enthroned ended predecessor successor birth_name consecration birth_place death_date death_place buried article_title birth_date image ordination name
1 september 1947 27 september 1976 abraham mar thoma alexander mar thoma c. m. john 30 december 1937 ayroor 27 september 1976 kottayam tiruvalla juhanon mar thoma
 7 august 1893 juhanon mar thoma.jpg 7 october 1933 juhanon mar thoma metropolitan
juhanon mar thoma

juhanon mar thoma metropolitan -lrb- mar thoma xviii -rrb- was the head of the mar thoma church from 1947 -- 1976 , who gave leadership to the church and at the same time actively participated in social and political arenas .
he was respected by people from all walks of life , from all religions and from all age groups .
he is remembered for providing the church with the motto lighted to lighten .
`` the church must be interested where human life is interested , '' was his motto .
the first half of the 20th century was a period of great turmoil all over the world .
two great world wars , poverty , famine and all kinds of natural calamities made the people all over the world to suffer .
in india people rallied behind mahatma gandhi to attain freedom from the british and other foreign dominations .
religious and cultural organisations turned its back to the needs of the society , changes in social structure was unthinkable , obedience without questioning to the kings and autocrats was the law of the land , that was the world in the first half of the 20th century .
the second half of the 20th century was more peaceful .
formation of the united nations and world council of churches helped to make peace permanent .
india became independent and began struggling to establish stability in political , social and cultural arena .
