Mar Thoma VII
| Mar Thoma VII | |
|---|---|
| Malankara Syrian Church | |
| Installed | 1808 |
| Term ended | 4 July 1809 |
| Predecessor | Mar Thoma VI |
| Successor | Mar Thoma VIII |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 1796 |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Mathen |
| Died | 4 July 1809 Kandanad |
| Buried | Kolenchery Church (St. Peter's & St. Paul's Syrian Church) |
| Nationality | Indian |
Mar Thoma VII was a bishop of the Malankara church from 1796 and Malankara Metropolitan from April 1808 to July 1809. He was born in Pakalomattom family, one of the oldest families in Kerala. He was well known as an efficient administrator, deeply religious but was a quiet and reserved person. During his time, a difficult period in the history of Travancore State, the church was able to help Travancore government by depositing an amount as fixed deposit, which came to be known as Vattipanam.
On the South Western coast of India lies a small state known as Kerala It was here in the first century, Thomas the Apostle arrived to preach the gospel to the Jewish community. Some of the Jews and locals became followers of Jesus of Nazareth. They were known as Malabar Nasrani people and their church as Malankara Church. They followed a unique Hebrew-Syriac Christian tradition which included several Jewish elements and Indian customs.
In Malankara (Kerala) St. Thomas did not appoint any bishops, but an elder (Mooppen in Malayalam) was selected to lead the people. The parish leader was called Edavaka Mooppen and the church as a whole had a Malankara Mooppen. This was the tradition till 1653.
The Malayalam versions of the Canons of the Synod of Diamper use these titles throughout the report except in three places where they use the Latin word archidiaconus. There is no chance for the Malankara Church to use this Latin word. Portuguese were not familiar with the Malayalam wording Malankara Mooppen and so they might have used archidiaconus. The Malayalam name Jathikku Karthavian, given by some historians was not used in the Malayalam version of the canons.
Mathen was born in Pakalomattom family, one of the oldest families in Kerala. He became a deacon and a priest at a very early age. He was known as Mathen Kathanaar.
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