Today we take up a myth that tops the popularity charts of our Jacobite brothers. It concerns the salmoosa of Catholicos HH Ougen I, which he submitted to HH Yakub III, Syriac patriarch of Antioch, who consecrated him. Many internet forums here and abroad as well as web pages are plastered with the words from the salmoosa in a non-stop campaign against the Indian Orthodox Church. For our Jacobite brothers, nothing can match the pleasure they derive from ad nauseam repeating the words from the salmoosa. Everyday, more and more Jacobite members wake up to smell the salmoosa and discover new meanings. It's time to offer an alternate perspective.

Myth: Ougen Bava conducted himself in utter disregard to the pledges given by him at the time of consecration.
Fact:Let's first take a look at the oft-quoted words from the salmoosa. I don't know about the accuracy of the same, but let's take our Jacobite brothers at their word and believe it's accurate:

"I the feeble and meek Augen Mar Themotios chosen for ecclesiastical office of the Catholicos confess my belief before the Synod, and before the head of the Synod His Holiness Moran Mar Ignatius Yacoub III Patriarch of Antioch and all the East that, the Patriarch is my head, that I accept from St.Peter the head of Holy Apostles upto your Holiness all the canonical Patriarchs who reigned on your Throne and all those who come after your Holiness. Once again I repeat my canonical connections with the Holy Throne of Antioch. I swear that I shall not depart from this solemn oath."

Since our church constitution still holds that "(T)he Malankara Church is a division of the Orthodox Syrian Church" and that the "the Primate of the Orthodox Syrian Church is the Patriarch of Antioch", and Ougen Bava did not have it amended, it can be argued that he did not break any vow. However, this will not satisfy our Jacobite brothers who hold that through his conduct he broke the vows given in the salmoosa. For argument's sake, let's have it their way. But we will then have to understand what's a vow. In my view, pledges or vows are given in good faith in the understanding that so long as the person making it keeps her/his part of the bargain, the receiver of the vow will keep her/his/their part, even if it is unstated. In other words, reciprocity is expected.

For instance, let's now look at another vow. The Supreme Court in its majority judgement states that after Malankara Sabha was reunited in 1958, the three Metropolitans from the then patriarchal faction sent "submission deeds to the Catholicos" (Geevarghese Bava). In these submissions, the Metropolitans expressed their joy at the restoration of peace and unity in the Malankara Church "and promised to perform their functions under the Catholicos and to follow the canons, the constitution in force and the orders to be issued by the Catholicos". Justice Jeevan Reddy's judgement even gives a direct quote from the submission deed of Paulose Mar Philexinos (later Maphriyan Baselios Paulose II) of the Jacobite church. It goes like this: "I hereby inform that I shall act always in accordance with the directions issued by you from time to time and also in accordance with the canons of the Church and the constitution now in force." Of course, he didn't keep any of those promises, and was the driving force behind the Antiochian movement in open defiance of the directions issued by the Catholicos. Now what to make of this, did he or did he not break his promise?

Well, this is my considered view of the same. HB Paulose II Bava gave his submission deed in good faith. When he gave the deed, implicit in it was his expectation that the united church would not act against what he considered were the traditions dear to the Jacobite faithful. When he found the united church acting against those expectations (the implicit promise), he in good faith believed that he was no longer bound by the submission he made, and decided to act according to his conscience.

Our Jacobite brothers should extend the same kindness to Ougen Bava over his salmoosa.

This series ends here. I hope it's been of some use in clearing up the cobwebs of history relating to Malankara Sabha. I've worked long and hard on it, but nevertheless I enjoyed doing it. I thank the moderators of this forum for indulging me on such a massive scale. I look forward to receiving the feedback of forum members.

God bless the Catholicate in Malankara which represents the hopes and aspirations of a people.