The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is Chaldean tradition or East Syrian Rite, Major Archiepiscopal Church in Full communion with the Catholic Church. It is one of the 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic Church. It is the largest of the Saint Thomas Christians denomination with over 4 million believers.^[2] It is also the second largest Eastern Catholic Church in communion with Bishop of Rome. ^[3]

Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil is the current head (Major Archbishop) of the church. Saint Alphonsa is the first saint.

History

Origin of St. Thomas Christians

According to tradition, Saint Thomas landed at Kodungalloor (Muziris) in 52 A.D. After preaching and establishing Christian communities in different parts of India, he suffered martyrdom at Mylapur in 72 A.D. ^[4]

Tradition holds that St. Thomas founded seven churches or communities in Kerala; at Kodungalloor, Niranam, Kollam, Chayal, Kottakkavu, Kokkamangalam and Palayoor. ^[2] Even before the Christian era, there were Jewish colonies in South India and there appeared to be seven churches situated in or near these colonies. ^[5]

East Syrian Relationship

From early centuries the Church of St. Thomas Christians came into life-relation with the Christian communities that came to be known as East Syrian Church. ^[6] This relationship made the St. Thomas Christians share the liturgical, spiritual and other ecclesiastical traditions with the East Syrian Church (therefore they are grouped under Chaldean Rite). At the same time the Christians of St. Thomas kept their distinctive character especially in Church administration and socio-cultural and ascetic- spiritual life. ^[7] At least from the 4th century until the end of the 16th century the Bishops of the Church of Malabar were sent from the East Syrian Church, appointed by the Patriarch of the East Syrian Church. ^[8] While the bishops originally hailing from Persia who arrived here were placed in charge of liturgy, the administration of the church remained under the control of the local Archdeacon, who was also the head of the local community. ^[7] The bishops who came from the East Syrian Church, were concerned with spiritual matters. Essentially, the Thomas Christians followed three distinct ways of activity in their religious sphere: their liturgy was of East Syrian Church:their culture was purely Indian:they had their own style of life. The governance of the Church was through Palliyogam, Synod, etc. as was prevalent in Oriental Churches. ^[9]

Fr.Placid Podipara says in an emblematic writing of his, “They are Hindu or Indian in culture, Christian in religion and Syro-Oriental in worship”. ^[10]

Arrival of Portuguese in Malabar

The Portuguese Admiral Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut on 20 May 1498. ^[11] When Vasco da Gama and the Portuguese missionaries arrived in India in 1498 they found no Christians in the country except in Malabar. The Christians they found were St. Thomas Christians. The Christians were friendly to Portuguese missionaries at first; there was an exchange of gifts between them, and these groups were delighted at their common faith. ^[12]. Later, due to certain differences mainly in the liturgy, the relations between them became more and more strained. Under the Padroado ( patronage) agreement with the Holy See the the Portuguese missionaries started to interfer and things took a turn for the worse. They suspected the Indian Christians of heresy and schism and wanted to introduce the Latin customs and Latin manner of ecclesiastical administration, severing the East Syrian connection. ^[13]

Portuguese started a Latin diocese in Goa (1534) and another at Cochin (1558) in the hope of bringing the Thomas Christians under their jurisdiction. ^[14] In a Goan Synod held in 1585, it was decided to introduce the Latin liturgy and practices among the Thomas Christians. In the Synod of Diamper of 1599, the Portuguese Archbishop, Don Alexis Menezes succeeded in appointing a Latin bishop to govern the Thomas Christians. The Portuguese padroado ( patronage) was extended over them. ^[15] The strife between the Portuguese missionaries and the indigenous Christians and their Mesopotamian prelates, was not of a truly doctrinal, but of an ecclesiological and jurisdictional character. ^[16] Every attempt to resist the latinization process was branded by them as heretical. Under the indigenous leader, Archdeacon, the Thomas Christians resisted, but the result was disastrous. Their efforts sowed seeds of disunity and division in the Indian Church which led to further divisions and disunity and as a result the once united Church, the Church that was in full communion with the See of Peter ended up in various denominations. ^[15]

