Apostolic Succession in Syro Malabar Catholic Church

Apostolic Succession in Syro Malabar Church

Myself a Mar Thomma Nasrani in Communion with Bishop of Rome is humbly attempting to layout the Apostolic Succession of Syro Malabar Church through the last nearly 20 centuries. There is no attempt so far done by anyone and I am doing it with a very limited resource. I am praying that my effort will be an eye-opener to my Church Authorities, who have much more resources to make a better one than what I made.

Maran Eesho Mishiha - our Lord and God sent his Apostles throughout the world to share the good news, they received from him. After the Jerusalem Synod, Mar Yooda Thoma Sleeha, the Twin – on AD50 landed on the ancient land of Hendo / India beginning its Apostolic tradition and succession. Various periods will be divided according to the historical significance.

Era of Apostolates - First Century

                   1)    Mar Thoma Sleeha (St Thomas)  - (AD 50-72)

                   2)    Mar Keppa  - (AD 72 – ?) 
Mar Keppa is the first Native Bishop of India and disciple of St Thomas

Second Century to Nicene Council

      After Mar Keppa, the details of native bishops are unavailable and most of the time Bishops of Persia (Fars) and neighboring dioceses are considered as the bishop of India due to the same apostolic heritage of Persia And India through St Thomas.

                   3)    Bishop David of Maishan – (AD 295 - ?)

Bishop David left Maishan / Basra and visited India during the reign of the bishop Papa bar Aggai of Seleucia-Ctesiphon.

                   4)    Mar Yohannan (AD 310 - ?)

Mar Yohannan represented Persia and India as the Bishop of the all of Persia and Greater India in the first Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 A. D.

Nicene Council to Period under Persian (Fars) Bishop

     The Church of Persia (Fars) was also founded by St Thomas. The common apostolic origin and proximity than other Christian centers and unavailability of native bishops caused bishops of Fars undertaking the apostolic succession of India for some centuries.

                  5) Theophilos the Indian (AD 354 - 364)

Native of Maldives and Bishop of India

              6) Mar Komai (AD 410 - ?)

Epistle to Romans is translated by Mar Komai with the help of Daniel, an Indian priest, from Greek to Syriac.

                  7) Mar Yazdad of Rev Ardashir / Fars (AD 424 – AD 450)

                  8) Mar Mari of Rev Ardashir / Fars (AD 450 - 470)

He was the recipient of a celebrated letter from the bishop Ibas of Edessa, and is known to have written a commentary on the letters of Acacius of Amid, a commentary on the book of Daniel and a treatise against the magi of Nisibis.

                  9) Mar Isaac of Rev Ardashir / Fars (AD 510 – 530)

                 10) Mar Ishoʿbokht of Rev Ardashir / Fars (AD 530 – 535)

                 11) Mar Acacius of Rev Ardashir / Fars (AD 535 – 540)

                 12) Mar Maʿna of Rev Ardashir / Fars (AD 540 - ?)

Metropolitan Maʿna of Rev Ardashir sent copies of his Syriac translations of Greek devotional works to India for the use of the Indian clergy.

                 13) Metropolitan Claudian (AD550 -?)

Metropolitan Claudian was among the signatories of the acts of the synod of Joseph in 554.

                 14) Mar Shemʿon of Rev Ardashir / Fars (AD 640 - ?)

Patriarch Ishoʿyahb III (649–59) written a letter to him complaining about conversions to Islam by the Christians of Beth Mazonaye (Oman) during the Arab conquest. He was in charge of the affairs of the Church of India.

Indian Church under Catholicos-Patriarch of Seleucia-Ctesiphon

A situation arose in which the Bishop Shemʿon of Fars became hostile to the Patriarch Ishoʿyahb III, resulting in his excommunication. Following this, Patriarch Ishoyahb III issued an encyclical releasing the Church of India from the jurisdiction of Fars eparchy and appointed a Metropolitan Bishop for India.  The title of the Metropolitan bishop of India was 'the Metropolitan and Gate of all India'.

                   15) Unknown Metropolitan bishop of India sent by Patriarch Ishoyahb III, (AD 655 - ?)

