Thoma I
Mar Thoma I, also known as Valiya Mar Thoma (Mar Thoma the Great) and Arkkadiyakkon Thoma (Archdeacon Thomas) in Malayalam and Thomas de Campo in Portuguese [3] was the first native-born, popularly-selected Metropolitan bishop of the 17th-century Malankara Church. He was the last Archdeacon of the undivided St. Thomas Christians of Malankara (Maliyankara).
Mar Thoma I
Malankara Metropolitan
22 May 1653[1]
1670
1637
regularized in 1665[1]
25 April 1670
Angamaly
Arkadeacon Givargis of the Cross
After the death of Archdeacon George of the Cross on 25 July 1640, Parambil Thoma Kathanar was elected and enthroned as new Archdeacon, when he was less than 30 years old. He led the Church to the Coonan Cross Oath on 3 January 1653 and to the subsequent schism in Nasrani Church. After the Oath, he was elected as a Bishop by the Malankara (Yogam) Association and consecrated as a Bishop at St. Mary's Church Alangad, by laying hands of 12 priests on 22 May 1653. However, some factions of the community, including two Southist churches of Kaduthuruthy and Udayamperoor refused to recognise him as Bishop.
The archdeacon began to exercise powers of episcopal order, though he openly tried to regularize his episcopal consecration as a Bishop with the Church of Antioch. His episcopal consecration as a Bishop was regularized in the year 1665 by Mar Gregorios Abdal Jaleel the Patriarchal delegate of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch.[1] (The exact date and place of this event is unknown). Palliveettil Mar Chandy, Kadavil Chandy Kathanar, Vengoor Geevargese Kathanar and Anjilimoottil Ittithomman Kathanar were the advisors of the bishop Mar Thoma.[4]
Early life[edit]
Kuravilangad is a town located in the Kottayam district of Kerala, South India. The town is situated in the Meenachil Taluk, about 22 km north of Kottayam. Pakalomattom family was one of the oldest families at Kuravilangad. Thomas who later became the first Mar Thoma, was born in this family.[5]
Rise of Dutch power[edit]
The Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in old-spelling Dutch, literally "United East Indian Company") was established in 1602. By 1652, VOC trading posts were established in Malabar Coast in India. On 7 January 1663, Cochin was attacked and the king of Cochin surrendered to the Dutch on 20 March 1663.
Regularization of consecration[edit]
By 1665, Cochin was under Dutch control. That year Gregorios Abdal Jaleel, a delegate of the Patriarch of Antioch came to Malankara as per the request of Mar Thoma and regularized his Metropolitan consecration.[1]
Death[edit]
He died on 25 April 1670 and was buried in St. Mary's Jacobite Soonoro Cathedral, Angamaly.[9]