The Metropolitan was Geeverghese Mar Philoxenos II. Kidangan Geeverghese Kattanar – as he was before consecration – belonged to a well-known Syrian family at Kunnamkulam, just a few miles north of Thozhiyur itself. Like his pre-decessor Philoxenos I, he was a priest of the Arthat Church before becoming co­ adjutor bishop.  

Howard recounts how his consecration was attended by large num bers of clergy and laity from Chatukulum Kunnamkulam and Pazh3nji- an indication no doubt of the acceptance of the Thozhiyur diocese as well as a tribute to Mar Philoxenos himself.2 Philoxenos I seems to have died soon after the consecration, leaving Philoxenos II as Metropolitan. Colonel Munro, the British Resident of Travancore and Cochin and a devout Christian , arrived in India in 1810 and took a keen interest in the affairs of the Syrian Christians . These were in a (characteristically) confused state with accusations being made against the Metropolitan , Mar Thoma VIII, denying the validity of his consecra­ tion . (le is interesting to note that the future reformer, Abraham Malpan, had doubts about the validity of his ordination by Mar Thoma VIII and had himself been re-ordained by a Jacobite Metropolitan from Syria, for which he suffered a period in prison .) One of the leaders of the protest against Mar Thoma VI I I was the Ram ban Pulikotil lttoop (Joseph) who, as noted in the previous chapter, had been a pupil of Abraham Mar Koorilose I of Thozhiyur in his days as a Mal pan and who had invited him to Kunnamkulam.