                   16) Unknown Metropolitan bishop of India sent by Patriarch Sliba-zkha, (AD 715 - ?)

Patriarch  Sliba-zkha consecrated a metropolitan for India, perhaps in response to an appeal from the Indian Christians, to fill the place of the bishop sent there by Ishoʿyahb half a century earlier.

                    17) Patriarch Timothy the Great (AD780-823)

Patriarch released the Church of India from the authority of the bishop of Fars permanently, placing it under his direct jurisdiction.

Era of permanent Bishops travelling to India from Seleucia-Ctesiphon

Two letters written by Patriarch Timothy with regard to the Church of India contains guidelines for the election of Metropolitans. The letter demands that the acknowledgement of the Patriarch must be obtained after the people selected bishops based on the guidelines set by the Patriarch. This indicates some native bishops are being ordained by people of India with approval Letter of Patriarch placed on their head.

  In the second letter addressed to the Archdeacon of Malankara, the Patriarch mentions some violations of canon in the Church of India. The Patriarch also demands that bishops should abstain from entering wedlock and consuming meat. While writing about the journeys of East Syriac missionaries during his reign, Timothy I says (in Letter 13) that a number of monks go across the sea to India with nothing but a staff and a beggar's bag.

             18) Mar Sabor (also known as Mar Abo) and 

             19) Mar Proth (also known as Mar Aphroth) (AD 822 - ?)

Mar Sabor and Mar Proth (twin bishops) arrived at the Port of Kollam with some migrants including a monk Maruvan Sabor Iso. They developed the City of Kollam, commencing the Malayalam Era / Kollavarsham by King Kulashekhara. Mar Sabor and Mar Proth became bishops of Kollam and Kodungalloor. They built many churches through out Malabar. Maruvan Sabor Iso built the Nilakkal Ashram near SabariMala. He died and was buried there.

                     20) Mar Yohannan (AD 880 - ?)

     According to the Portuguese writer Diogo do Couto, the Malabar church sent a delegation to Mesopotamia to ask for new bishops to be sent out to them after the death of Mar Sabor and Mar Proth. The Patriarch  Enosh consecrated a metropolitan named Yohannan for India, and two suffragan bishops, one of whom, 'Mar Dua', was appointed to the island of Soqotra, and the other, Thomas, to 'Masin', traditionally identified with southern China. Yohannan fixed his metropolitan seat at Kodungalloor.

                     21) Mar Yohannan (AD 988 – AD1000)

Severe persecution caused a 100-year gap in arrival of Bishops from Selucia. As a result of the continued request of the Malabar Nazranis, the Patriarch Mari bar Toba sent a bishop named Mar Yohannan in 988.

                    22) Mar Yohannan (A.D 1000 - ?)

                    23) Mar Thoma (AD 1056 - ?)

                    24) Mar Yohannan (John III) (AD 1115 – 1129)

Bishop John III went to Constantinople, and thence to Rome, telling of miracles associated with St. Thomas that occurred in the land of India.

                    25) Mar Yohannan (AD 1129 - ?)

In response to the request of the Church of India, the Patriarch Eliya II sent bishop Mar Yohannan to Malabar.

        AD1170 (Malayalam Era / Kollavarsham 345) – Armenian Merchant Thomma and family settled in Kodungalloor and intermarried with natives. The pure descendants formed a Northist (settled on the northern bank of Kodungalloor) and merged with St Thomas Christians. The descendants from native lay formed the Southist group which even exist today.

                    26) Mar Yohannan (AD 1222 - 1231)

                    27) Mar Joseph (AD 1231 – 1265)

                    28) Mar David (AD 1285 - 1300)

                    29) Mar Yakob (AD 1300 - 1330)

 The dating formula in the colophon to a manuscript copied in June 1301 in the church of Mar Quriaqos in Cranganoor mentions about the patriarch Yahballaha III and the metropolitan Yaʿqob of India (described as ‘vicar and governor of the seat of the apostle Thomas)

                    30) Mar Yahballaha (AD 1407 - ?)

