Beginning of Reformation
By this time, Deacon Mathen's uncle (father's brother) Abraham Malpan has already began reformation in the church and made the following changes:
- On Sunday August 27, 1837, Kurbana (Holy Communion) was conducted in Malayalam, the language of the people.
- Every year on October 5, there was a church festival at Maramon, connected with a certain saint of the church. A wooden image of Saint Muthappen was taken around in procession and people used to offer prayers and offerings to it. In 1837, Abraham Malpan took the image and threw it into a well saying, "Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" (Isaiah 8:19). Thus the prayers to the saints and prayers for the dead were removed from the liturgy.
- Changes were made in the various prayers in the prayer books incorporating the divine light received through the study of the Bible.
The use of the revised liturgy and the changes Abraham Malpan brought about in practices offended Cheppad Philipose Mar Dionysius (Mar Thoma XII), who threatened him with excommunication. But Abraham Malpan informed him that if excommunicated, he would not come begging to revoke it. Marthoma XII, did not excommunicate him, but refused priesthood to the deacons trained under him.
Read more about this topic: Mathews Mar Athanasius Metropolitan
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