Dionysius IV (born Cheppad Peelipose (Aramaic and Malayalam: Piyliypaos, in English Philip) (1781 – 9 October 1855), was 12th Malankara Metropolitan from 27 August 1825, until he abdicated in 1852.
Cheppad is a scenic village located at Karthikapally Taluk of Alapuzha district in Kerala State, India.
To select a successor, representatives of the parishes met together at Pallikara palli under the leadership of Philixinos II of Thozhyoor Church who was the Acting Malankara metropolitan at that time when the throne was vacant.
Philipose Ramban was consecrated by Geevarghese Mar Philexenos II (Kidangan) of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church on 27 August 1825 at Kottayam Cheria palli.
[2] Soon Dionysius convened a meeting of the representatives of the parishes at Mavelikara (16 January 1836) and officially rejected the suggestions of the Anglican Bishop, stating that decisions on such a matter about faith was within the ambit of the Patriarch of Antioch.
It can be concluded that the reason behind the rejection of the suggestions of the Anglican Bishop was that the Church was ready to accept timely changes only with the consent of an established authority & within a disciplined structure, and not simply based on a demanding letter from a Bishop of a foreign Church.
The Association at Mavelikara gave official recognition to the Patriarch of Antioch as the spiritual head of the Malankara Church.
He was consecrated with the episcopal title Mathews Athanasius by Patriarch of Antioch, Ignatius Elias II (1838–47), in 1843.
The Maharajah of Travancore appointed a committee of four senior government officers (known as Kollam Panchayat), They decided that a foreign bishop could not be regarded as the Malankara Metropolitan.
Even though Athanasius lacked the support of the general assembly of the Church (Malankara Palli-Yogam), the fact that he was a native favoured him.
After abdicating, Valia Methrachen (Dionysius IV) was bedridden due to ill health.