Mor Dionysius III (Punnathra) +1825

Mor Dionysius III (Punnathra) +1825

May 17th is the anniversary of the demise of Mor Dionysius III (Punnathra) +1825 Mor Dionysius III was the Malankara Metropolitan until his demise. He was a member of Kallumgathara Church, & after ordination became its Vicar. He was consecrated as successor to Mor Dionysius II (Pulikkottil Joseph I). Mor Dionysius III had to contend with the CMS missionaries of the Anglican Church. He also continued the steps his predecessor took to establish a seminary for the Jacobite Syrians. In 1821 Mor Dionysius III wrote a letter addressed to Lord Gambier (President of CMS) & Bishop Henry of the Anglican Church. In 1823, the same letter, which was translated from Syriac, was also published in "The Christian Journal and Literary Register" in New York. Some excerpts from the letter are as follows, "Mar Dionysius, metropolitan of the Jacobite Syrians in Malabar, subject to the authority of our father, Mar Ignatius, patriarch, who presides in the apostolic see of Antioch of Syria, beloved of the Messiah. ...We who are called Syrian-Jacobites, and reside in the land of Malabar, even from the times of Mar Thomas the holy apostle until the wall of Cochin was taken in the reign of king Purgis, kept the true faith according to the manner of the Syrian Jacobites, of real glory, without division or confusion. But by the power of the Franks our Jacobite Syrian fathers and leaders were prohibited from coming from Antioch. ...came to us some holy Jacobite Syrian fathers from Antioch who turned us to our true ancient faith and set up a high priest for us." The words of Mor Dionysius III in 1821, puts to rest the preposterous claims of those who say the Malankara Church was forcefully brought under Antioch only after the Mulanthuruthy Synod of 1876. After serving the Malankara Church, Mor Dionysius III departed for the heavenly abode & his mortal remains were interred in Cheriyapally Kottayam. Illustration of Mor Dionysius only for artistic purposes. Oh Mor Dionysius III! Plead for us before God's throne of grace. Amen.