Abraham Mar Thoma

{{multiple issues|{{more citations needed|date=June 2017}} {{more footnotes needed|date=June 2017}} {{more citations needed|date=June 2017}}}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox Christian leader | honorific_prefix = His Beatitude {{pre-nominal styles|MRevd}} Aboon Dr. | name = Abraham Mar Thoma XVII | title = of the Apostolic Throne of St Thomas | image = Mar Thoma XVII.jpg | caption = | diocese = | ordination = 5 December 1914 | consecration = 24 December 1916 | enthroned = 1944 | ended = 1 September 1947 | predecessor = Titus II Mar Thoma | successor = Juhanon Mar Thoma | birth_name = M. N. Abraham | birth_date = 30 October 1879 | birth_place = Kalloopara | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1947|9|1|1879|10|30}} | death_place = Tiruvalla | buried = Tiruvalla | signature = | honorific_suffix = Mar Thoma Metropolitan | rank = Mar Thoma Metropolitan (Ecclesiastical Title of the Head of the Ancient Indian Church) }}

{{Indian name|Abraham|Maret Ninan}}'''Abraham Mar Thoma XVII''' (born '''Maret Ninan Abraham''') (30 October 1879 – 1 September 1947) was the Metropolitan of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church from 1944 to 1947. He was called ''Maret Kochu Thirumeni'' by his people. Among the bishops of Malankara Churches Including Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Abraham Mar Thoma was the first to earn a Doctoral degree.

==Early life==

Bishop Abraham was born on 30 October 1879 and was the only son of Ninan and Mariamma. Ninan was the son of Abraham of the Maret house. Mariamma was the eldest daughter of Oommachen, Karikattu. Eraviperoor. Mariamma's mother was from Chemmarapallil, Puthupally, Kottayam.<ref>Daniel, K. N. ''Dr. Abraham Marthoma Metropolitan – Biography'', pp. 9, 10.</ref>

Bishop Abraham was named after his paternal grandfather Abraham. He had two elder sisters. His parents called him Kochavarachen. His school record shows his name as M. N. Abraham.<ref>Daniel, K. N. ''Dr. Abraham Marthoma Metropolitan – Biography'', p. 11.</ref><ref>Mathew, N. M. ''History of the Marthoma Church'', Volume II (2007), pp. 210–213.</ref>

===Education===

He was not good as a student. Many times he failed in his school final exam and degree examination. That helped him in later years to encourage the students who failed in examinations and showed them how to succeed.<ref>Zac Varghese Dr. & Mathew A. Kallumpram. ''Glimpses of Mar Thoma Church History'', pp. 125–129.</ref>

==Ordination== M. N. Abraham and M. P. Pothen (Philipose), Velliyampallil, Mallappally, were the first Indians with university degrees to be ordained as deacons in the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church. Titus II Mar Thoma ordained them on 30 April 1912.

On 5 December 1914, at his native place Eraviperoor, Deacon Abraham, and Deacon Pothen were ordained as priests. Abraham was appointed as Kayamkulam divisional secretary.

==Politics== The Metropolitan was a staunch nationalist who stood for the people's democratic rights. He resisted the undemocratic and dictatorial actions of Dewan Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer and was instrumental in getting a resolution passed by the Sabha Council (church council) condemning Sir C. P.'s move to proclaim Travancore as an independent state.<ref>Mar Thoma Sabha Directory (1999), pp. 26–27.</ref>

{{s-start}} {{s-rel|Mar Thoma Church Titles}} {{s-bef|before=Titus II Mar Thoma}} {{s-ttl|title=XVII Mar Thoma Metropolitan of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church|years=1944–1947}} {{s-aft|after=Juhanon Mar Thoma}} {{s-end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== English * Juhanon Marthoma Metropolitan. (1952). ''Christianity in India and a Brief History of the Marthoma Syrian Church''. Pub: K.M. Cherian. * Zac Varghese Dr. & Mathew A. Kallumpram. (2003). ''Glimpses of Mar Thoma Church History''. London, England. {{ISBN|978-81-900854-4-1}}. * Zac Varghese Dr. & Mathew A. Kallumpram. ''Metropolitan Abraham Mar Thoma.'' "Light of Life", Vol. 3, Issue 11, September 2004.

Malayalam. * Eapen, Prof. Dr. K. V. (2001). ''Malankara Marthoma Suryani Sabha Charitram'' (History of Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church). Pub: Kallettu, Muttambalam, Kottayam. * Mar Thoma Voluntary Evangelistic Association, (1998). Abraham Mar Thoma * Mathew, N. M. ''Malankara Marthoma Sabha Charitram'' (History of the Marthoma Church), Volume I (2006), Volume II (2007), Volume III (2008). Pub. E.J. Institute, Thiruvalla. * Varghese, (1950) ''Dr. Abraham Mar Thoma Metropolitan''. * Daniel, K. N. ''Dr. Abraham Marthoma Metropolitan – Biography''. V.V. Press, Kollam. 1948.

==External links== *[http://marthomasyrianchurch.org http://marthomasyrianchurch.org] *[http://marthoma.in http://marthoma.in] *[http://kuwaitmarthoma.com Mar Thoma Sunday School, Kuwait] at kuwaitmarthoma.com *[http://martomachurchpallipad.com Pallipad Mar Thoma]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thoma, Abraham Mar}} Category:1879 births Category:1949 deaths Category:Metropolitans of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church Category:Christian clergy from Alappuzha district Category:20th-century Anglican archbishops Category:Alumni of Wycliffe College, Toronto