                    31) Mar Thoma  (AD 1490 – 1492)

                    32) Mar Yohannan (AD 1492 – 1503)

         In 1490 a three-man delegation from Malabar meet the East-Syrian Patriarch Mar Simeon IV (Simon) in Gazarta d'Bet Zabdai (now Cizre in Turkey) requesting for Bishops. One of the delegates is the famous "Joseph the Indian" who is ordained priest by the Patriarch along with the other surviving delegate, George. The Patriarch lets the delegation choose suitable monks from the monastery of Mar Augen (St. Eugene). The delegates choose 2 monks, both named Joseph. The Patriarch ordains the chosen monks as Bishops Mar Thoma (Thomas) and Mar Yohannan (John) and sends them to Malabar with the delegates. Mar Thoma along with Joseph the Indian, returns to Babylon with gifts from Malabar. Mar Yohannan stays on. He died in 1517 and is buried in the Udayamperoor church.

                    33) Mar Yakob (AD 1503 – 1553)

   Patriarch Eliya V, who ascended the throne in 1502, sent three bishops, namely Mar Yabalaha, Mar Denaha and Mar Yakob to Malankara. These bishops sent a report to the patriarch from India in 1504, describing the condition of the Church in India and reporting the recent arrival of the Portuguese. Eliya had already died by the time this letter arrived in Mesopotamia, and it was received by his successor, Shemʿon VI (1504–38).

               Mar Yakob (AD 1503 – 1553) was the last Bishop of India who had the direct Apostolic succession of St Thomas ie the ‘laying on of hands’ (മാർ തോമ്മായുടെ കൈവെയ്പ്പു) . From Mar Joseph Sulaqa to the current Major Arch Bishop all the heads of Syro Malabar Church have Latin Hierarchies ‘laying on of hands’.

Era of Chaldean Catholic Bishops

     After the Schism of 1552 in the Church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic (Sulaqa) faction bishops began to reach Malabar.

                    34) Mar Joseph Sulaqa (AD1555 – 1567)

                    35) Mar Abraham of Angamaly (31 January 1565AD to 1597)

Era of Portuguese Colonization  - St Thomas Christians under Latin (Jesuit) controlled East Syriac Archdiocese of Angamaly-Cranganore (Padroado)

     After the death of Mar Abraham of Angamali, through the misguided Synod of Udamperoor, Goan Archbishop Aleixo de Menezes colonized the St Thomas Christain Church of India. He appointed Latin Jesuits Bishops for Christians of India.

                    36) Dom Francis Ros, S.J (1559–1624)  - the first Latin Archbishop of East Syriac Archdiocese of Angamaly-Kodungalloor, the See of Saint Thomas Christians.

                    37) Etienne de Brito, S.J. (18 Feb 1624 - 2 Dec 1641 Died)

                    38) Francisco Garcia Mendes, S.J. (2 Dec 1641 - 3 January 1653)

Era of Coonan Cross Oath (3 January 1653)

The united St Thomas Christians revolted against Portugal Jesuits (Paulist’s), Under the leadership of Anjilimoottil Ittithomman Kathanar of Kallissery. The Saint Thomas Christians publicly took an oath that they would not obey the Jesuit Archbishop Garcia or any other prelate from the "Paulist’s" (Jesuit Priests from St Paul Seminary Goa). The oath was not against the Pope or the Catholic Church but against the "Paulist’s".

        To control the situation, Pope Alexander VII sent Italian Fr Friar Joseph of St Maria Sebastiani at the head of a Carmelite delegation who succeeded in winning over a large section of St. Thomas Christians. Thus the St Thomas Christians got divided into two factions. The Catholic faction under Mar Parambil Chandy agreed to work with Carmelites because their Oath was against Jesuits. The Puthenkoor faction appointed Archdeacon as Mar Thomma 1 and became Jacobite in the future history.