Divisions among Saint Thomas Christians

The first solemn protest place in 1653 with the Koonan Cross Oath. Under the leadership of Archdeacon Thomas, the Thomas Christians publicly took an oath that they would not obey the Portuguese bishops and the Jesuit fathers. ^[17]

Rome send Carmelites in two groups under the Propagada Congregation to Malabar headed by Fr. Sebastiani and Fr. Hyacinth. Fr. Sebastiani arrived first in 1655. He began directly deal with the Archdeacon, Mar Thomas I. Fr. Sebastiani gained the support of many, especially with the support of Alexander Parampil, Alexandar Kadavil and the Vicar of Muttam, ( the three councilors of Mar Thomas I, who were reconciled with Gracia SJ before the arrival of Sebastaini according to Jesuit reports) . ^[17]

Between 1661 and 1662, out of the 116 churches, the Carmelites reclaimed eighty-four churches, leaving Archdeacon Mar Thomas I only thirty-two churches. The eighty-four churches and their congregations were the body from which the Syro Malabar Church have descended. The other thirty-two churches and their congregations represent the nucleus whence the Syriac Orthodox (Jacobites & Orthodox), Thoziyur, Mar Thoma (Reformed Syrians), Syro Malankra Catholics have originated. ^[18]

In 1665 Mar Gregorios, a Bishop send by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch arrived in India and the dissident group under the leadership of the Archdeacon welcomed him. ^[19] Though most of the Thomas Christians gradually relented in their strong opposition to the Western control, the arrival of the Bishop Mar Gregory of the Syriac Orthodox Church in 1665 marked the beginning of a formal schism among the Thomas Christians. Those who accepted the West Syrian theological and liturgical tradition of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioich of Mar Gregory became known as the New Party (Puthankuttukar). The Old Party (Pazhayakuttukar) remained in communion with Rome and they increasingly Latinized their rite and came to be known later as Syro Malabar Church. ^[19]

Restoration of the Syro Malabar Hierarchy

After being under Chaldean bishops earlier and under Latin Rite Roman Catholic bishops from 1599, St. Thomas Christians got their own dioceses from 1887. They came to be known as the Syro Malabar Catholics from that point on, to differentiate them from the Latin Rite Catholics in Kerala. A Syro Malabar Hierarchy was appointed on 21 December 1923 with Mar Augustine Kandathil as the first Metropolitan and Head of the Church ^[20].

Time line of events

Time line of events

• 1 Ancient Era
• 2 Portuguese Era
• 3 Era of Divisions
• 4 Arrival of the Protestants and further splits
• 5 Era of Self-governance
• 6 A Sui iuris Church.

Characteristics of the Syro-Malabar Church

Syro Malabar identity

In their isolation, the Church of St Thomas Christians developed surprisingly few originalities of dogma.

No historical records exist about the early church of Apostle Thomas Christians. All that is known with certainty is that they followed the Syriac Rite of Addai and Mari and they got a bishop from the Assyrian Church of the East/Chaldean Church.

Fr.Placid Podipara says in an emblematic writing of his, “They are Hindu or Indian in culture, Christian in religion and Syro-Oriental in worship.

The head of the Church of St. Thomas Christians, sent by the Assyrian Church of the East/Chaldean church assumed the title “The Metropolitan of All India”.

Liturgy

In the second half of 20th century, there was a movement for better understanding of the liturgical rites. A restored Eucharistic liturgy, drawing on the original East Syrian sources, was approved by Pope Pius XII in 1957 and for the first time on the feast of St. Thomas on July 3, 1962, the vernacular, Malayalam, was introduced for the celebration of the Syro-Malabar rite Mass.^[21]

Currently they celebrate the Divine Liturgy of Addai and Mari in Malayalam, Syriac or English.

