That the Church in India was founded by St. Thomas the Apostle is attested by Middle ? Eastern writings since the second century ( The Doctrine of the Apostles and Acta Thomae both of which were written oat or near Edessa ca 200 ? 250 AD; St. Jerome in the third century; St. Ephraim, St. John Chrysosthom and St. Gregorios Nazianzen in the fourth century; and historians Eusebius ca 338 and Theodore of fifth century.
The Orthodox Church of India ( also known as Malankara Orthodox Church ) is on of the 37 Apostolic Churches, dating from the time of the Disciples of Christ. Nine of them were in Europe and twenty-eight were in Asia and Africa. Today, the Church belongs tot the family of the five Oriental Orthodox Churches; which include Egypt, Ethiopia, Armenia, and Antioch.
Until the sixteenth century, there was only one Church in India, concentrated mainly in the southwest. The seven original churches were located at Malayankara ( Malayattur ), Palayur ( near Chavakadu ), Koovakayal ( Near North Paravur ), Kokkamangalam ( South Pallipuram ) Kollam, Niranam and Nilackel ( Chayal ).
LINK WITH PERSIAN CHURCH:
The early Church in India remained on at peace, treasuring the same ethnic and cultural characteristics as the rest of the local community. Its members enjoyed the goodwill of the other religious communities as well as the political support of the Hindu rulers. The Christians of India were known as St. Thomas Christians welcomed missionaries and migrants from other churches, some of whom sought to escape persecution in their own countries in the fifth century.
A Synod of the Persian Church ( 410 AD ) affirmed the faith of the ecumenical synod of Nicea and acknowledged the Metropolitan of Selucia ? Ctesiphon as the Catholicos of the East. Not long after, the Christ logical controversies of Chalcedon, fuelled by the strains between the Persian and Byzantine empires swayed the Persian Church to declare itself ?Nestorian? and its head to assume the title of the Patriarch of the East ( Babylon ). From their base in the then flourishing theological school of Nsisibis, Nestorian missionaries began to move to India, central Asia, China and Ethiopia to teach their doctrines.
By the seventh century, specific references of the Indian Church began to appear in Persian records. The Metropolitans of India and China are mentioned in the consecration records of the Patriarch of the East. All throughout this time, it had been an ascertained fact that the Indian Church was autonomous under its own Metropolitan. All temporal powers were vested in the Archdeacon and he was the undisputed leader and the Head of the Malankara Christians. Most of the Archdeacons were from the Paklomattom family who ruled the Church from AD 345 to 1308.
PORTUGUESE AND ROMAN CATHOLIC ( 1599 ? 1653 )
When the Portuguese became a colonial power in India, the Roman Catholic missionaries started to arrive in India with them. The Portuguese tried to introduce the Roman Catholics faith on Thomas Christians / Malankara Christians. A Synod ( AD 1599 ) at Diampher ( Udayamperoor ) was conducted under the leadership of Alexisis Menezes, who read the agenda and without any further discussion stated that all points were accepted by the Synod. This was an attempt to diminish the power of Malankara Metropolitan / Archdeacon but the majority of people revolted.
Those who have revolted took a collective oath ( Koonen Kurishu Sathyam ) on 16th January, 1653, at Mattanchery, resolving to preserve the faith and autonomy of their Church by electing their Metropolitan. Accordingly, Archdeacon Thomas was raised to the title of Mar Thoma ? I, in the long line up to Mar Thomas IX till 1816. At the request of the Malankara Christians, the Jacobite Bishop of Jerusalem, Mar Gregorios, came to India in 1664, confirmed Episcopal consecration of Mar Thoma ? 1, as the head of the Orthodox Church in India. Those who supported the Roman Catholic Church and its faith, are presently known as Syro ? Malabar Christians under the Roman Pope.
THE BRITISH ERA :
When the Britishers became a colonial power in India, the Anglican domination of the Theological Seminary at Kottayam, besides attracting members of the Church into Anglican congregations since 1836. The reformist group with newfangled Anglican ideas broke away under the leadership of Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan and his nephew Dn. Mathews, later consecrated as Mathews Athanasios, a bishop of the Church, to form Mar Thoma Church in 1889. This crisis situation was contained with the help of Patriarch Peter ? III of Antioch who visited Indian ( 1875 ? 1877 ). The outcome was two fold : a reaffirmation of the distinctive identity and faith of the Orthodox Church under its own Metropolitans and, at some dissonance with this renewal an enlarged influence of Patriarch of Antioch of the Indian Church.
