CONTETNS
5. Differences Again, Hopes of Unity |
Split in the
Church
In 1906 Patriarch Abdul Messiah II was deposed and Môr
Abdullah was enthroned on 15 August 1906. So now there were two Patriarchs
the reigning patriarch Mor Abdullah and the deposed Patriarch Abdul Messiah
II. In 1909 Mar Ignatius Abdullah, the new Patriarch of Antioch
visited Kerala and got involved in a conflict with Vattasseril Geevarghese
Mar Dionysius VI, the Malankara Metropolitan. While patriarch insisted on
comprehensive jurisdiction over the Malankara Church, Vattasseril Mar
Dionysius would allow him only the spiritual power - the right to consecrate
bishops and chrism (mooron) for the Church. This conflict split the
Church again into two: Vattasseril Mar Dionysius and party against the
patriarch (Methran Kakshi, ie., Bishop's Party), and the second group
under Paulose
Mor Koorilose, for the patriarch (Bava Kakshi, ie., Patriarch's
Party). In 1911 the Patriarch deposed Vattesseril Mar Dionysius and installed
Paulose Mor Koorilose as the Malankra Metrapolitan. Refusing to accept his deposition,
Vattesseril Môr Dionysius appealed to Môr Abdul Messiah II, the previous
Patriarch. He sent a telegraphic reply annulling the excommunication and set
out for Malabar, arriving at Bombay on 5 June 1912. He cemented the division
by consecrating a Catholicose of the East. In 1916 the
Synod, meeting in Deir Za‘farân elected a new Patriarch, Môr Ignatius Elias III Shakar.
One of his top priorities was to establish peace in India. Through the intervention
of the British Viceroy in India, Lord Irwin, Patriarch Elias travelled to
Malabar in March 1931. He reached
Alwaye and on 22 March 1916 and met with Vattesseril Mar Dionysius VI, who
had been excommunicated by Patriarch Abdullah. Following discussions the
excommunication was lifted, but the Patriarch’s peace formula was
unacceptable to Vattesseril Mar Dionysius and the Catholicos’ party.
Discussions dragged on, and on 13 February 1932 Patriarch Elias died suddenly
of heart failure at Manjinikkara,
where he was buried. Another important development around this period was the
establishment of a Syro-Malankara rite with in the Roman Catholic Church. Mar
Ivanios of Bethany and Mar Theophilos both of them from the 'Methran Kakshi'
joined the Roman Catholic Church on 20th September, 1930. On 11th June, 1932
the Roman Catholic Pope Pius XI constituted the Syro-Malankara Rite and
appointed Mar Ivanios as archbishop of Trivandrum and Mar Theophilos as the
sufragan bishop of Thiruvalla. These developments led to a many 'Malankara
Syrian Orthodox' faithful joining the Roman Catholics. Meanwhile the Methran Kakshi (Catholicose party)
met together and passed a Constitution
for the Malankara Church in 1934. It should be noted that this
constitution was drafted by and passed by only the representatives of Methran
Kakshi, not even a single representative of the Bava Kakshi, was
present during these deliberations. A Malankara Association meeting was called by Kuttikkattil Mor
Athanasius Paulose (Aluva Valiya Thirumeni), Metropolitan of
Angamaly & Cochin, Mor Dionysius Mikhail
of Kottayam, Niranam, Thumpamon and Quilon, Mar Timotheous Augen of Kandanad
(later Catholicose) and Mar Dioscoros Touma of Knanaya Diocese on October 9,
1935. At this meeting, held at St. George Church,
Karingachira, Mor Athanasius
Paulose was unanimously elected Malankara Metropolitan. The division and animosity between the two parties
increased and these led to litigation. The dispute was finally settled by the
Supreme Court of India. Peace returned to the Malankara Church by the accord
of 1958, by which Patriarch Ignatius Yacoub III affirmed his acceptance of
the Catholicos and the Catholicose party accepted the spiritual authority of
the Patriarch. Mar Timotheous Augen
of Kandanad was elected as the Catholicose, he was installed the Catholicose
by Patriarch Ignatius Yacoub III in 1964.
Finally every one thought peace has returned to the Malankara Church,
but they were proved wrong. |
