Mar Abraham Methran

Mar Abraham
Metropolitan and the Gate of All India
Diocese	Angamaly
Installed	31 January 1565
Term ended	1597
Orders
Ordination	1565 by Pope Pius IV
Personal details
Died	1597 Angamaly
Buried	Mar Hormiz Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Angamaly

Abraham of Angamaly (Syriac: ܐܒܪܗܡ ܡܛܪܢ‎, died c. 1597) Mar Abraham was a Nestorian Bishop sent by Shemon VII Ishoyahb the East Syrian Patriarch who was the last in the long line of Mesopotamin Bishops who governed the Church of Saint Thomas Christians. In spite of the express approbation of the Pope, he was not welcomed by the Portuguese ecclesiastical authorities.

The last two East Syrian bishops of Malabar were Joseph Sulaqa and Mar Abraham; both arrived in Malabar after the arrival of the Portuguese.

There is no doubt that Joseph Sulaqa's appointment was canonical, for he, the brother of the first Chaldean patriarch Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa, was appointed by his successor Abdisho IV Maron and sent out to Malabar. Mar Joseph was sent to India with letters of introduction from the pope to the Portuguese authorities; he was besides accompanied by Bishop Ambrose, a Dominican and papal commissary to the first patriarch, by his socius Father Anthony, and by Mar Elias Hormaz, Archbishop of Diarbekir. They arrived at Goa about 1563, and were detained at Goa for eighteen months before being allowed to enter the diocese. Proceeding to Cochin they lost Bishop Ambrose; the others travelled through Malabar for two and a half years on foot, visiting every church and detached settlement.

By 1567,Latin authorities asked him to make enquiries into the conduct and doctrine of the prelate suspected for propagating "Nestorian error"; in consequence of this the first provincial council was held and Joseph Sulaqa was sent to Portugal in 1568, thence to Rome, where he died shortly after his arrival.

While Joseph Sulaqa was leaving India there arrived from Mesopotemia another bishop named Mar Abraham, sent by Shemon VII Ishoyahb the East Syrian Patriarch.He succeeded in entering Malabar undetected at the appearance of another Chaldean who proclaimed himself a bishop. The people were greatly delighted and received him with applause; he set about at once acting as bishop, holding episcopal functions, and conferring holy orders and quietly established himself in the diocese. Later the Portuguese captured him and sent him to Portugal, but during the journey he escaped at Mozambique, found his way back to Mesopotamia, and went straight to Mar Abdisho IV Maron the Chaldean Patriarch, having realized from his Indian experience that unless he secured a nomination from him it would be difficult to establish himself in Malabar. He succeeded admirably in his devices, obtained nomination, consecration, and a letter to the pope from the patriarch. With this he proceeded to Rome, and while there at an audience with the pope he disclosed his position. The pope ordered the Bishop of San Severino to give him orders from tonsure to the priesthood, and a Brief was sent to the Patriarch of Venice to consecrate Abraham the bishop. The facts were attested, both as to the lesser orders and the episcopal consecration, by the original letters which were found in the archives of the Church of Angamaly where he resided and where he had died.

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