Ignatius Hidayat Allah

Ignatius Hidayat Aloho or Mor Ahathulla was the Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1597 until his death in 1639.

His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Hidayat Aloho Patriarch of Antioch and all the East
Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Church	Syriac Orthodox Church
See	Antioch
Installed	1597
Term ended	1639
Predecessor	Ignatius Pilate I
Successor	Ignatius Simon I
Personal details
Born	Hidayat Aloho 1542 Mardin, Ottoman Empire
Died	1639

Early Life

Hidayat Aloho was born in the city of Mardin in the 16th century. In 1586 he became a monk in the Monastery of Mor Hananyo near Mardin, where he was ordained a deacon the following year by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius David II Shah. In 1595, Hidayat was ordained bishop and in 1597 was consecrated Maphrian by Ignatius Pilate I and patriarch later that year upon his death. Upon becoming patriarch he assumed the patriarchal name Ignatius.

Malankara

After the Portuguese brought Catholism to Malankara, which was, as per the decisions of the unified church at the Nicene Synod part of the Church of Antioch(as the Malankara Church was Oriental Orthodox, they were part of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch), Roman Catholic Archbishop, Aleixo De Menezes convened the Synod of Diamper, and forcibly brought the Malankara Church to under the Catholic Church. Using the Portuguese Padroado, Archbishop Menezes systematically tried to wipe out all traces of Syriac tradition and Latinize the Malankara Church by burning prayer books, historical documents, and other manuscripts. He also changed name of many parishes to suit Roman Catholic tradition.

As the situation became intolerable, the St. Thomas Christians under the leadership of Archdeacon Thoma, sent several letter to the Patriarchate at Antioch, and other Oriental Orthodox Churches. Patriarch Hidyat Aloho(who was in Alexandria at the time) left Egypt and went to India. The Portuguese had blocked every way for Middle Eastern Bishops to arrive. However, the Patriarch arrived in Surat and made his way to Mylapore where he was captured and imprisoned. Deacons Chenayil Itty from Chennganur and Kizhakkedath Kurian from Kuravilangadu who were on a Pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Thomas secretly met the Patriarch. The Patriarch gave the deacons an encyclical(letter) authorizing the consecration of Archdeacon Thoma as Bishop on the condition that he won't be able to conduct eccesiatical duties of ordination, until another prelate came to conduct the ordination.

Death

Mor Ahatulla was brought to Cochin port(where cruelty was taking place). At the port, thousands of St. Thomas Christians were demanding that their Patriarch be set free. He then was lead to the King of Cochin where he was killed. Rumour states that the Patriarch had a rock tied to his neck and he was drowned in the sea. Latin Historians record that the Portuguese condemned him as a heretic and burnt him alive.

Coonen Cross Oath

When the news reached the faithful, they were ready to wage war against the Portuguese. However Archdeacon Thoma and Fr. Itty Thommen Kathanar, quickly put down the revolt and lead the faithful in the Coonen Cross Oath(Koonen Kurishu Sathyam). They tied a rope to a cross and pledged that they would not submit to the Catholics in any way and that they would always be loyal to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. This oath strenghtened the relationship between the Malankara Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church. Later Gregorious Abdul Jaleel and ordained Archdeacon Thoma as Mor Thoma I, who became the first Malankara Metropolitan(there were bishops in India before but the administrative authority was with the Archdeacon).

References

• Fiey, Jean Maurice (1993). Pour un Oriens Christianus Novus: Répertoire des diocèses syriaques orientaux et occidentaux. Beirut: Orient-Institut. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Frykenberg, Eric (2008). Christianity in India: from Beginnings to the Present. Oxford. ISBN 0-19-826377-5.
• Neill, Stephen (2004). A History of Christianity in India: The Beginnings to AD 1707. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-54885-3. Retrieved April 20, 2010. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)