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JUSTICE K. T. THOMAS
Former Judge, Supreme Court of India
Thadathil
Muttambalam
Kottayam - 686 004
Kerala (India) |
Tel: 0481-2578215
Mobile: 09447078215
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12-12-2006
Foreword
Prof. O. M. Mathew and I were classmates. It started when we both joined the
kindergarten school at Kottayam. His father and my father were friends. We
were together in the same school till fourth class. Thereafter, we studied
in different educational institutions, and even then we maintained our
friendship, though only rarely we could meet each other. Prof. O. M. Mathew
was then and now an intrepid. He out-shone himself among his classmates. I
have observed him towing always differently from others. He surprised many
of his Christian associates when he offered himself as a candidate on BJP
ticket for contesting Parliament elections from Kottayam constituency. He
did not mind his Christian companions frowning at him for associating
himself with RSS. His activities in political field continued unabated even
after he failed to win the Parliament election. Thus, Prof. O. M. Mathew was
a different person at all times.
This book is the English version of a work authored by Mar Geevarghese
Dionysius (popularly known as ‘Vattasseril Thirumeni) who spearheaded the
revolt in Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church. A perusal of this book reveals
the strength of conviction of its author in the historical ordination
emanating from Patriarch of Antioch. A considerable section of people
belonging to the Malankara Church believe that Patriarch of Antioch is the
successor of St. Peter and hence he is the repository of the authority to
ordain clergymen and bishops. I learnt that Marthoma Metropolitan Titus the
First received his ordination from a Bishop who in turn had received
ordination traced through the Patriarch of Antioch. I also learnt that a few
committed clergymen had to undergo a lot of sufferings to bring down that
Bishop who lived far away from the place selected for the elevation of Titus
the First. Thus people ventured to undergo all the hardships and
tribulations to secure the historical ordination traced through the
Patriarch of Antioch.
As I have studied the subject I noticed that differences in dogmatics
between Marthoma Church and Syrian Orthodox Church are more on academic
nuances than real, or more on finer niceties than on fundamental principles.
It cannot be overlooked that minor differences had existed even between two
schools of thought of the same denomination. When all the denominations
(barring Jehova’s witnesses) stand by the creed enunciated in Nicean Synod,
there are broader and larger areas of agreement while the areas of
disagreement are only on fringe details rather than fundamentals.
I learnt that Prof. O. M. Mathew underwent a course of training in
Theological subjects and that would have helped him to go into the fathoms
of dogmatics of different denominations of Christian Church. I admire him
for this endeavour. The translation work is done without impairing the
spirit and substance of the original book.
(Sd)
Justice K. T. Thomas
Introduction
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