CONTETNS

1. The Church of St.Thomas
2. The Synod of Udayamperoor and the Coonan Cross Oath.
3. Reformation Movement and the Mulanthuruthy Synod
4. Split of the Church and the Re-unity of 1958

5.     Differences Again, Hopes of Unity

Differences

The unity established in 1958 did not last long. Soon there was differences of opinion about the Apostolic See of St. Thomas. Catholicose Mor Baselious Augen I started describing himself to be on the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas. A section with in the Malankara Church also argued that that Catholicose and the Patriarch were of equal stature in the Church hierarchy. The Catholicose issued a bull , asking the parishes not to allow the Patriarchal delegate in India Mor Yulios Elias Qoro  to enter the churches in Malankara. All these sowed the seeds of mistrust. At the request of a section of the Malankara Church, H.H Patriarch Ignatius Yacoub III, consecrated Kadavil Paulose Mar Athanasius as the Bishop for the Evangelical Association of the East, which is directly under Patriarchal control.

In 1974, schism surfaced again in the Malankara church. Delegates from the Kandanad, Cochin, and Angamaly dioceses met at the Karingachira Church  and selected Rev. P. M. Gheevarghese and Rev. C. M.Thomas as candidates for episcopacy. On 1974 February 24^th H.H Patriarch Ignatius Yacoub III, consecrated them as Mor Gregorius Gheevarghese and H.G. Mor Dionysius Thomas. The distrust and the tensions in the Malankara Church increased. The Catholicose Augen was deposed.

Paulose Mor Philoxenus, the Metropolitan of Kandanad was chosen to be the Catholicose at the church delegates meeting held at Thuruthusseri Simhashana Church. On September 7, 1975, Patriarch Yakub III consecrated Mor Philoxenus as Catholicose of the East and he assumed the name Mar Baselios Paulose II.. In the same year the 'Methran Kakshi' consecrated Mar Beselios Marthoma Mathews I as their Catholicose in the place of Mar Beselios Augen. For the first time, Malankara Church had two Catholicose for each of the 'Kakshi's'.

On September 14, 1980, His Beatitude Baselious Paulose II made history consecrating Mor Severious Zakka, Archbishop of Baghdad, as the Patriarch of Antioch; this was the first time in the long history of the Patriarchate of Antioch that a Catholicose from Malankara officiated at the consecration of a Patriarch. His Beatitude also ordained six bishops for the Malankara church.

In 1991 Mor Baselious Marthoma Mathews I abdicated and Mor Baselious Marthoma Mathews II replaced him as the Catholicose of the 'Methran Kakshi'.

In June 1996 the Supreme Court of India rendered a historic decision that: (a)There is only one Malankara Church in India, and it is a part of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church (b)Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch is the spiritual head of the Universal Syrian Church (c)The court also upheld the Constitution of the church that had been adopted in 1934 and made it binding on both factions. These decisions raised lot of hopes in the minds of the Malankara Christians. Many thought that it will lead to a long lasting peace in the church. However peace never materialised.

His Beatitude Baselios Paulose II, Catholicose passed away in 1996. As metropolitan and later as Catholicose, Mor Baselious Paulose II desired for a lasting peace in the Malankara church. He was admired and revered by members of both factions in the church, as also multitudes of others in all walks of life. The remains of Catholicose Mor Baselious Paulose II are interred in a tomb in Malekurishu Deiro.

Following the death of Catholicose Paulose II , His Grace Mor Gregorius Geewargis (Perumpilly Thirumeni) presided over the Synod of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church until he was called to eternal rest on February 22, 1999. After the passing away of late Mor Gregorius Gheevarghese, Mor Dionysius Thomas assumed the Presidency of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church Synod (Patriarch Faction) in February 1999. On December 27, 2000 H.G Thomas Mor Dionysius was elected as the Catholicose designate of the 'Bava Kakshi' (Patriarch Faction)

Now the Malankara Church established by St. Thomas in AD 52, is vertically split. This disunity is hindering the progress of the church and its ability to spread the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of his most pure and virgin mother Mary and our Spiritual father and founder of our church Apostle Thomas (Mar Thoma), so that peace and unity will return to the Church.

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