Era of Roman Catholic Vicariate of Malabar (Propaganda Fide)

                    39) Joseph Maria de Sebastiani (AD1656 – 1663)

                    40) Parambil Mar Chandy (Alexander de Campo) -  (31 January 1663 AD – 1687) – The first native Bishop of modern Era

                    41) Custodio do Pinho (1694–1697)

Era of Vicariate of Verapoly / Varapuzha (1709) (Propaganda Fide)

                   42) Bishop Angelo Francis (AD1700 – 1712)

                   43) Bishop John Baptist Multedo of St. Teresa, (AD1714–1750)

                   44) Bishop Florence of Jesus of Nazareth, (AD1750–1773)

                   45) Bishop Francis de Sales a Matre Dolorosa, (AD1774–1787)

Parallel Chaldean Catholic Bishops in Malabar

               a) Mar Shemʿon of Ada (AD 1701–1720)

         The Chaldean metropolitan Shemʿon of ʿAda, who had been consecrated by the Amid patriarch Joseph I for the Catholics of the Urmia plain, travelled from Rome to India in 1700, with the approval of the Vatican authorities, to minister to the Chaldeans of Malabar. On 22 May 1701 he consecrated the superior of the Chaldean seminary of Verapoly, the Carmelite Ange-François de Sainte-Thérèse, apostolic vicar of the Chaldeans of Malabar.

               b) Gabriel of Ardishai, (AD1704–1731)

       The metropolitan Gabriel of the Urmia diocese of Ardishai was sent to India in 1704 by the Assyrian patriarch Eliya XI Marogin (1700–22). Doubtless appreciating the difficulties, he was likely to encounter accused as a Nestorian, Gabriel made a Catholic profession of faith in the presence of the Chaldean patriarch Joseph I at Amid before he set off on his journey. Gabriel proceeded to offer a lively opposition to the Jacobite metropolitan Thomas IV. Forty-two churches came over to him, leaving the Jacobite’s with only twenty-five. The Jacobite’s only fully recovered their hold on the Malabar church after Gabriel's death in 1731. He died in Kerala in 1731 and was buried in Cheriapally in Kottayam which is under the control of the Indian Orthodox Syrian Church

Era of Kariatti Mar Ouseph’s struggle for independence

          Mar Kariatti Ouseph Methrapolitha along with Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar did a historic voyage travelling through four continents for independence and unification of St Thomas Christians. He died under mysterious circumstances while staying in Goa while returning as Methrapolitha of St Thomas Christians.

                    46) Mar Kariatti Ouseph (1783 - 10 September 1786) Archbishop of Cranganore (Kodungalloor)

Era of Roman Catholic Vicariate of Varapuzha (Propaganda Fide) again

                    47) Bishop Raymond of St. Joseph, (AD1803–1816)

                    48) Bishop Miles Prendergast, (AD1819 – 1831)

                    49) Bishop Francis Xavier Pescetto of St. Anne, (AD1831–1844)

                    50) Bernardino Baccinelli of St. Teresa, (AD1847 – 1868)

                    51) Leonardo Mellano of St. Louis, (AD1868 -1887)

Era of Vicariates for East Syrian Catholics of Malabar

Pope Leo XIII by his Bull ‘Quod Jam Pridem’ dated May 20, 1887 established two Apostolic Vicariates - Kottayam and Thrissur - exclusively for the East Syriac Rite Catholics of Malabar. The Syriac Rite Catholics were exempted from the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Varapuzha. On July 28, 1896 Pope Leo XIII established a new Vicariate, Ernakulam-Angamali, with territories carved out from the two existing Vicariates and The Vicariate of Kottayam was renamed Changancherry.

       Firstly, let see the three vicariates / diocese / archdiocese - bishop successions.

Vicariate / Diocese / Archdiocese of Thrissur

          a) Mar Adolph Medlycott (13 September 1887 – 1896) Bishop of Vicariate of Thrissur

          b) Mar John Menacherry (25 October 1896 – 19 December 1919) Bishop of Vicariate of Thrissur

          c) Mar Francis Vazhappaly (6 July 1921 – 12 May 1942) – Bishop of Diocese of Thrissur

          d) Mar George Alapatt (1 May 1944 – 4 June 1970) - Bishop of Diocese of Thrissur

          e) Mar Joseph Kundukulam (16 August 1970 – 1995) – Archbishop of Thrissur (1995)

