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IN THE PICTURE: ARCHDEACON GEEVARGHESE OR MAR THOMA I THE GREAT?

Kevin Villoth 

Prof. George Menachery (RC historian) printed it in the back coverof the book edited by him with the title Indian Church History Classics Vol. I, The Nazaranies, (The South Asia Research Assistance Service, Ollur, 1998). He identified it asArchdeacon Geevarghese in the imprint page.

John Fenwick, in his book The Forgotten Bishops, (gorgias press, 

Piscataway, N.J., 2009) quoted this picture from The Nazaranies. However, He refused Menachery’s claim as Archdeacon Geevarghese.

A Syriac inscription about his demise is engraved in the eastern wall of the nave. However, according to the practice existed until the late nineteenth century, only the bishops were entombed in the nave of the Nazrani church.

Being an Archdeacon according to the East Syrian rite, Archdeacon 
Geevarghese was only a priest in the hierarchy. The priests and deacons were entombed within the railings west of the nave until the nineteenth century.

Also, the costumes of the person in the mural under discussion, 
correspond with that of a bishop. The Mitre, pectoral cross, blessing are clearly identified him as a bishop. As the primate of the Nazranis, along with similar Mitre, the Malankara Metropolitan occasionally uses the same vestments even today. Whatever be the counter arguments, the pastoral staff he carries does betray the claim as Archdeacon Geevarghese. All the above clearly proved that 
the person in the mural is nobody but a bishop.

[Note from Prof. George Menachery: Both in 1971 and in 1997 when I visited the church to take photographs, and on my other visits to the church the priests and elders of the locality were unanimously of opinion that this was the picture of Archdeacon or Arkhadayakon Gheevarghese of Christ who was appointed bishop of Palayur but did not take charge. Pakalomattom history wikipedia says, " Geevarghese of Christ was appointed as bishop of Palayur, but due to Portugese intrigue he couldn’t be ordained. As Archdeacon’s Position was above that of bishop it is suspected that the may have refused the position also." Again:Pope Gregory XIII wrote on 5th March 1580 to the Thomas Christians:" But be obedient in the lord to Mar Abraham , your Archbishop and to George, the bishop of Palur..."(The Nazranies, ICHC I, Ed. Prof. George Menachery, p.119 from the reprinted book by Mackenzie and its f.n. 46). The same is found in "Epistola Gregorii XIII Pont. qua Clerum et Christianos S. Thomae in oris Malabaricis ..."  "Datum ...die  quinta Martii MDLXXX.": "Obedite vero in Domino Abrahamo Archiepiscopo vestro, Georgio item Episcopo Palurensi..." (p.158, George Cathanar, The Nazranies, 1998). It was in the light of these findings that I had described the picture to be of Archdeacon Gheevarghese - G.M.