Emergence of Divergent Factions (Metran Kakshy & Bava Kakshy) in the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (1909–1934)

The early 20th century was a tumultuous period in the history of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, as disagreements over the extent of the Patriarch of Antioch's authority led to a significant schism. This division gave rise to two distinct factions within the church: the Metran Kakshy (Bishop’s Party) and the Bava Kakshy (Patriarch’s Party). Though both factions followed the Antiochene faith and liturgical traditions, their differing views on the Patriarch’s authority over the church’s spiritual and temporal matters ultimately shaped their respective paths. This schism culminated in the establishment of the Catholicate of the East in 1912 and laid the foundation for the formation of two separate churches.

The roots of the division can be traced back to the Synod of Mulanthuruthy (1876), which placed the Malankara Church firmly under the authority of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch. However, tensions began to surface after the death of Patriarch Peter III in 1894. His successor, Ignatius Abdul Masih II, was installed as Patriarch on 16 June 1895.¹ However, the political dynamics of the Ottoman Empire brought new challenges to the Patriarchate:

• In 1905, the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II deposed Patriarch Abdul Masih II, replacing him with Patriarch Ignatius Abdullah II, who was enthroned on 28 August 1906.²
• In Kerala, this change coincided with the succession of Mar Dionysius V by Mar Dionysius VI (1909–1934) as the Malankara Metropolitan.³

When Patriarch Ignatius Abdullah II visited Kerala in 1909, he claimed complete supremacy over the Malankara Church in both spiritual and temporal matters. Mar Dionysius VI, however, rejected this demand, asserting that the Patriarch’s authority was limited to spiritual matters, such as the consecration of bishops and holy Chrism, while the temporal administration of the church and its properties lay with the Malankara Metropolitan and local leadership. This fundamental disagreement over governance escalated into an outright conflict by 1911.

The dispute culminated on 31 May 1911, when Patriarch Ignatius Abdullah II excommunicated Mar Dionysius VI and appointed Mar Koorillos (1911–1917) as the new Metropolitan of the Malankara Church. This drastic move led to the creation of two opposing factions within the church:

• Leadership: Led by Mar Dionysius VI, this faction rejected the Patriarch’s claim to authority over the church’s temporal administration.
• Beliefs: The Metran Kakshy emphasized the autonomy of the Malankara Church, asserting that the Patriarch's authority should be limited to spiritual matters.
• Objective: They sought to establish an independent, autocephalous church to safeguard the unique identity and traditions of the Malankara Orthodox community.

• Leadership: This faction remained loyal to the Patriarch of Antioch and was led by the newly appointed Metropolitan, Mar Koorillos.
• Beliefs: The Bava Kakshy recognized the Patriarch’s authority over both spiritual and temporal matters, maintaining allegiance to the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate.

The excommunication of Mar Dionysius VI and the formation of two rival factions prompted the Metran Kakshy to take decisive action to formalize their autonomy. They reached out to Patriarch Ignatius Abdul Masih II, the deposed Patriarch of Antioch, who was still widely regarded as the legitimate Patriarch by many within the church.⁵

Arrival of Patriarch Abdul Masih II in Kerala (1912):

• Abdul Masih II arrived in Kerala on 13 June 1912, lending his support to the efforts of Mar Dionysius VI to establish an autonomous church.

Institution of the Catholicate of the East (15 September 1912):

• On 15 September 1912, Patriarch Abdul Masih II formally instituted the Catholicate of the East in Malankara, reviving an ancient ecclesiastical office that had been dormant for centuries.⁶
• Murimattathil Paulos Mar Ivanios was installed as the first Catholicos of the East, taking the name Moran Mar Paulos Baselios I.
• Three bishops were also consecrated to strengthen the episcopal structure of the newly autonomous church.

Canonical Framework of the Catholicate:

• Abdul Masih II issued two significant bulls affirming the canonical authority and autonomy of the Catholicate:
  • The bull of 15 September 1912 granted the Catholicos the authority to ordain metropolitans, bishops, and consecrate holy Chrism.⁷
  • The bull of 19 February 1913 emphasized the autocephalous nature of the church, allowing the Catholicos and his bishops to independently elect successors.⁸

The establishment of the Catholicate created two distinct churches with diverging identities and governance structures:

• Structure: Became an autocephalous church, completely independent of the Patriarch of Antioch.
• Authority: Governed by the Catholicos of the East and the Holy Synod, with full control over its spiritual, ecclesiastical, and temporal matters.⁹
• Significance: The establishment of the Catholicate marked a reclaiming of the church’s autonomy and a preservation of its unique identity within the Oriental Orthodox tradition.

• Structure: Remained under the direct jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch, who retained full authority over both spiritual and temporal matters.
• Loyalty: Continued to align itself with the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate, preserving its connection to the broader Jacobite tradition.

The Metran Kakshy took additional steps to solidify its autonomy. During the Malankara Association meeting on 26 December 1934, the church adopted a formal constitution for the Catholicate of the East. This constitution:

1. Established the Holy Synod of the Catholicate, composed of the Catholicos and other bishops, with legislative and disciplinary powers.
2. Defined the governance structure for both spiritual and temporal affairs, ensuring the integrity and autocephaly of the church.

This constitution remains the foundational legal document of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, with amendments made in 1951 and 1997 to reflect changing circumstances.⁹

The division of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church into the Metran Kakshy and Bava Kakshy represents a defining moment in the church’s history. While the Metran Kakshy asserted its autonomy by establishing the Catholicate of the East, the Bava Kakshy chose to maintain allegiance to the Patriarchate of Antioch. This schism reshaped the ecclesiastical and spiritual landscape of the Malankara Church, setting the stage for further developments in the decades to follow.

Though the two factions remained rooted in the Antiochene liturgical tradition, their diverging paths underscore the complex interplay of faith, governance, and identity within the Malankara Orthodox tradition.

1. C. V. Cheriyan, Orthodox Christianity in India, 302; T. Inchakkalody, Archbishop Mar Ivanios, Vol. 1, Trivandrum 2015, 74–85.
2. E. Tisserant, Eastern Christianity in India, 153–154; N. J. Thomas, “The Eastern Orthodox Church in India,” in Christianity in India, Alleppey 1972, 204.
3. De Fontibus Juris Ecclesiastici Syro-Malankarensium (Fonti, II–VIII), 75–76.
4. A. P. Urumpackal, The Juridical Status of the Catholicos of Malabar, 74.
5. N. J. Thomas, “The Eastern Orthodox Church in India,” 205–206; C. Malancharuvil, The Syro-Malankara Church, 68–70.
6. C. V. Cheriyan, Orthodox Christianity in India, Appendix 9, 460–462.
7. Patriarch’s bull in C. V. Cheriyan, Appendix 10, 462–465.
8. Fontes Juribus Canonici Syro-Malankarensium (Fonti, II–IX), 26, Appendix, 321–339.
9. The Constitution, Nos. 4, 7, and 8; C. Malancharuvil, The Syro-Malankara Church, 123.