The Old Epiphany Church
The New Roman Catholic Church of Three Kings
ŢABLÎTHO (TABLET)
ŢABLÎTHO (TABLET)
ŢABLÎTHO (TABLET)
Epiphany Church
Inside the Epiphany Church
REDISCOVERY OF ŢABLÎTHO (TABLET) OF THE CHURCH OF MALABAR (INDIAN ORTHODOX MALANKARA CHURCH) FROM THE HOLY EPIPHANY CHURCH (MOOVARASAR ALAYAM), PALLITHAMAM, TAMIL NADU.
Dr. AJESH T. PHILIP
Br. SUBIN VARGHESE
VIPIN VARGHESE
(OCP- MARP – Dept. of Church Research and Studies- Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE)
July 2015
India: OCP- MARP research delegation have rediscovered an ancient ŢABLÎTHO (TABLET) from Holy Epiphany Church (known as MOOVARASAR AALAYAM), Pallithamam, Near Kaliyar Kovil, Sivagangai, Madurai during their field visit on 25-29 Jan 2015. (Three day Holy Lent days). The Tablitho is more than 100 years old. The church was build by Maruthu brothers during 1783 – 1801, for the spiritual welfare of the Orthodox Christian community of Pallithammam.
Since 1898, the church was under the apostolic jurisdiction of Independent Catholic (ICM) Mission of Ceylon, Goa and India- the Latin Rite of the Church of Malabar (Indian Orthodox Malankara Church). Fr. L. M Soarez (Second Vicar General – ICM) was the vicar of this church during 1898-1903. More than 800 Christian families inhabited this area. Until 1911 the church remained under the jurisdiction of the Church of Malabar. Later there was a conflict with the Roman Catholic Church. Hence the Epiphany church was constituted as a trust and is under the supervision of Salesian monks.
After 1915, a spilt occurred between the faithful of the church where one portion joined the Roman Catholic faith and the other remained Orthodox. Land and properties are under the Roman Catholic fraction. But the church building remains under Orthodox fiathful. Due the absence of priests and persecution from Roman Catholic community, many left the faith. Roman Catholic faction is unable to demolish the old church because of the deep faith and resistance from the remaining Orthodox faithful. Near to the old church, Romans have constructed a new church in the name of ‘Three Kings’.
The OCP-MARP research delegation visited the old church on 26th January 2015 under the leadership of Dr. Ajesh T. Philip (Chief Coordinator – MARP). The delegation also consisted of Vipin Varghese (Director- Dept. of Public Relations-OCP), Br. Subin Varghese (Vice-Chairman –OCP). They found the Tablet on the ‘Hykala’ of the church, which was wrapped in muslin cloth. The tablet is made of a marble stone. On the upper right hand side of the tablet, a symbol of the holy cross is found.
Later the tablet was moved to the Chempetty Mission Center by Br. Subin. By the decision of Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE Executive Council, the same was handed over to the Metropolitan Dioescoros Yuhanon of Chennai Diocese of the Indian Malankara Orthodox Church and is presently kept at the Old Bishop House of the Diocese, in Vinayakapuram, Chennai.
The Holy Epiphany Church in Pallithammam was an integral part of the history of ICM. On 30th Nov.1902, Mar Baselius Soarez (Fr. L. M Soarez) ordained an Anglican priest for ICM -Colombo as the bishop of Medix & All London in the name of Mar Jacob Ulric Vernon Herford.
The Tablîtho (tablet) is used in the Divine Liturgy in those churches with Syriac Orthodox tradition. Before the Second Vatican Council, Latin-Rite priests were allowed to celebrate Liturgy on a single piece of natural stone (marble). This tradition was followed by the Latin Rite of the Church of Malabar (Alvarez Community).
Additional Notes on ŢABLÎTHO
However, it is no longer used by the Antiochian Orthodox Church (which follows the liturgical practice of Constantinople and they use the antimins) or the Assyrian Church of the East and Chaldean Catholic Church. In the Ethiopian Tawahedo Church, the tâbot is functionally similar to the tablitho. However, this word is also used in the Ge’ez language to describe the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark is symbolically represented by the manbara tâbôt (‘throne of the Ark’), a casket that sits on the altar. The tâbot itself, the wooden tablet, is taken out before the anaphora, and symbolizes the giving of the Ten Commandments.
In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, a wooden tablet, the maqta‘ or al-lawh al-khashab, is the liturgical equivalent of the ţablîtho in contemporary usage. Usually it is decorated with a cross and bears letters in Coptic which signify “Jesus Christ Son of God” in the four squares between the arms of the cross. In Greek Orthodox Church antimins is the liturgical equivalent. It is a rectangular piece of cloth, of either linen or silk, typically decorated with representations of the entombment of Christ, the four Evangelists, and scriptural passages related to the Eucharist. A small relic of a martyr is sewn into it. The Eucharist cannot be celebrated without antimins.
Before the Second Vatican Council, Latin-Rite priests could lawfully celebrate Mass only on a properly consecrated altar. This consecration was carried out by a bishop, and involved specially blessed “Gregorian Water” (water to which wine, salt, and ashes are added), anointings and ceremonies. The First class relics of at least two saints, at least one of which had to be a martyr, were inserted in a cavity in the altar which was then sealed, a practice that was meant to recall the use of martyrs’ tombs as places of Eucharistic celebration during the persecutions of the Church in the first through fourth centuries. Also in the cavity were sealed documents relating to the altar’s consecration. The tabletop of the altar, the “mensa”, had to be of a single piece of natural stone (always marble).
Copyright ©2015 Metropolitan Alvares Julius Research Project (MARP)- Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE. All rights reserved. No part of the article/news or photos shall be published in any format or in any form without prior permission of the publisher.
Source:
OCP-MARP