoti, 2008), 53-5633 T.C. Chacko, op. cit., 258-259

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preface of the Taksa, he affirmed the right of the community to revise their liturgy in

accordance with the contemporary situations.34

2.2.5.5. Missionary Church

The missionary work of the Evangelistic Association expanded to the

backward communities in Kerala and outside Kerala. By the mission work, there were

2543 Dalit members and 23 Dalit congregations in the Mar Thoma Church in 191035.

This missionary movement re-defined the traditional Syrian-self by including Dalits

as a part of the Syrian Church. The outside Kerala mission widened the responsibility

of the Church on a national level. Besides preaching the gospel, the Evangelistic

Association started schools, hostels etc for village students. This movement was

revolutionary in the sense that it was the first organized evangelistic effort by Syrian

Christians.

2.2.5.6. Pervading Protestantism

The fact that cannot be neglected is that the strong influence of the Western

Protestant and Congregational Churches in the Malabar Church, from the beginning

of the Reformation up to the stage of establishment of the Mar Thoma Church. Most

of the persons who preached or taught in the reformed groups were Western

Protestant and Keswick leaders. Most of the preachers of Maramon Convention which

started in 1895 were from Anglican, Methodist and Lutheran Churches. Their

emphasis on individual conversion, holy living, justification by faith in the atonement

34 Titus II Marthoma Metroplitan, Avatharika in Malankara Syriyani Sabhaycide Qurbana Thaksa 1942 (Tiruvalla: Marthoma Pub. Board, 2007).35 Alex Thomas, op. cit, 37-39.; N.M. Mathew, op. cit., 165-166.

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of Jesus Christ etc. had been rooted as true doctrine among the common people36

Along with, the Baptist and Brethren preachers intruded in the Mar Thoma Church

and taught against episcopacy, priesthood, church traditions and infant baptism. By

their influences, the reformed people believed that only the Bible and faith were

necessary for Christian life rather than sacraments, faith traditions and ministerial

orders.37 In this context, Church affirmed in 1909 that the authority of Bible, Nicene-

Constantinople creed, priestly orders, sacraments, observation of Sunday, Lents and

dominical feasts were matters that should not be abolished from the Mar Thoma

church.38 During the time of the centenary celebrations of the Reformation in 1936

AD, Titus II sent a circular to all the priests of the Mar Thoma church in which they

were advised to wear proper vestments of the west Syrian rite.39 However, it was not

put into practice in the Church.

2.2.5.7 Ecumenical Nature

The ecumenical concern of the church in this period was appreciated in the

global level. The Church is a member of National Council of Churches in India

(NCCI) from its beginning (1912). Its participation in ecumenical ventures like UC

College Alwaye (1921) and National Missionary Society (1905) also proved its

ecumenical concern and outlook.

2.3. Conclusion

36 Alex Thomas, The Marthoma Church then and now In search of Christian Identity, ed. M.J. Joseph, (Tiruvalla:CSS, 2008), 43.; T.C. Chacko, op. cit., 103.37 N.M. Mathew, op. cit, 168-170.38 T.C. Chacko, op. cit, 202, 178.39 Circular No. 176 Suggested to Wear clergy cap, black cassock etc for full script cited by N.M. Mathew, op. cit., 205, 206.

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The Reformation in Malankara Syrian Church was an indigenous process in

the beginning. It was nurtured by CMS missionaries from 1816. There were variant

notions and emphases in different stages of the Reformation. Even though reformation

was not Anglicanisation, Western Protestantism did have influence in the grass root

level of the Mar Thoma church. It is true that, there had two notions, the pro-eastern

and pro-protestant groups within the Mar Thoma Church. The reformation was not

simply a return to the origin or a movement of omitting certain practices. This was a

response to the trends of modernity and a counteraction to the wrong rituals and

practices. Reformation was a process of interpreting the selected past of the Church.

Through the reformation the church became Catholic in faith, Missionary in outlook,

Ecumenical in nature and Orthodox in worship.