by Mr. C. D. Varghese
March 25, 2007

Glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Respected Achen, brothers, sisters and dear children in Christ.

Today is a very significant day to our Church. we are celebrating and remembering: Annunciation to St. Mary and Catholicate day of our Church

In addition, Today's Evangelion reading was on the "Blind man who received sight".

I call your attention with respect on the topic "Catholicate day of our Church".

I like to mention the following points.

What is a Catholicate?

Why is it significant?

Who were the Church Fathers?

Church fathers since its establishment in Malankara, and

What is Catholicate Day?

First what is a Catholicate?

The Catholicate is the place where the Catholicos presides over the Holy Episcopalic synod and is vested with the prime jurisdiction regarding the temporal, ecclesiastical and spiritual administration of the church. Our Lord told his disciples that “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” This verse (John 10:11), recited at the consecration of the Catholicos.The term ' Catholicos' comes from two Greek words 'Kath' and 'Holicos', meaning 'general primate', or 'general vicar'. The Catholicos is the supreme head of the Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church.

Secondly why is it significant?

To understand its significance we need to know our church history. I like to mention few points on our church history.

There is clear evidence that, the Indian Christian Church was founded in the state of Kerala (Malankara), India, by St. Thomas the Apostle, in 52 AD. It is one of the ancient Churches of the world. The Indian Church was indigenous and autonomous. It was genuinely Indo-Oriental religion, with its peculiarities, with its own customs and discipline based on the Kerala way of life. It is the reality and truth that the Malankara Christians were known as Thomas Christians. and that they were originally converted by the Apostle St. Thomas. We must re-affirm Today, that our spiritual father in Christ is the Apostle St. Thomas.

The Church history says that until the arrival of the Portuguese, Vasco da Gama reached Calicut, Kerala, India on May 20, 1498, the Christian Church in Malankara (Kerala) was entirely independent, indigenous and autonomous. But the Portuguese authorities and religious missionaries persecuted the Malankara Church believers in order to be obedient to the Pop in Rome as the head of the Church and to change our way of worship and beliefs. The Portuguese missionaries took over our church governance. The Indian church was in crisis; They had to make a decision whether to surrender its religious freedom, such as: mode of worship, faith, believes and customs; or to protect and preserve them for the future generations to come. A group of Christians accepted the Portuguese supremacy. The main body of Kerala Christians rose in revolt and took a collective oath at the “Coonen Cross” in Mattancherry in 1653, resolving to preserve the faith and autonomy of our Church and to elect its head. The essence of this oath was that “we and our children will not surrender our Christian faith and religious freedom to any foreign authorities”. Subsequently, Archdeacon Thomas was raised to the title of Mar Thoma, the First.

The Church leaders were in search of spiritual guidance from other church fathers of the same faith such as the Orthodox churches in Jerusalem, Syria, Chalcedon, and Antioch. It was because of this desire, at the request of the Thomas Christians of Kerala, the 'Jacobite' bishop, Mor Gregorios of Jerusalem came to India in 1664, confirmed the Episcopal consecration of Mar Thoma I as the head of the Malankara Church, in India. Thus began the formal relationship with the 'Jacobite' Syrian Church of Antioch. There after the Malankara Church became know as “Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church”. The following fathers guided the Malankara Church during these difficult times:

1) Geevarghese Arkadiyokan' - 'Mar Thoma I' (1653 - 1670)

2) Mar Thoma II (1670 - 1686)

3) Mar Thoma III (1686 - 1688)

4) Mar Thoma IV (1688 - 1728)

5) Mar Thoma V (1728 - 1765)

6) Mar Thoma VI (1765 - 1808)

7) Mar Thoma VII (1808 - 1809)

8) Mar Thoma VIII (1809 - 1816)

9) Mar Thoma IX (1816 - 1817)

10) (Pulikottil) Joseph Mar Dionysius II (1815 - 1816)

11) (Punnathara) Geevarghese MAR DIONYSIUS III (1817-1825)

12) (Cheppad) Philipose Mar Dionysius IV (1781 - 1855)

13) (Pulikkottil) Joseph Mar Dionysius V (1876 -1909)

14) (Malankara Sabha Bhasuran) Vattasseril Geevarghese Mar Dionysios (1909 - 1934)

The British missionaries in India encouraged 'reformation' within the Orthodox Church partly through the theological seminary in Kottayam, Kerala. In order to keep our Orthodox faith and the freedom from the reformist group, the Malankara Church had no choice but to request and accept the spiritual guidance from the Antiochian Patriarch. The outcome was twofold: a reaffirmation of the distinctive identity of the Orthodox Church under its own Metropolitan and, a group supported the obedience of the Antiochian Patriarch. Thus a relationship which started for safe-guarding the integrity and independence of the Malankara Orthodox Church in India was in crisis.

