Marathakavalli David ''(1950-2011''Rev. Marathakavalli passes away'' in ''Malankara Nazrani'', October 201

/ref>)'' was the first
/ref> woman

Priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

hailing from the South Kerala Diocese (headquartered in

Trivandrum Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the largest and ...

) of the

Church of South India The Church of South India (CSI) is a united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Protestant denominations in South India that occurred after the independence of India. With a membership of over 4.5 million, it ...

who was ordained in 1989. Marathakavalli trod her path in difficult streams as the

Ordination of women The ordination of women to Minister of religion, ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain religious groups in which ordination ...

was still being debated in her

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

Society. When the issue of

came up in the Church of South India Synod in 1970, it was vehemently opposed leading a

decade A decade (from , , ) is a period of 10 years. Decades may describe any 10-year period, such as those of a person's life, or refer to specific groupings of calendar years. Usage Any period of ten years is a "decade". For example, the statement ...

of debate and protracted legal recourse initiated by the opponents but eventually the persistence of the Church of South India Synod led to a majority vote in 1982 favouring the

ordination of women The ordination of women to Minister of religion, ministerial or priestly office is an increasingly common practice among some contemporary major religious groups. It remains a controversial issue in certain religious groups in which ordination ...

in the

. While Elizabeth Paul became the first ordained woman

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

in 1987,Lalrinawmi Ralte, Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar (Edited), ''Feminist Hermeneutics'', Indian Women in Theology / Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, New Delhi, 2002. pp.8–9.

/ref> Marathakavalli David became the first woman

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

in 1989. Since her school days,''Women priests better equipped to console grief-stricken'', in ''The Rediff News'', April 26, 2010.

/ref> Marathakavalli nursed an ambition to become a

and was influenced by the lives of

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during th ...

and William Carey who strove to serve mankind braving all odds. She also acknowledges the inspiration from one of the pioneer

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...

, Rev. Harris.

The issue of women's ordination in the Church

It was during the 1970Kenneth E. Gill, ''Count us Equal : The Ministry of Women in the Church of South India'', Association of Theologically Trained Women in India, 1990. pp.48–49.

/ref> Church of South India Synod that P. Solomon, then moderator, opened the process for the

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, ...

which finally got a two-thirds majority after nearly 12 years in 1982 during the period of I. Jesudason, then moderator. After successive ordinations that followed beginning with Elizabeth Paul in 1987 and others, Marathakavalli was ordained in 1989 by I. Jesudason,''Housewife made Protestant priest'' in ''The Straits Times'', 11 April 1989, Page

/ref> then

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

- in - South Kerala (headquartered in

). The year 1989 was eventful as the Church of South India Synod was led by Moderator

Victor Premasagar Victor Premasagar (1927–2005) was the fourth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak. He was an Indian churchman and Old Testament scholar who made major contributions to research on the Old Testament and to the field of theology. Prem ...

, who all along took the scriptural stance, also echoed by I. Jesudason, that there was nothing standing in the way of women's ordination. Premasagar, an

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

Scholar and a member of the Society for Biblical Studies in India comprising the

and

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

Scholars hailing from the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, Orthodox and

Charismatic Charisma () is a personal quality of magnetic charm, persuasion, or appeal. In the fields of sociology and political science, psychology, and management, the term ''charismatic'' describes a type of leadership. In Christian theology, the term ...

was regarded for his Scholarship and some of his

counterparts who were members of the

Pontifical Biblical Commission The Pontifical Biblical Commission () is a pontifical commission established within the Roman Curia to ensure the proper interpretation and defense of the Bible. Since 1988, it has been closely attached to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the ...

that met in 1976 concluded with a majority of 12Felix M. Podamattam, ''In Praise of Woman: Psychological, sociological, and pastoral considerations'', Volume II, Media House, New Delhi, p.232.

/ref> in favour and 5 against that the

scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They often feature a compilation or discussion of beliefs, ritual practices, moral commandments and ...

did not bar the

. However,

Cardinal Ratzinger Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as po ...

subsequently ensured that a circulars were issued to the effect that anyone raising the issue of women's ordination ''(see

Catholic Church doctrine on the ordination of women In the liturgical traditions of the Catholic Church, the term ''ordination'' refers to the means by which a person is included in one of the holy orders of bishops, priests, or deacons. The teaching of the Catholic Church on ordination, as expr ...

)'' in the

Church was liable for

blasphemy Blasphemy refers to an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of Reverence (emotion), reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred, or something considered Sanctity of life, inviolable. Some religions, especially Abrahamic o ...

and summarily

excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...

with no grounds.

