Archdeacon Parampil Thoma, the leader of the Coonan Cross Oath rebellion against the Portuguese Roman Catholic authorities, is known to be the first in this lineage.

The protesting Christians met at the church in Alangad to discuss their further steps and declared Thoma as the Malankara Metropolitan.

Only the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch responded favorably to his plea and in the person of Archbishop Gregorios Abdal Jaleel recognised Thoma as bishop.

[2] In 1909 Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Abd-Allah II appointed Geevarghese Dionysius Vattasseril as Malankara Metropolitan.

[14] An Indian Supreme Court ruling determined that the Patriarch of Antioch's power in the Malankara Church had reached a "vanishing point" following the catholicate's establishment.