Long before the debates on nationalism shaking the intellectual circles of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Thoma Kathanar offers a distinctive positionality as a minority Syriac Christian priest and subsequent administrator of the Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Kodungalloor with transnational ties to Portuguese ecclesiology who nevertheless argues in favor of autonomous Indian civic governance.
[5] It gives the history of a journey undertaken by the author along with Mar Joseph Kariattil from Malabar Coast (modern day Kerala) to Rome via Lisbon and back.
The first work in the genre Varthamanappusthakam was written by P. Thoma Kathanar (1736–99) in the latter part of the eighteenth century but its existence was totally forgotten by later generations.
[10]The historic journey to Rome to represent the grievances of Kerala's Syrian Catholics started from the boat jetty in Athirampuzha at Poothathil Ittikuruvilla Tharakan’s home (a Knanaya tax-collector who greatly funded the mission) in 1785.
Upon realizing that his end was near, Mar Kariattil appointed Thoma Kathanar as the Governador (governor) of Cranganore Archdiocese after him,[12] and handed over the cross, chain and ring, the tokens of his power, which had been presented to him by the Portuguese queen.