Studies

After graduate studies from the

Kerala University University of Kerala (formerly known as University of Travancore) is a state-run public university in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Chithira ...

, Marathakavalli had her ministerial formation at the Kerala United Theological Seminary,

, a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

founded in 1943 and affiliated to the nation's firstUNESCO Structures of University Education in India, 1952
/ref> University, the Senate of Serampore College (University). Marathakavalli studied during the principalship of Jacob Varghese and other spiritual formators comprising J. W. Gladstone and others.

Ecclesiastical ministry

After Marathakavalli's spiritual formation at the Kerala United Theological Seminary,

, she was assigned the role of a Bible woman at Christ Church,

Kollam Kollam (;), is an ancient seaport and the List of cities and towns in Kerala, fourth largest city in the Indian state of Kerala. Located on the southern tip of the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea, the city is on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake ...

, then Nediakala, Nannamkuzhy, Meppallikonam, Meenara, Poozhikkunnu,

Jagathy Jagathy is a place within the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala, India. It lends its name to the Ward (country subdivision), city ward of which it is a part. It is famous for being the home of veteran Malayalam cinema, Malayalam ...

and Aakkulam. Marathakavalli also went on missionary work to Bhainsa in

Adilabad District Adilabad district is a district in the northern area of Telangana, India. It is known as the gateway district to South India. The district's headquarters is the town of Adilabad. Adilabad district is bounded by Asifabad district to the east, ...

Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...

, where the South Kerala Diocese has a few missionary stations.

Retrospect

Though women studying

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

has become widely accepted over the

decades A decade (from , , ) is a period of 10 years. Decades may describe any 10-year period, such as those of a person's life, or refer to specific groupings of calendar years. Usage Any period of ten years is a "decade". For example, the statement t ...

, their desire to become a

was being met with widespread criticism and resentment till the late 20th century.

wrote that B. V. Subbamma, the first woman

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

of the Senate of Serampore College (University) and a member of the

Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC) was constituted in the year 1927 in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the Indian successor to the United Lutheran Church in America which was started as a self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating ...

could have been ordained long ago, but Church leaders fearing her leadership kept the issue of

aside in her Church Society. The Association of Theologically Trained Women in India took up the cause of

, bringing up the issue with the Churches in

. However, skeptics considered priesthood to be the exclusive domain of

men A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the fa ...

, leading to widespread debate in the

. Though the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

that concluded in 1965 could not initiate the debate on the

, the

Pontifical Biblical commission The Pontifical Biblical Commission () is a pontifical commission established within the Roman Curia to ensure the proper interpretation and defense of the Bible. Since 1988, it has been closely attached to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the ...

took up the debate in 1976. While this was so, the

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is a Christian Full communion, communion consisting of the Church of England and other autocephalous national and regional churches in full communion. The archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity, ...

began ordaining women since 1944, but this was not reciprocated in other parts of the world where the

was present, including the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

. As for the other Churches,See Ordination of women in Protestant churches the ground for ordination gained credence in a gradual manner. When Marathakavalli expressed her desire to become a

, the Church of South India Synod stood by her, whereas stereotypical menfolk''Woman's ordination by

sparks interdenominational debate'', in ''The Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN)'', 3 May 198

/ref> stood firm in retaining their

orthodoxy Orthodoxy () is adherence to a purported "correct" or otherwise mainstream- or classically-accepted creed, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical co ...

with unfounded claims that women were 'unclean' and 'unfit'. In 2010, after more than two

of pastoral ministry ever since her

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

in 1989, Marathakavalli proved her

skeptics Skepticism ( US) or scepticism ( UK) is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the p ...

wrong and bore no ill will against them. Marathakavalli reminiscences,

Eternity

Marathakavalli died at the age of 60 in October 2011, and the funeral mass was conducted by

The Right Reverend The Right Reverend (abbreviated as The Rt Revd or The Rt Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian ministers and members of clergy. It is a variant of the more common st ...

Dharmaraj Rasalam the present

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

- in - South Kerala.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:David, Marathakavalli People from Thiruvananthapuram district Malayali people 20th-century Christian clergy 20th-century Indian Anglican priests Senate of Serampore College (University) alumni Church of South India clergy Women Christian clergy 2011 deaths 1950 births Christian clergy from Kerala Scholars from Thiruvananthapuram 20th-century Indian educational theorists 20th-century Indian women educational theorists Women educators from Kerala Educators from Kerala 20th-century Indian women educators 20th-century Indian educators 20th-century Indian women 21st-century Indian women educational theorists 21st-century Indian educational theorists