The Latinization of the Syro-Malabar rite churches was brought to a head when in 1896 Ladislaus Zaleski, the Apostolic Delegate to India, requested permission to translate the Roman Pontifical into Syriac. This was the choice of the Malabar prelates, who chose it over the East Syrian Rite and West Syrian Rite pontificals. Various problems and concerns delayed the approval of this translation, until in 1934 Pope Pius XI decisively stated that Latinization was no longer to be encouraged among Eastern Rite Catholics.^[22] He thus initiated a process of liturgical reform that sought to restore the oriental nature of the heavily Latinized Syro-Malabar rite. ^[23] A restored Eucharistic liturgy, drawing on the original East Syrian sources, was approved by Pius XII in 1957 and introduced in 1962.Despite a reaffirmation of the main lines of the 1962 rite by the Oriental Congregation in 1985, however, there has been some resistance to this reform.

Faith and communion of Syro Malabarians

The St. Thomas Christians got their bishops from the Assyrian Church of the East/Chaldean Church till the end of the sixteenth century, until it was stopped by the Portuguese Roman Catholics in 1597, after the death of Mar Abraham.

Communication between Thomas Christians and Rome did not exist because the first European to come to Kerala was Vasco da Gama in 1498. Absence of direct communications or relations does not mean they were in schism with Rome.

About the attitude of the Thomas Christians, Fr. Dionisio S.J. writes: “About the Pope, they consider him as the Vicar of Christ, our Redeemer, on earth; (they consider) the Patriarch as subject to the Pope from whom he receives his power.” In fact it was by threatening them with excommunicatio latae sententiae that Dom Menezes, the Portuguese Latin prelate of Goa made the St. Thomas Christians sign the synod of Diamper. Schism cannot be charged till the communion has been broken (in mala or bona fide).

Liturgical calendar

Syro Malabar Church has its own seasons around the year. They are fixed according to the flow of salvation history. Concentrating themselves on Jesus of Nazareth, i.e., on the historical life of Jesus, the believers are led to the eschatological fulfilment, viz., the heavenly bliss, in this special arrangement of liturgical seasons.^[24]

There are nine seasons for the Liturgical Year. They are:

1. Annunciation (Subara)
2. Epiphany (Denha)
3. Great Fast (Sawma Rabba)
4. Resurrection (Qyamta)
5. Apostles (Slihe)
6. Summer (Qaita)
7. Elijah-Cross (Elijah-Sliba)
8. Moses (Muse)
9. Dedication of the Church (Qudas-Edta)

Major Feasts

Major feasts of the Church are, ^[25]

• Blessed Euphrasia- Commemorated on 29 August
• Mar Bartholomeo Sliha- Commemorated on 24 August
• Martha Simoni and her 7 Children- Commemorated on 21 August
• The Assumption of Marth Mariam. -Commemorated on 15 August
• Transfiguration-Commemorated on 6 August
• Mar Addai and Mar Mari- Commemorated on the Second Friday of Qaita (Summer)
• Marth Anna (Saint Alphonsa)- Commemorated on 28 July
• The 12 Apostles of our Lord, Iso' Misiha -Commemorated on 19 July
• The 70 Apostles -Commemorated on 17 July
• Mar Quriaqos and mother Yolethe-Commemorated on 15 July
• Dukrana of our Father in Faith- Mar Thoma Sliha Commemorated on July 3
• Mar Aprem- Commemorated on 9 June
• Blessed Mariam Thresia-Commemorated on 8 June
• Holy Pentecost- Commemorated on 31 May

• The Ascension of our Lord Iso' Misiha -Commemorated on 21 May
• Mar Addai Sleeha- Commemorated on 10 May
• Mar Geevarghese Sahadha- Commemorated on 24 April
• New Sunday- Commemorated on 19 April
• All Saints Day- Commemorated on the first Friday of the Season of Resurrection
• Entry of our Lord, Iso' Misiha into Jerusalem-Osana Sunday
• The Annunciation of Most Holy Mother-Commemorated on 25 March
• Rememberance of all Departed Faithful-Commemorated on Last Friday of Denha
• The feast of Denha, the Epiphany-Commemorated on 6 January
• Blessed Chavara Kuriakose Elias-Commemorated on 3 January
• The Nativity of our Lord, God and Saviour Iso M'siha-Commemorated on 25 December
• Mar Thoma Sliba-Commemorated on 18 December
• Immaculate Conception of Martha Mariam-Commemorated on 8 December
• Blessed Kunjachan-Commemorated on 16 October

Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Curia

The curia^[26] of the Syro-Malabar Church began to function in March 1993 at the archbishop’s house of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Later, on 27 May 1995, it was shifted to a newly purchased plot of land called Mount St. Thomas. The newly constructed curial building was opened on 3 July 1998. The administration of the Syro-Malabar Church has executive and judicial roles. The major archbishop, officials, various commissions, committees, and the permanent synod form the executive part. The permanent synod and other offices are formed in accordance with the CCEO. The officials include the chancellor, vice-chancellor, and other officers. Various commissions are appointed by the major archbishop: Liturgy, Pastoral care of the migrant and Evangelisation, Particular Law, Catechism, Ecumenism, Catholic Doctrine, Clergy and Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The members of the commissions are ordinarily bishops. But there are also priests in different commissions. For judicial activities there is the major archiepiscopal ordinary tribunal formed in accordance with CCEO and it has a statutes and sufficient personnel with a president, as its head. The Major archiepiscopal curia functions in the curial building in Kerala, India. They have prepared the particular law for their Church and promulgated part by part in Synodal News, the official Bulletin of this Church. There are statutes for the permanent synod, for the superior and ordinary tribunals. Regarding economo, CCEO c. 122 § 2 is specific in the particular law, that the term of the office shall be five years and the same person shall not be appointed for more than two terms consecutively.^[27]

Eparchies

There are 27 eparchies. Five of them are Archeparchies at present – Ernakulam-Angamaly, Changanacherry, Trichur, Tellicherry and Kottayam. There are other 11 eparchies – Bhadravathi, Belthangady, Irinjalakuda, Kanjirapally, Kothamangalam, Idukki, Mananthavady, Palai, Palghat, Thamarassery, and Thuckalay within the proper territory of the Major Archiepiscopal Church. There are 11 eparchies outside Kerala – Adilabad, Bijnor, Chanda, Gorakhpur, Jagdalpur, Kalyan, Rajkot, Sagar, Satna, Ujjain and the St. Thomas Eparchy of Chicago in the United States of America.^[28]

Metropolitan Archeparchies

The believers of this church are organized under 5 Archdioceses. All five are in Kerala.

• Metropolitan Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly
• Metropolitan Archeparchy Changanassery
• Metropolitan Archeparchy of Kottayam
• Metropolitan Archeparchy of Tellicherry
• Metropolitan Archeparchy of Thrissur

Eparchies

• Eparchy of Adilabad
• Eparchy of Belthangady
• Eparchy of Bhadravathi
• Eparchy of Bijnor
• Eparchy of Chanda
• Eparchy of Chicago
• Eparchy of Gorakhpur
• Eparchy of Idukki
• Eparchy of Irinjalakuda
• Eparchy of Jagadalpur
• Eparchy of Kalyan
• Eparchy of Kothamangalam
• Eparchy of Kanjirappally
• Eparchy of Mananthavady
• Eparchy of Palghat
• Eparchy of Palai
• Eparchy of Rajkot
• Eparchy of Sagar
• Eparchy of Satna
• Eparchy of Thuckalay
• Eparchy of Thamarassery
• Eparchy of Ujjain

Statistics

According to “Annuario Pontificio”- The Pontifical year Book for 2008, there are about 3,947,396 members in Syro Malabar Church.^[28]

Within the proper territory

There are Sixteen eparchies within the proper territory of the Syro Malabar Church.

Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Anagamaly has 510,000 members with 347 parishes, 731 religious/secular priests, 632 male religious and 4935 female religious. Archeparchy of Trichur has 471,328 members with 195 parishes, 418 religious/secular priests, 358 male religious and 3315 female religious. Eparchy of Idukki has 400,000 members with 129 parishes, 119 religious/secular priests, 109 male religious and 1320 female religious.

