Bishop Thomas of Cana, Nasrani History, Southist- Northist, Thekkumbhagar

Dear Jacob Kuruvilla, You have commented that Nestorianism originated …

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Comment posted Arrival of Thomas of Cana ( Bishop Thomas of Cana ?), History and references about Southist Community (Thekkumbhagar – Knanaya ) by M Thomas Antony.

Dear Jacob Kuruvilla,

You have commented that Nestorianism originated after the Council of Ephesus in AD 430. It was in the Council of Ephesus that Nestorianism was condemned. Nestorius and his arguments were accepted by even the Church of Antioch until AD 431. In the Council, the Patriarch of Antioch and Rabulla, the Bishop of Edessa joined the Patriarch of Alexandria and Roma and anathematised Nestorius (who was the Patriarch of Constantinople) and his teachings. Actually, the Church of the East did not attend this council due to political reasons but the disciples of Nestorius relocated to Persia and the Persian church accepted those teachings.- Persian empire was in war with the Roman Empire and considered the Christendom of Roman Empire- Rome, Antioch, Alexandria and Constantinople- as enemies.

Almost all the authors now agree that the Church of Saint Thomas was connected to the Church of Babylon prior to the Portuguese. The available history is very clear from AD 1498 when the delegation of Saint Thomas Christians going to Babylon to see the Patriarch of the Church of the East for bringing Bishops to Malabar. They did not go to Antioch. Since then, we have clear evidence of continuous arrival of Bishops from the Church of the East and Chaldean Church.

We all know that whoever argues about connection to the Patriarch of Antioch agrees that the connection was through Persia. It is true that the Church of Persia and East Syrian church were under the Patriarchate of Antioch in the beginning. But, they on their own was a particular church, not part of the Church of Antioch.. But later, due to political reasons or theological reasons, Church of the East became independent in AD 410.

Even when the Church of the East was under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Antioch, they had a unique liturgy that developed by Mar Addai and Mar Mari, the disciples of Saint Thomas who founded the Churches in Edessa and Babylon. Anaphora of Addai and Mari is the oldest Christian liturgy in use anywhere in the world.( William Darlymple, From the Holy Mountain: A Journey Among the Christians of the Middle East (New York : Henry Holt & Co., 1997), 141.)We know that so far we haven’t found a single evidence for any other liturgies other than East Syrian from Kerala prior to Portuguese. Have we got any names of the Bishops who arrived from West Syriac rite prior to Portuguese?

Independence of the Church of the East.

Synod of Isaac in AD 410 declared the Bishop of Seleucia Ctesiphon as Catholicos and Chief of all Christians of the orient. This was a national organisation of the church depending on their rite.

AD 424 Synod of Dadeeso declared autonomy and decided Western fathers should not be consulted for contraversies. This in effect made the Catholicos as a Patriarch. This decision was taken in the background of political conflict between western Roman empire and the Persian empire at the time. Hence, they did not participate any more Councils in the Roman Empire, including Council of Ephesus in AD 431 and Chalcidon in AD 451.

AD 428- Nestorian Controversy. Antiochian church was also supportive of Nestorius.

AD 431 Council of Ephesus- Antioch also anathematised Nestorius. Rabulla, the Bishop of Edessa, also supported the Council of Ephesus. But the pupils of the School of Edessa, the fathers of Persian church kept the Nestorian principles and the Sassanian Empire also supported them on political grounds against the Christendom of the Western Roman Empire.

AD 451 Council of Chalcedon- The Patriarcate of Antioch splits on Monophysitism. The monophysites became the Syriac Orthodox and the rest of the section of Patriarchate of Antioch joined with Alexandria, Rome and Jerusalem – the Chalcedonian churches. This section of Patriarchate of Antioch became the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch.

This Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate sent missionaries to Persia- Jacob Bardeus organises those minority in Persia who were not in favour of Nestorianism. AD 628-629 Bishop Marutha was consecrated by the Syrian Patriarch Athanasius Gamolo for these Christians with Tagrith as his seat. They became a church in communion with the Syrian Patriarch of Antioch with West Syriac rite. This seems a conversion of some East Syriac rite Christians to West Syriac rite. It is not a split in the East Syriac rite. Thus, the Syriac Orthodox became the ‘Puthencoor’ in Babylon also.

Jacobite Church and Patriarcate of Antioch.

From AD 628-629 period Jacobite Church came into existence. So, the Antiochian Church at the time of the so called Thomas of Cana is entirely different from the present day Jacobite- Antiochian Church which is only one of the five Patriarcal churches claim the succession of the old Patriarchate of Antioch. After the Council of Chalcedon, the Chalcedonian and non Chalcidonian parties of the Church of Antioch had a long struggle for the Patriarcate. In AD 512, the non Chacedonians( Jacobites) convened a Synod on their own in Sidon and replaced the Patriarch Flavian II who was a Chalcedonian with Severus, a non Chalcedonian. Both continued as Patriarchs and eventually, the non chalcedonians under Severus established a rival church and became the Syrian Orthodox Church- Oriental orthodoxy. They had to move from Antioch to many places and now, their head quarters is in Damascus.

I am very curious to know the arguments E M Philip and Mar Ivanios put forward to prove that the Pre Portuguese Church of Saint Thomas was connected to the Patriarch of Antioch ? Obviously, many do not have access to these books and articles and as you have read them, why don’t you share with us. It will be a good learning opportunity to all in here.

‘Jacobian taksa brought by Thomas kana is kept in Kottayam Valiyapalli’ !!! Are you serious ??

‘There existed a church with supremacy of Patriarch of Antioch existed before the Roman Catholics which started after the Portugese arrived’.
As per the available documentation, the Church of Saint Thomas’ Christians remembered the name of Mar Simon, the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch in the Qurbana not the Patriarch of Antioch. Before the Chaldean schism, it is possible that we remembered the East Syriac Patriarch. Are there any evidence to show that we ever named the Patriarch of Antioch to remember in the Holy Liturgy?