The Christian community from Kerala has been united to point out that they were evangelized at the first century itself by none other than our St. Thomas the Apostle through Lord & God Jesus Christ. Yes, the very one who was first to confess and cry out ‘My Lord and My God !”.
The united Christian community in 17th Century from Kerala stood up to the interference of the Portuguese Roman Catholics who were trying to subjugate them and patiently awaited a change in their status for almost 50 years sending emissaries across the globe to come to their aid. The trust was that the same Lord and God who demonstrated His love by becoming Man ,died and rose again for our Salvation will bring it about it in peace. The Christians in Malankara knew many such lived across the world and had encountered such in the history of the Church.
When matters were beyond any possible of reconciliation with Roamn catholics , Coonan Cross Oath (Koonan Kurishu Satyam) was taken on 3 January 1653 as a public avowal that they would not submit to Roman Pope and Latin Catholic Portuguese dominance in ecclesiastical and secular life.
Four months after Coonen Cross Oath, on 22 May 1653, Twelve kathanars (priests) ordained Thoma Kathanar as the first spiritual and temporal head of the Church by the act of laying hands on him together. The Roman Catholics argued that his consecration by 12 priests was irregular . It was timely that in the person of the aged Bishop Gregorios Abdal Jaleel from Jerusalem under the Syrian Orthodox Church in 1665. Thus started the intimate relation with the West Syrian Church of Antioch. During the succeeding centuries (18th and 19th) the Church slowly accepted West Syrian liturgical traditions.
Over the last three centuries the community adopted the faith but the suspicion of foreign influence of the Church lingered on and led to division and two groups sharing the faith. History has shown as well that this suspicion was not without cause .The two groups - one under the Syrian Patriarchate and those under the Catholicate in Kottayam share the same Orthodox Christian faith in principle, but has a future that has to live it more fully this life with help of God.
It is perhaps no coincidence and our Lord is calling out as the need of the hour for Malayalee Orthodox Christians to see the positive in light of these trying times and make an united effort in living the faith trusting in God . May the prayers of our Fathers Mathoma I and Abdal Jaleel whom we remember on April 25 and April 27 be a solace and the Lord in His mercy guide us
In Christ,
George Varghese
May 3, 2020
