Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

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The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is a Major Archiepiscopal Eastern Rite Church sui iuris with historical ties to the Chaldean Catholic Church in communion with the Church of Rome.

Contents

1 History
2 Timeline
3 Head
4 Dioceses

4.1 Archdioceses
4.2 Suffragan Dioceses
4.3 Mission Dioceses

5 See also
6 External links

History

Founded by Saint Thomas the Apostle, this church was known as the Saint Thomas Christians. Later, in the 4th century, a settlement of Jewish Christians was founded in Kottayam in Southern India by Thomas Kanai at the behest of the Catholicos of the Assyrian Church of the East.

There are two main schools of thoughts about the history of this church until 16th century. Some Church historians argue that this church was in communion with the Catholic Church even before 16th century. However the church did not have strong relations with Rome as it was outside the Roman Empire. But it was strongly in communion with the church in Persian Empire or the (Nestorian) Church of the East. They, deny, however any Nestorian tendencies, themselves.

Most of the Western historians are of the opinion that the controversial Synod of Diamper (1599) forcibly united the Syro-Malabar Church to the Catholic Church.

What is clear is that after the arrival of the Portuguese there were significant tensions regarding the appointment of Portuguese to positions of authority.Several incidence of violent repercussions against the St.Thomas christians by the Portuguese colonials, who were in haste to bring them under papal authority took place in the 16th and 17th centuries.Latinisation of the church followed.

In 1962 however the Pre-Diamper Chaldean Rite Liturgy was restored, though with some modifications. Currently the Divine Liturgy of Addai and Mari is celebrated in Malayalam, the native language of Kerala.

Timeline

AD 52 Arrival of St. Thomas the Apostle
72 Martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle at Mylapore
250-325 Bishops Mar David & Mar Yohannan ("Metropolitan of India")
345 Arrival of Thomas of Cana at Kodungalloor
9th Century Chaldean Patriarch, Timeotheus I sends Bishop Mar Sapore(Kollam) Mar Proth (Kodungalloor).
May 20, 1498 Vasco da Gama's arrival
1504 Bishop Mar Yacob (Kodungalloor)
June 6, 1542 Francis Xavier's preaching
1555 Bishop Mar Joseph takes charge.
1564 Mar Abraham appointed Archbishop of Angamaly (Pope Pius IV)
February 23,1565 Establishment of Archdiocese of Angamaly as Metropolitan see
1597 Mar Abraham the last Syrian Bishop died.
June 20, 1599 Synod of Diamper
December 7,1603 Angamaly Synod
December 3,1609 Archdiocese of Kodungalloor established
December 22,1610 Archbishop Menezes of Goa restricts the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of St. Thomas Christians from the north of Malabar to the south.
January 3, 1653, Coonan Cross Oath
December, 1647 Archbishop Garcia Appoints Fr. Jerome Furtado as Vicar General in place of the traditional Archdeacon
1657 Bishop Sebastiani OCD takes charge
January 31, 1663 Fr. Alexander Palliveettil (Parambil) appointed the first Syrian Vicar Apostolic of Malabar.
June 29, 1704 John Ribeiro S. J. appointed Abp. of Kodungalloor (Padroado)
December 16,1782 Mar Joseph Kariatty appointed Archbishop of Kodungalloor
September 10, 1786 Archbishop Kariatty dies. Paremmackal Thoma Kathanar Gubernador of the Archdiocese of Kodungalloor. This in which has been very difficult to deal with.
February 1, 1787 Angamaly Padiyola
December 30, 1822 - Mar Paulose O.P. Archbishop Kodungalloor
December 20, 1823 Mar Paulose Died in Ollicary, Kollam.
December 22, 1823 Mar Paulose buried in Metropolitan Church Changanassery
June 8, 1861 Fr. Kuriakos Elias Chavara appointed Vicar General for Syrians.
1865 Jurisdiction of East Syrian Patriarch over St. Thomas Christians terminated.
August 13, 1866 Establishment of Seminary at Puthenpally.
November 11, 1877 Bishop Marcellinus OCD appointed Bishop for the Syrians.
March 19, 1878 Bishop Marcellinus OCD .
1886 The Metropolitan See of Kodungalloor - Angamaly - suppressed. St. Thomas Christians placed under the Vicar Apostolic of Varapuzha.
May 20, 1887 Two independent Vicariates of Kottayam and Trissur for Syrians.(Quod Jampridem, Leo XIII)
July 28, 1896 Vicariate of Ernakulam created, with territories from both Vicariates. (Quae Rei Sacrae, Leo XIII)
December 21, 1923 Establishment of Syro Malabar Hierarchy with Ernakulam as the Metropolitan See (Romani Pontifices, Pope Pius XI).
June 1, 1932 Establishment of Mangalapuzha Seminary.
July 29, 1956 The diocese of Changanassery made Metropolitan See
July 3, 1962 Establishment of St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary , Vadavathoor
December 16, 1992 Major Archepiscopal see of Ernakulam - Angamali created.
January 29, 1993 Cardinal Antony Padiyara, the first Major Archbishop (Quae Majori Christifidelium ,John Paul II), Mar Abraham Kattumana, Pontifical Delegate
May 20, 1993 Cardinal Padiyara takes charge. First Synod of the Church.
May 27, 1995 Blessing and inauguration of the temporary headquarters of the Church at Kakanad
December 18, 1996 Cardinal Padiyara's resignation accepted. Archbishop Mar Varkey Vithayathil CSSR, Apostolic Administrator of Ernakulam-Angamali.
February 3, 1998 Major Archiepiscopal Headquarters at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad
November 9, 1998 First Major Archiepiscopal Assembly
July 6, 2001 In USA St. Thomas Diocese of Chicago established
March 2, 2003 Establishment of the Diocese of Idukki

Head

Cardinal Varkey Mar Vithayathil is Major Archbishop and head of the Church. He is based in the Ernakulam–Angamaly Diocese, Kerala, India.

Dioceses

Syro-Malabar Church has its presence all over the world. However the proper territory assigned for this Church is limited in India, that too in South India. There are 26 Syro-Malabar dioceses world wide though only 15 of them come under the direct control of the Major Archbishop. The rest of the dioceses are directly under the Pope and the Major Archbishop has only limited control over them.

Archdioceses

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

Suffragan Dioceses

Suffragan dioceses are those which come under any of the 5 Arch dioceses. There are 10 suffragans within the proper territory of Syro-Malabar Church.

Diocese of Kothamangalam
Diocese of Idukki
Diocese of Kanjirappally
Diocese of Pala
Diocese of Thuckalay
Diocese of Irinjalakkuda
Diocese of Palakkad
Diocese of Thamarassery
Diocese of Belthangady
Diocese of Mananthavady

Mission Dioceses

Mission dioceses are those which are outside the proper territory of the Church. There are 11 mission dioceses including one in North America. The mission dioceses are under the direct jurisdiction of the Holy See. These dioceses are suffragans of the nearby Latin Arch Dioceses.

Diocese of Adilabad
Diocese of Bijnor
Diocese of Chanda
Diocese of Ghorakpur
Diocese of Jagadalpur
Diocese of Kalyan
Diocese of Rajkot
Diocese of Sagar
Diocese of Satna
Diocese of Ujjain
St. Thomas Diocese of Chicago

External links

This article is part of the series on Eastern Christianity — Also see the

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