St. Vattasseril Geevarghese Mar Dionysios Thirumany was the Malankara Metropolitan of our Church at this time. Thirumany with the support of the Episcopal synod realized and recognized because of these situations, the Malankara Church was failing its’ primary duty and responsibility towards the cause of the Gospel and the call of the Church. Therefore, the Holy synod under the leadership of Vattesseril Thirumany made the historic decision to relocate the Catholicate of the east from Selucia and Tigris to Kerala in order to preserve our religious freedom and safeguard our Orthodox faith.

In 1912, the Catholicate of the East originally in Selucia and later in Tigris was relocated to Malankara. The consecration of the first Indian Catholicos--Moran Mar Baselios Paulos in Apostolic succession to St. Thomas, with the personal participation of H.H. Patriarch Abdul Messiah of Antioch was performed. Thus the Catholicate was established in Kerala in 1912 for our religious freedom, orthodox faith and hope for the future.

Thirdly what is Catholicate Day?

The Catholicate Day is meant for the freedom and sovereignty of the Malankara Orthodox Church. It is the day the Catholicate was relocated to Malankara in Apostolic succession to St. Thomas. It’s our prime responsibility to remember our forefathers, reaffirm and pray for The Catholicos, our Diocesan Metropolitan, and all the members of the Holy Synod, Clergy and laity. Also we want to reaffirm our loyal allegiance to the Malankara Orthodox Church Catholicate, its supreme head Catholicose of the East and Malankara Metropolitan H.H. Mar Baselios Mar Thoma Didymus I, H.B. Poulose Mor Milathios, the Holy Episcopal Synod, The Managing Committee, the Malankara Syrian Christian Association, and Malankara Constitution dated 1934.

Finally Remember our Church Catholicoses

In addition, I like to remember the fathers who were in apostolic succession to St Thomas and they were:

1. H.H. Moran Mor Baselios Paulos (1912 - 1913)



2. H.H. Moran Mor Baselios Gee Varghese I (1925 - 1928)



3. H.H. Moran Mor Baselios Gee Varghese II (1934 -1964)



4. H.H. Moran Mor Baselios Augean I (1964 -1975)



5. H.H. Moran Mor Baselios Mathews I (1975 -1991)



6. H.H. Moran Mor Baselios Mathews II (1991 -2005)

We need to pray for our current Catholicose; His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Didimos I (Since 2005 - Present)

In addition I want to remember our saintly fathers who were passing through these difficult situations:

St. Parumala Gregorios Thirumeny

Pampady Mar Gregorios Thirumeny

Alvarez Mar Julius Metropolitan

Yuyakim Mar Ivanios Metropolitan

Geevarghese Mar Philexinos Metropolitan

Pathrose Mar Osthathios Metropolitan

I know this list is not complete. Indeed, the Malankara saints' prayers are for our church and the hope for the future.

It can only be a gift of Grace that the faith and tradition of a small community of the early Christians in India have remained alive and vibrant throughout nearly two thousand years. Even amidst these centuries of changes, the community has maintained an inner calm in the safety of the spiritual anchor that cast in the original concept of the word Orthodox that is the right glorification of God.

Perhaps, perhaps as it is in Today's Evengalion reading, our lord told to the disciples about the blind man, 'all these incidents were for the Glory of God'. The Malankara Catholicate and its’ Church is Gods’ Church and she will thrive and flourish in the universe. Always remember that the early Christians of India were known as Thomas Christians and indeed they had the religious freedom and their spiritual father in Christ is Apostle Thomas. Most importantly the knowledge of the truth will set us free and will be able to worship in truth and spirit.

This is my humble prayer, 'seek thy kingdom and His righteousness first, everything will be added unto us'. Let us bow down our head and pray for the Catholicate, Malankara Orthodox Church and all its members.

May God bless our Church, the Church at large and us all. Let our patron saint Apostle Thomas' prayers, St Mary's prayers and guidance are with us always.

Amen