Mar Thoma Darmo
Encyclopedia
Mar Thoma Darmo, was the first Catholicos-Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East
from 1968 to 1969.
Thoma Darmo, was born as Mansour Darmo son of Elishai and Shirine. He spent his childhood in Turkey and from 1919 in Iraq becoming a clergy in 1921. He continued to serve in Iraq for 15 years. Then he moved to Syria where he served from 1936 to 1952.
In 1952, he was assigned as Metropolitan
of the Assyrian Church of the East
, based at Trichur, Kerala
, India
until 1968. He built a number of churches and established a number of new dioceses in India, encouraged the preparation of new clergy and established the Mar Narsai Press.
In a schism against the Catholicos Patriarch Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII
because of reform issues introduced by the Assyrian Church of the East as well as the hereditary system of the Patriarchate, he voiced his opposition. This resulted in a split from the Church (then headquartered in San Francisco, now headquartered in Chicago
) and Darmo became one of the founders of the Ancient Church of the East
.
Subsequently, after three years of the seat of the Ancient Church of the East remaining vacant (1964-1967), Mar Thoma Darmo was elected as head of the new church as its first Catholicos-Patriarch in October 1968.
He relocated the Ancient Church of the East to Baghdad
where the church is headquartered. He died the following year on 7 September 1969. He was succeeeded in 1970 by Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Addai II
Ancient Church of the East
The Ancient Church of the East was established in 1968. It follows the traditions of one of the oldest Christian churches, the Church of the East, whose origins trace back to the See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in central Mesopotamia...
from 1968 to 1969.
Thoma Darmo, was born as Mansour Darmo son of Elishai and Shirine. He spent his childhood in Turkey and from 1919 in Iraq becoming a clergy in 1921. He continued to serve in Iraq for 15 years. Then he moved to Syria where he served from 1936 to 1952.
In 1952, he was assigned as Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of the Assyrian Church of the East
Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...
, based at Trichur, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
until 1968. He built a number of churches and established a number of new dioceses in India, encouraged the preparation of new clergy and established the Mar Narsai Press.
In a schism against the Catholicos Patriarch Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII
Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII
Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII , sometimes known as Mar Shimun XXI Ishaya, Mar Shimun Ishai, or Simon Jesse, was Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East from 1920, when he was a youth, until his assassination on 6 November 1975...
because of reform issues introduced by the Assyrian Church of the East as well as the hereditary system of the Patriarchate, he voiced his opposition. This resulted in a split from the Church (then headquartered in San Francisco, now headquartered in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
) and Darmo became one of the founders of the Ancient Church of the East
Ancient Church of the East
The Ancient Church of the East was established in 1968. It follows the traditions of one of the oldest Christian churches, the Church of the East, whose origins trace back to the See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in central Mesopotamia...
.
Subsequently, after three years of the seat of the Ancient Church of the East remaining vacant (1964-1967), Mar Thoma Darmo was elected as head of the new church as its first Catholicos-Patriarch in October 1968.
He relocated the Ancient Church of the East to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
where the church is headquartered. He died the following year on 7 September 1969. He was succeeeded in 1970 by Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Addai II
Mar Addai II
Mar Addai II , born Shimun Giwargis, is the incumbent Catholicos Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East and resides in the Apostolic See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in Baghdad, Iraq.,He was elected to the position of Catholicos-Patriarch in February 1970, several months after the death of...