Archeparchy of Changanacherry has 390,000 members with 266 parishes, 615 religious/secular priests, 534 male religious and 2705 female religious. Eparchy of Palai has 348,128 members with 169 parishes, 502 religious/secular priests, 127 male religious and 3312 female religious. Archeparchy of Tellicherry has 317,782 members with 222 parishes, 293 religious/secular priests, 263 male religious and 1664 female religious.. Eparchy of Irinjalakuda has 258,200 members with 128 parishes, 233 religious/secular priests, 132 male religious and 2350 female religious.

Eparchy of Kothamangalam has 217,420 members with 115 parishes, 242 religious/secular priests, 163 male religious and 2210 female religious. Eparchy of Kanjirapally has 192,000 members with 136 parishes, 314 religious/secular priests, 210 male religious and 1840 female religious. Archeparchy of Kottayam has 175,300 members with 149 parishes, 161 religious/secular priests, 107 male religious and 1233 female religious. Eparchy of Mananthavady has 170,100 members with 140 parishes, 413 religious/secular priests, 358 male religious and 1546 female religious. Eparchy of Thamarasserry has 129,600 members with 128 parishes, 247 religious/secular priests, 257 male religious and 1321 female religious.. Eparchy of Palghat has 68,004 members with 106 parishes, 167 religious/secular priests, 82 male religious and 1360 female religious. ^[28]

According to a study conducted, in Kerala about 30 percent of the Syro Malabar Church members lived in the erstwhile Cochin State. The remaining 70 percent lived in Travancore state. In the Travancore State, Meenachil Taluk had the largest proportion, followed by Changanaserry Taluk. Erstwhile Cochin State, Meenachil and Changanaserry together had 56 percent of the total Syro Malabar Population. Kottayam, Thodupuzha,Cherthala,Mukundapuram(irinjalakkuda-chalakkudy),Wadakkancherry,Thrissur,North Parur,Aluva,Kanjirapally,Vaikom, Moovattupuzha, Kunnathunadu ,Kothamangalam,Ambalapuzha,Kuttanad,Peerumedu,Nedumkandam and Devikulam etc are the prominent taluks.^[28]

Outside the proper territory

There are Eleven eparchies outside the proper territory of the Syro Malabar Church.

Eparchy of Kalyan has 100,000 members with 106 parishes, 146 religious/secular priests, 105 male religious and 270 female religious. Eparchy of St Thomas of Chicago, USA has 85,000 members with 11 parishes, 45 religious/secular priests, 13 male religious and 16 female religious. Eparchy of Chanda has 14,079 members with 5 parishes, 51 religious/secular priests, 182 male religious and 352 female religious. Eparchy of Adilabad, has 13,273 members with 25 parishes, 50 religious/secular priests, 41 male religious and 143 female religious. Eparchy of Rajkot has 12,850 members with 12 parishes, 140 religious/secular priests, 142 male religious and 421 female religious. ^[30]

List of Prominent Syro-Malabar Catholics in History

Shared history with other Saint Thomas Christians

See also

• Saint Thomas Christians
• Knanaya Christians
• Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
• Saint Alphonsa
• Blessed Chavara
• Carmelites of Mary Immaculate
• Congregation of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
• Christianity in India
• Syrian Malabar Nasrani
• Goa Inquisition
• Thomas (Apostle)
• Rock crosses of Kerala

References

External material

References and bibliography

• Dr.Francis Eluvathingal (ed), Syro-Malabar Church Since the Eastern Code, Mary Matha Publications, Trichur, 2003.
• Dr.Francis Eluvathingal, "Patriarchal and Major Archiepiscopal Curia in the Eastern Catholic Legilations based on CCEO Canons 114-125" ORISI, Kottayam, 2009.

External links

• Syro-Malabar Church
• Archdiocese of Thrissur
• Archdiocese of Kottayam
• Archdiocese of Changanacherry
• Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly
• Archdiocese of Tellicherry
• The website for Synod of Diamper
• Welcome to Indian Christianity