Historical Document

Mulanthuruthy Padiyola  -  AD. 1876

Venue   

Mar Thoman Church, Mulunthuruthy where the holy remains of Mor Gregorios, Mor Ivanios and Mor Koorilos repose.

Date  

15, 16, 17   of Midhunam  1051 M.E.   (28^th, 29^th & 30^th June, 1876)

Convened by    

Moran Mor Ignatius Pathros IV (III),  Patriarch of the Apostolic See of Antioch & all the East

and the Supreme head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church

Prelates participated    

Organiser and Secretary cum Translator to His Holiness

Chathuruthil Geevarghese Ramban (St. Gregorios of Parumala)

No. of churches participated

103       -->  list given towards the end of the page

No. of  Priests signed           

130

No. of Laymen  

144

MULANTHURUTHY  PADIYOLA -  AD. 1876

[The resolution (Padiyola), unanimously accepted by the Malankara Syrian Church at the  the historical Mulunthuruthy Synod]

This the official document of the Malankara Church illustrating its faith & history till that date

The Original was written in Malayalam, a free translation is given below

-  For the Malayalam Text and the list of Persons who signed the Agreement, click here -

Obeying your Holiness’ Kalpana, dated 19^th Edavom 1051 (1876) to all Churches, we have assembled on the 15^th Midunam in this Church at Mulunthuruthy, built in the name of Mor Thoma Sleeha (Apostle) and we heard of our Holiness” Circular Kalpana, read publicly on the occasion of the inauguration of the Synod, asking us to codify measures to the effect that we may be firm in the Orthodox faith and in the obedience to the commands from the Throne of Antioch.   

As it is essentially necessary to show that our Church in Malayalam (Malankara), had been continually watered and nurtured by the presence of Antioch, we submit a brief history of this Church, from the time it was guided by St.Thomas and we submit also measures to be taken, so that this Church, may not hereafter, be robbed by the enemies and it might always remain firm in the faith and obedience.  And we do most humbly request, that our prayers may be read and measures confirmed by Your Holiness. 

