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The Apostolic Church of St.
Thomas Christians in India always remained in Catholic Communion until
the 16th century. But, under the influence of ‘padroado’
agreement, the Indian Church of St. Thomas came into direct contact
with the Latin Catholic Church through the Portuguese missionaries.
The missionaries, who were mostly ignorant of the Oriental Catholic
traditions wished to latinize the St. Thomas Christians of India in a
clandestine manner and that ended up in the revolt of
Koonan
Kurisu Sathyam (Coonan Cross Oath) in 1653. Consequently, the
Church of St. Thomas split into two parties, namely, the
Pazhayakoottukar and the Puthenkoottukar. The
puthenkoottukar made several attempts to reestablish the communion
with Rome. Since they failed in their effort, they established
communion with the Jacobite Syrian Church of Antioch. Even after
establishing communion with the Jacobite Church of Antioch, the
prelates of puthenkoottukar continued their efforts to reunite with
Rome.
The Holy Episcopal Synod of the Jacobite Church held at Parumala, near
Tiruvalla, Kerala on 1 November 1926 authorized Mar Ivanios, the
Metropolitan of Bethany to negotiate with Rome for communion with the
Catholic Church. Mar Ivanios, following earnestly the mandate of Holy
Synod, made prolonged negotiations with Rome. Finally on 4 July 1930,
Rome took the decisive decision to accept the request of the
Puthenkoottukar. Thereafter, on 20 September 1930, Mar Ivanios
and four others, made the profession of faith, before Most Rev. Maria
Aloysius Benzigar O.C.D., the Bishop of Quilon. As the Reunion
Movement gained momentum, Pope Pius XI of happy memory, through the
Apostolic constitution “Christo pastorum principi” of 11 June
1932, established the Syro-Malankara Hierarchy for the reunited
community and erected the Archieparchy of Trivandrum with the Eparchy
of Thiruvalla as its suffragan. The metropolitan Archieparchy of
Trivandrum was inaugurated on 11 May 1933, and Mar Ivanios was
enthroned its first Metropolitan Archbishop.
After these epoch-making events under the providence of God, the
Archieparchy of Trivandrum engaged in her double mission of Reunion
and evangelization. As a result of the committed and dedicated work
of the priests, religious and laity made the Archieparchy grow up in
ecclesial and social life. Recognizing the linguistic, social and
cultural heritages of the southern region, on 16 December 1996, the
Eparchy Marthandom was erected, bifurcating the Archieparchy of
Trivandrum.
Since the Malankara Catholic Church made great strides in its
ecclesial and social development, Pope John Paul II of happy memory
elevated the Malankara Catholic Church to the juridical status of a
Major Archiepiscopal Church on 10 February 2005, through the Apostolic
Bull Ab ipso sancto Thoma, with all rights and obligations as
per the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. And this event is the
zenith of several attempts of reunion with Rome after
Koonan
Kurisu Sathyam and that too, a turning point in the history of
Malankara Catholic Church.
Thereafter, considering the pastoral need and the long cherished wish
of the people of God in the Major Archieparchy to have new eparchies
erected, the Fourth Ordinary Holy Episcopal Synod of the
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church held from 31 October to 3 November 2006
decided to erect the Eparchy of Mavelikara. Taking into account the
significance of Mavelikara in the history of St. Thomas Christians of
Puthenkoottukar, the town Mavelikara was chosen as the Episcopal See.
The famous Holy Synod of Mavelikara and
Mavelikara
Padiyola (document) are the evidence of its historical importance
of Mavelikara. It is the birth place of Archbishop Mar Ivanios, the
founder of the Reunion Movement. It comprises of the geographical
region of South of River Pampa and North-Western region of Trivandrum
Major Archieparchy.
Mavelikara, the sixth Eparchy of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
and the first Eparchy constituted by the Major Archbishop, through the
Decree of Moran Mor Cyril Baselios Catholicos ( Prot.No.1/2007 dated 1
January 2007) was inaugurated on 16 February 2007. He appointed Most
Rev. Joshua Mar Ignathios as the first Metropolitan of the new Eparchy
through the Decree Prot.No.2/2007 dated 1 January 2007. The
enthronement of His Excellency Most Rev. Joshua Mar Ignathios took
place on 16 February 2007 at Punnamoodu.
The Eparchy of Mavelikara consists of the Presbyteral Districts of
Mavelikara, Kollam, some parts of Chengannur and Adoor of Major
Archieparchy of Trivandrum and its boundaries are the boundary of the
civil districts of Alapzha south of River Pampa and the boundaries of
the parishes of the presbyteral district of Kollam in the civil
district of Kollam and the boundaries of the parishes on the western
part of the Main Central Road in the civil district of Pathanamthitta.
At the time of bifurcation, there were 94 parishes in the new Eparchy.
Address:
Catholic Bishop's House,
St. Mary's Malankara Catholic Church
Punnamoodu,
Mavelikara - 690 101,
Alappuzha Dt., Kerala, India.
Tel (O): +91 479 - 2307558,
Fax (O): +91 479 - 2307558
E-mail: marignathios@yahoo.co.in
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