Thomas Mar Athanasius Metropolitan
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Thomas Mar Athanasius Bishop of Reformed Syrian Church |
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| Reformed Syrian Church | |
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| Installed | July 16, 1877 |
| Term ended | August 10, 1893 |
| Predecessor | Mathews Mar Athanasius Metropolitan |
| Successor | Successors: Titus I Mar Thoma - (Marthoma Syrian Church) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 1, 1868 |
Palakkunathu Thomas Mar Athanasius, Metropolitan (7 October 1836 – 10 August 1893) the first son of Abraham Malpan was born into the Palakunnathu family of Maramon. He was the Malankara Metropolitan from 1877–93. The rift in Malankara church was strong during his time , the majority (official) Orthodox faction got the control of Malankara church following the Royal court verdict in 1889.He was evicted from the Pazhaya seminary (the seat of Malankara Metropolitan). The Reformist faction stood faithful with him later organised into an Independent Reformed Syrian Church and governed by their own bishop which later adopted the name Marthoma Syrian Church of Malabar.
Thomas Mar Athanasius, the first son of Abraham Malpan and Aleyamma was born into the Palakunnathu family of Maramon and was the brother of Titus I Mar Thoma Metropolitan . Mathews Mar Athanasius consecrated Thomas Mar Athanasius of Palakkunnathu Family, as his successor in 1869 in presence of Joseph Mar Koorilose (Alathoorey), Malabar Independent Syrian Church.
During the time of Mathews Mar Athanasius, there was a strong uprising in the church for renaissance and reformation inspired by Anglican missionaries and scriptural education; and a strong opposition against it led by Mar Dionysius V . Thomas Mar Athanasius, continued the footsteps of his predecessor's reformation policy. There were no proper Theological education for Clergy, Holy communion was conducted for money, the church buildings belonged to one or two respected families of the parish and they managed the affairs of church on behalf of others. There was no proper accounting or Auditing of church income or records.Church service was conducted in Syriac and majority of the parishioners could not understand any word of it. Palakkunathu Thomas Mar Athanasious initiated a large number of reforms at Church administration and at parish level like his predecessor. Malankara Church was never under any church. however the opposition party Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Divaniyos II in 1876,Brought Patriarch of Antioch to preside over the Synod held at Mulanthuruthi . For the First time a group of Malankara Church came under the direct control of Church of Antioch. The Patriarch divided Malankara Church into seven dioceses and consecrated bishops for each dioceses.Mar Dionysious V was given charge of Quilon dioceses. This helped Mar Dionysius to tighten his hold over the traditional Syrian Church in temporal as well as in spiritual affairs. Palakkunnathu Mathews Mar Athanasious Malankara Metropolitan , his Suffragan Thomas Mar Athanasius metropolitan and the churches sided with Malankara Metropolitan did not attend the Synod neither agreed to their deliberations. Following death of Palakkunathu Mathews Mar Athanasious , Palakkunathu Thomas Mar Athanasious became the leader of the reformist faction of the church continued with reformation activities in midst of hostility and eventually it led him into litigation.
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