In the 52^nd year of our Lord, St.Thomas arrived in Malayalam and preached the faith to our forefathers, established the Church and founded churches and appointed priests and they adhered to the true faith and in course of time, when the Church was in distress owing to the scarcity of priests, the honourable Knai Thoma came to Malayalam in 345 and learning the pitiable condition of the Church and the possibility of its total extinction if immediate help is not rendered, he again came with Metran, priests and deacons and laymen from the Land of Syria under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch, with a big amount of money – and for the progress of our community, he obtained privileges and caused to consecrate Metrans from this land and the Church was thriving in high honour, upto 825 when the merchant Iyob and Syrian Prelates arrived in Malyalam and the Church progressed in honour and esteem.  And at that period, ‘Paramkikal’ (Portuguese Roman Catholics) came and proselytised our forefathers by force into their slavery and again in 1600, a Synod was convened at Udayaperror by Allesu (Alexis) Paranki Metran who burnt all our Syriac books and made changes in the true faith. And when prelates from the traditional Pakalomattom family were ruling over us the Moran Patriarchis Bava arrived in Malayalam in 1653 and he was done away with, brutally and we assembled at Cochin Mattancherry and took the Oath, that we would never have any relation with the Parankies: and they gradually succeeded in taking by deceit a portion of our people. In 1665 came Mor Gregorios Bava of Jerusalem at the order of the Holy Throne and he consecrated the Archdeacon who had been administering the Church at that period. And in 1686 Baselios Bava and Ivanious Episcopa reached Malabar and since it was a period of decline of the Paranki power, Ivanious Episcopa expelled all the Paranki practices, and everything in accordance with the Jacobite Syrian practise was re-established during his life here for 30 years. Then in 1751 came Baselios Maphrian and Metrans Gregorious and Ivanious and others and regularised the consecration of Mor Thoma Episcopa, giving him the title ‘Mor Divanyasious’ and giving him Staticon and other privileges.  And in 1815 Pulikottil Youseph Divanyasious Metropolitan of the line of Kattumangatt Metran, founded the Kottayam Seminary and earned properties for the same and made arrangements for instruction – in a laudable manner. Then came English Missionaries and stayed with us deceitfully influenced some to feel that their ancient practices were not desirable. Consequently, the Church, through the then ruling Metropolitan Mor Divanyasious (III) appealed to the Throne of Antioch; as a result of which, Mor Athanasius Abdul Masih and Sabor Remban came in 1825 and the missionaries, influencing the ruling Kidangan (Philoxenous) metropolitan, succeeded in sending them back and since we could not concede to the behests of the missionaries, that we should follow practices contrary to our faith and canons the representatives of all churches assembled at Mavelikara Church on 5^th Makarom 1011 and drew up a Padiyola, which convinced them that they could never overturn us or our faith through deceit and hence they caused a split and as a consequence they sold out much of our properties and in addition, they sent Deacon Mathai of Palakunnath, of the parish of Maramon, who had been expelled from our Church, to Madras for education and Protestant orders and from there too he was expelled by the authorities for misconduct. And he, fabricating letters as those of certain churches, belied before the Holy Throne that he was a ‘Kasseeso’ (Priest) and through such crooked means got himself consecrated Metran, and returned to Malayalam where-upon all the churches were called together at Kandanad by Philipose Mor Divanyasious Metropolitan, and as a result of scrutiny of his ‘Sthathikon’, his crookedness and deceit came to light and he with some members from the South went to Kallumkathra church and there a Padiyola with his signature and seal was drawn up, in which he promised that he would never deviate from the Orthodox faith and from the submission to the Holy see of Antioch and from the Canons promulgated by the 3 General Councils; and those few church members promised that so long as he follows that path, they would accept him as Metran. The records brought by Mor Yooyakim Kurillos Metropolitan, who had been deputed by the Patriarch as a result of the report of the Kandanadu Yogam (assembly) were found by the Quilon committee, as fabricated, and the Royal Proclamation was obtained by the Metran, who with government support unjustly ruled us and over churches and ruined all our resources – this man called ‘Beliar’ with crookedness together with power tried to overturn our faith and thus embrace Anglican faith has brought about schism and heresy; and repudiated the excommunication orders, firstly of our Holy Father, Patriarch Elias and secondly of Patriarch Yakub and now lastly of Your Holiness and despotically continues in his wicked actions, siding with the missionaries. Our oft-repeated grievances to the Holy See, describing his efforts to mar our faith, we had been preserving from the times of our forefathers were not redressed. Your Holiness, after your installation felt compassion on us and for solving our grievances, left your Throne and travelled to Constantinople, and London and met the authorities there and in Madras in Nilgiri, Trivandrum and Cochin and succeeded in revoking the Royal proclamation, which he had obtained on the plea that he was having the Patriarchal Bull with him.  We have assembled here to confirm the aforesaid faith, submission and Church administration. Holy Father, from the Origin of this Church, we are under the jurisdiction of the Holy See of Antioch, which, in order to help and deliver us, on every occasion of our depression had offered us much riches and the Holy Anointing Oil – ‘Mooron’ through the prelates and confirmed us in faith and built many churches – and now the hardships Your Holiness suffered during the crisis – all these facts would never depart from our minds and from our posterity’s minds. From the earliest ages, the Syrians in Malankara and their churches are under the spiritual authority of the Patriarch of Antioch. Nobody else has any kind of authority. Since our Metrans and Priests receive Holy “laying on of hands” from the Holy See, the power to appoint and remove them rests with the Holy See. The spiritual administration over the Syrian Community and of their churches and the authority to appoint and remove metrans rest with Your Holiness. Now Your Holiness has come to Malankara, aware of our deplorable situation, to administer spiritually, our community and churches and by the grace of God suppress the enemies of the faith.

We, hereby declare before the High priesthood of Your Holiness that from the Faith of the three Holy Synods handed over to the Holy Church, and from commandments of your Holiness, the Head of our religion and Faith, neither we nor our children would depart either to the right or to the left – up to our death. And we, take this Solemn Oath, holding Sleeba (Cross) and Evangelion (the Gospels) before God and in the presence of your Holiness, that there would be no departing from this until the last moment of our death.

79.  Veliyanadu  

80.  Thuruthipally  

81.  Parumala  

82.  Vakathanam  

83.  Puthussery  

84.  Pallom  

85.  Kottayam  (Cheriya)  

86.  Manarcaud

87.  Kothamagalam (Cheria)

88.  Mavelikara Puthiacavu  

89.  Cherai  

90.  Mulunthuruthy

91.  Kottayam (Puthen)  

92.  Karkal  

93.  Thalavady East  

94.  –do--  Kuzhipally  

95.  Kattanam  

96.  Veeyapuram  

97.  Karuvatta  

98.  Anaprampal  

99.  Vechoor  

100.Chalissery  

101.Chengalam  

102.Kayamkulam  

103.Kunnamcode