INSTALLATIONS OF THE CATHOLICATE :
From the inception of Church in India, it was having its own Bishops who were having all spiritual powers and Archdeacons who were having all temporal powers, who were controlling the Church. In the sixteenth century Archdeacon was consecrated as Marthoma Merton, and in the nineteenth century changed to the title of Malankara metropolitan with the support of British rulers.
In July 1909, Dionysius V died and Vattasseril Mar Dionysius ( Dionysius ? VI ) became Malankara Metropolitan. The Association managing Committee met under the chairmanship of Dionysius VI and elected Murimattathil Paulose Mar Ivanious of Kandanad Diocese and requested the Patriarch Mar Abdul messiah to consecrate him as the ?Catholicose of the East?. Accordingly, on 15th September, 1912, Paulose Mar Ivanios was consecrated as the first Catholicos of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church with the title of MAR BASELIOS PAULOSE ? I at the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas.
The Malankara Syrian Christian Association convened a meeting on 26th December, 1934 and adopted the ?Constitution of the Church? which is considered a milestone in the history of the Church. The Association in its meeting has requested the Catholicos Mar Geevarghese ? II to assume the additional role of Malankara Metropolitan also, due to the demise of previous Malankara Metropolitan Mar Dionysius ? VI. The practice of the Catholicose and Malankara Metropolitan being vested in one person is being continued even today.
At present the Church is having a population of over 2.5 million and have 21 diocese all over the world. The Church has already stamped its mark in various fields of humanitarian missions like education, up-liftment of the poor, orphanages, old age homes, leprosy rehabilitation center, guidance center, hospitals, etc. , to name a few.
The Church as always, strives to maintain love, peace, harmony and happiness throughout the world.
The Indian Orthodox Church is eastern in origin and Asian ? African in its moorings. It is neither Western, nor Reformed. It is not Roman Catholic or Protestant. The Eastern Churches use the term Orthodox for their identification. It is derived from the two Greek words ?Orthos ? meaning Straight, Correct, True, Doxa ? means Glory ?. It means a Church, a community, which worships or Glorifies God in the straight and correct traditions. It is a worshipping community and its main obligation is glorifying the Creator in the right spirit.
Ahmadi is the center point of Kuwait?s oil output. It is around 45 kms. away from Kuwait city. Our Church, St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Syrian Church is located at the middle of Ahmadi, a planned green beautiful city.
Our history begins with the Orthodox believers arriving in Kuwait in search of better employment in the middle of 1930s. As per the traditions of Orthodox believers the members had organized prayer groups and their Christian activities at India ? Pakistan School of K.O.C until 1956.
In the history of the Indian Churches in Kuwait, the first church was established in Ahmadi for the Orthodox believers. Due to various reasons our community could not get permission for allotment of land for construction of Church. We are conducting our Holy Services at St. Paul?s Church, Ahmadi since 6th October, 1956. We could also establish Sunday school classes to our youngsters since 10th May, 1959. The administrative body of St. Paul?s Church is known as Inter Congregation Committee, consisting of 17 congregations with the Anglican Priest as Chaplain and President. Our Church is a prominent member of the ICC from its inception. The present Secretary of ICC is Mr. P. C. Samuel, a member our parish.
Our Church was started as a prayer group in 1934 ? 1935 and it became a congregation on 26th May, 1950. The congregation was under the control of Diocesan Metropolitan for outside Kerala in its initial period. It was being controlled by the then Metrapolitans H. G. ( Late ) Alexios Mar Theodosius, H. H. ( Late ) Moran Mar Baselios Mathews ? I, H. G. Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios and subsequently came under the control of H. G. Dr. Stephonos Mar Theodosius, Metropolitan of Calcutta Diocese.
The first Holy Service was conducted by Rev. Fr. V. I. Abraham on 15th September, 1950. The first Episcopal visit from our church was made by H. G. ( Late ) Daniel Mar Philexinos during 23rd to 29th August, 1953 to this parish. During the period from 1950 to 1962 many Clergies / Bishops visited our Church and their visits and accommodations were arranged by K.O.C. We take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to the Management of Kuwait Oil Company.
H. H. ( Late ) Moran Mar Baselios Augean ? I, the then Malankara Metropolitan and Catholicose of the East and delegations visited our Church from 22nd to 28th February, 1965, on the return journey to India with the Relics of St. Thomas. We are proud to record that we are the first Indian Christian congregation who had the Holy Relics in our midst.
With the establishment of Indian Orthodox Church, Kuwait city, in 1962, appointment of residential priests at Kuwait City began. They were extending cooperation for conducting Holy Services and spiritual guidance to Ahmadi parish members from time to time.