Vicariate / Diocese / Archdiocese of Changancherry

              a) Mar Charles Lavigne, S.J (November 13, 1887 – 1896) - Vicariate of Kottayam

              b) Mar Mathew Makil (AD 1896 – 1911) Vicariate of Changancherry 

              c) Mar Thomas Kurialacherry (AD 1911-1925) Diocese of Changancherry

              d) Mar James Kalachery (AD1927-1949) - Diocese of Changancherry

          e) Archbishop Mar Mathew Kavukattu (AD1950-1969) - Archdiocese of Changancherry (1956)

              f) Archbishop Mar Antony Padiyara – (AD1970-1985) Archdiocese of Changancherry

              g) Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil   - (AD1985 -  2008) Archdiocese of Changancherry

Vicariate / Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamali

              a) Mar Aloysius Pazheparambil  (5 November 1896 - 9 December 1919) Vicariate of Ernakulam

              b) Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil  (18 December 1919 - 10 January 1956), Archdiocese of Ernakulam (1923)

              c) Archbishop Mar Joseph Parecattil (9 January 1957 - 1 April 1984), Archdiocese of Ernakulam

              d) Archbishop Mar Antony Cardinal Padiyara (3 July 1985 - 16 December 1992)

Apostolic Succession of Syro Malabar Church from AD1887 to 1992

      From 1887 to 1992, its difficult to point out one bishop as the Apostolic Successor as the Indian Syriac Church was divided into three independent vicariates. But by considering seniority or grade of position the Apostolic Succession can be made.

         52) Mar Adolph Medlycott (13 September 1887 – 1896)

         53) Mar John Menacherry (25 October 1896 – 19 December 1919)

         54) Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil  (18 December 1919 - 10 January 1956)

         55) Archbishop Mar Joseph Parecattil (9 January 1957 - 1 April 1984)

         56) Archbishop Mar Antony Padiyara (3 July 1985 - 16 December 1992)

Era of establishment of Major Archiepiscopal see of Ernakulam-Angamaly and Office of Major Arch Bishop for Syro Malabar Church

      On December 16, 1992, Pope John Paul II, by the Apostolic Constitution Quae maiori (Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 85[1993], pp. 398-399), raised the Syro-Malabar Church to the status of Major Archiepiscopal sui iuris (Autonomous) Church with the Major Archiepiscopal see of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Mar Antony Paidyara, the then Metropolitan of Ernakulam was appointed its First Major Archbishop.

                    Major Arch Bishop Mar Antony Padiyara (16 December 1992 - 18th December 1996)

         57) Major Arch Bishop Mar Varkey Vithayathil (23 December 1999 - 1st April 2011)

         58) Major Arch Bishop Mar George Alencherry (29th May 2011 – current)

          Syro Malabar Church is the rightful heir of the Apostolic tradition of St Thomas as it is the only Church which, without any break still follows the East Syriac Rite and traditions in India. But unfortunately from AD 1553 the Apostolic ‘laying on of hands’ of Mar Thomma / St Thomas (മാർ തോമ്മായുടെ കൈവെയ്പ്പു) is missing in the Church. All the Bishops of the church from that period is having the ‘laying on of hands’ from Latin tradition which is the Apostolic ‘laying on of hands’ of Mar Simon Keppa / St Peter (മാർ കേപ്പായുടെ കൈവെയ്പ്പു). The other St Thomas Churches with Jacobite background is also having ‘laying on of hands’ of Mar Simon Keppa / St Peter.

          The Only Apostolic Church in the world currently having the Apostolic ‘laying on of hands’ of Mar Thomma / St Thomas (മാർ തോമ്മായുടെ കൈവെയ്പ്പു) is Chaldean Catholic Church. Hopes our Bishops will take Apostolic ‘laying on of hands’ of Mar Thomma / St Thomas from them in the future and also restore the some lost East Syriac Traditions as it was from the beginning.

            Thanking our Lord Eesho Messiah for helping me to do this mammoth effort easily. Any suggestions or corrections or criticisms are welcome into my e-mail – nibin4uall@gmail.com

Chacko Mappila / Chacko Chan