Mor Thoma-IV was the 4th native bishop of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church, ordained after the historic 'Koonen Kurissu pledge' of the 17th century. He was consecrated Metropolitan by the Patriarchal representative Mor Ivanios Hidayatulla (who came to India along with St. Baselios Yeldho Maphriyono) in 1688. For more than four decades, Mor Thoma IV led the Malankara Church. He belonged to the famous Pakalomattom family which headed the Malankara Syrian Christian community for centuries. His immediate predecessor was Mor Thoma III, who also got ordained by Mor Ivanios the Patriarchal representative. Mor Thoma III passed away about an year after his Metropolitan consecration, on 19th April 1688, and was entombed at the Kadambanad Church in south Kerala. Mor Thoma IV is recorded in the history as a pious and able Metropolitan, but unfortunately a major part of the 40 years of his service had spend for defending the Syrians against a Nestorian bishop Mar Gabriel, who had been send to Malabar in 1708 by the Nestorian Patriarch to bring the Syrians into the Nestorian faith. Mar Gabriel was always a trouble shooter, even for the Nestorian church that send him; Immediately after his arrival in Malabar he entered into an agreement with the Roman Catholic Bishop at Changanacherry to join that Church. But shortly after, when his Nestorianism leaked out, information was received from Rome that he was a vowed Nestorian heretic. The wily bishop next approached Mor Thoma IV and after long discussions for weeks, signed the Profession of faith. But again his Nestorianism surfaced and consequently he was expelled by Mor Thoma IV himself, at Kandanad. Mar Gabriel later went to Kottayam and gained the co-operation of certain priests who were not in good terms with Mor Thoma. Thus he tried to promote disobedience in the Syrian Church. There is a story concerning him that, a Syrian Christian discontented with Mor Thoma, hearing of Mor Gabriel’s arrival at Cochin, paid a visit to him and on his return, referred to him in words which have since become a proverb, viz., that he was “neither a father nor an uncle, but fit for the present purpose” (of opposing Mor Thoma). Mor Thoma IV wrote to the Dutch Governor at Cochin, complaining against Mor Gabriel’s intrusion and soliciting the Commodore’s help to oust him from diocese. He opposed Mar Gabriel as long as he lived. In the hour of his distress, Mor Thoma sent piteous appeals for help to the supreme pontiff of the Church, the Patriarch of Antioch, which is mentioned in the Travancore State Manual. The full text of one of the two letters written by Mor Thoma IV and addressed to the Patriarch.
letter, dated 1720, (a copy of which may be seen in Asseman, IV, 466), the Patriarch is designated the Supreme head of the "Universal" Church of Christ by the appointment of three hundred and eighteen Fathers of Nicea; reference is made to the former Antoichean bishops, St. Gregorios Abdul 'Jaleel , St. Baselios Yeldho Maphriyono, and also Mor Ivanios, whose death, it is said, reduced the Malabar Church to state of a ship without a rudder; Mar Gabriel is alluded to as a Nestorian who taught that Christ had two natures and two persons, and who consequently was not recognized except by a single priest; and the Patriarch is requested to send bishops and priests well versed in philosophy and in the interpretation of Holy scriptures, as well as to write letters to the Dutch Commander at Cochin soliciting his help to the Bishop against his enemies and against infidel kings. Unfortunately this letter did not reach its destination, but somehow escaped to Europe and was published there. Asseman, who saw it, or perhaps a copy of it, concludes from its terms that the writer was a Jacobite who depended upon the See of Antioch. How strong was the relationship between the Holy See of Antioch and the Malankara Syrian Church is proved beyond doubt by these evidences. In 1728 Mor Thoma IV became seriously ill when he was at Mulanthuruthy. This was at a time when Mar Gabriel who was trying to carve out a position for himself in the Syrian Church was still active in Malankara. Therefore the local leaders of the church brought the seriously ill Mor Thoma IV to Kandanad and laid his hands on Fr. Thoma the nephew of Mor Thoma IV, thus consecrating his successor with the title 'Mor Thoma V'. This said consecration became a matter of great controversy in the Malankara Syrian Church because of the allegation that it was done by Mor Thoma IV who was actually unconscious at that time. History says that even Mor Thoma V was not himself satisfied with the manner in which he was consecrated and hence applied to the Patriarch for delegates to confirm his status. Mor Thoma IV breathed his last, two hours after this said consecration of his successor on 24th March, 1728 (M.E.- Meenam 13, 903). The mortal remains of the holy father were interred at the Marth Mariam Jacobite Syrian Church at Kandanad the next day.
letter, dated 1720, (a copy of which may be seen in Asseman, IV, 466), the Patriarch is designated the Supreme head of the "Universal" Church of Christ by the appointment of three hundred and eighteen Fathers of Nicea; reference is made to the former Antoichean bishops, St. Gregorios Abdul 'Jaleel , St. Baselios Yeldho Maphriyono, and also Mor Ivanios, whose death, it is said, reduced the Malabar Church to state of a ship without a rudder; Mar Gabriel is alluded to as a Nestorian who taught that Christ had two natures and two persons, and who consequently was not recognized except by a single priest; and the Patriarch is requested to send bishops and priests well versed in philosophy and in the interpretation of Holy scriptures, as well as to write letters to the Dutch Commander at Cochin soliciting his help to the Bishop against his enemies and against infidel kings. Unfortunately this letter did not reach its destination, but somehow escaped to Europe and was published there. Asseman, who saw it, or perhaps a copy of it, concludes from its terms that the writer was a Jacobite who depended upon the See of Antioch. How strong was the relationship between the Holy See of Antioch and the Malankara Syrian Church is proved beyond doubt by these evidences. In 1728 Mor Thoma IV became seriously ill when he was at Mulanthuruthy. This was at a time when Mar Gabriel who was trying to carve out a position for himself in the Syrian Church was still active in Malankara. Therefore the local leaders of the church brought the seriously ill Mor Thoma IV to Kandanad and laid his hands on Fr. Thoma the nephew of Mor Thoma IV, thus consecrating his successor with the title 'Mor Thoma V'. This said consecration became a matter of great controversy in the Malankara Syrian Church because of the allegation that it was done by Mor Thoma IV who was actually unconscious at that time. History says that even Mor Thoma V was not himself satisfied with the manner in which he was consecrated and hence applied to the Patriarch for delegates to confirm his status. Mor Thoma IV breathed his last, two hours after this said consecration of his successor on 24th March, 1728 (M.E.- Meenam 13, 903). The mortal remains of the holy father were interred at the Marth Mariam Jacobite Syrian Church at Kandanad the next day.
Source http://www.syrianchurch.org/
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