The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

The Syro-Malabar Church is an Oriental (Eastern Rite) Catholic Church, in full communion with the Church of Rome.

The Syro-Malabar Church, with its deep-rooted spirituality and high rate of vocations to priesthood, is considered the most vibrant Catholic Church in the world , and has a strength of nearly 4 million believers. It is the second largest of the 21 Oriental Catholic Churches, the largest being the Ukrainian Church with a strength of about 4.5 million believers.

Firm devotion, indomitable faith, deep-rooted spirituality, and rich traditions make the Syro-Malabar Church markedly special and vividly alive, making it an integral part of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

St Thomas Christians trace their origins and their faith to the missionary efforts of St Thomas the Apostle who landed at Kodungallur in Kerala in AD 52. Today, the Syro-Malabar Church is the major community of ancient St Thomas Christians in India.

The Syro-Malabar Church hierarchy was founded in 1923. Since then, the Syro-Malabar Church has grown by leaps and bounds, and spread to regions outside Kerala and even overseas.

The term Syro-Malabar is a reference to the East Syrian (Chaldean) tradition the Church has followed and to the Malabar Coast where St Thomas the Apostle landed.

The Syro-Malabar Church is one of the three Major Archiepiscopal Churches, the other two being the Syro-Malankara Church and the Ukrainian Church.

History of the Syro-Malabar Church

The Syro-Malabar Church traces its origin to the missionary works of St Thomas the Apostle who landed on the Malabar Coast in AD 52. Thus, it is clear that the Church has a long tradition and originated at the same time as did the first Christian thought.

St Thomas Christians are the Christians rooted on Indian soil, and the Syro-Malabar Church is the church that took root on Indian soil. Most of the Syro-Malabar Catholics live in Kerala, the cradle of Christianity in India.

The history of the Syro-Malabar Church is a long story of struggle, hope, and faith. The gift that Apostle Thomas gave has survived century after century, and today forms the epitome of rich traditions and unflinching Christian faith.

Formation of the Syro-Malabar Church

On May 20, 1887, Pope Leo XIII established two Vicariates Apostolic namely Kottayam and Trichur exclusively for St Thomas Christians, who shortly came to be known as Syro-Malabarese or Syro-Malabar Catholics, and appointed Dr Charles Lavigne (Kottayam) and Dr Adolph Medlycott (Trichur) as Vicars Apostolic.

This marked the beginning of the Syro-Malabar Church.

Growth of the Syro-Malabar Church

In 1896, Pope Leo XIII reorganized the whole territory of the then existing two Vicariates Apostolic of Trichur and Kottayam and created three Vicariates in their place, Ernakulam being the third. Mar Louis Pazheparampil was appointed as Vicar Apostolic of Ernakulam. Thus, the three bishops for India were: Louis Pazheparambil (Ernakulam), Mathew Makil (named Kottayam, but the areas of today's Changanasserry diocese AND today's Kottayam diocese), and John Menachery (Trichur). All these bishops were indigenous priests.

At this point, the territorial distribution was like this:
Ernakulam - today's Ernakulam
Trichur - today's Trichur
Kottayam - today's Changanasserry plus today's Kottayam

Knanaya Catholics who settled in the present Kottayam area had their own parishes. In 1911, Pope Pius X erected a separate Vicariate Apostolic (diocese) of Kottayam (by renaming already existing Kottayam to Changanasserry) for the Knanaya community within the Syro-Malabar Church, and transferred Mar Mathew Makil, the then Vicar Apostolic (bishop) of Changanacherry (until then Kottayam, just renamed to Changanasserry, present Changanasserry) to this newly established Kottayam diocese.

Thus began the diocese of Kottayam, a separate diocese within the Syro-Malabar Church exclusively for the Knanaya Catholic community.

On 21 December 1923, the Syro-Malabar Church Hierarchy was established. Ernakulam was raised to the status of an Archdiocese with the dioceses of Trichur, Changanacherry, and Kottayam as its suffragans (subordinates).

The Syro-Malabar Church has recorded phenomenal growth since then.

Note: A group of Jacobites embraced the Catholic faith in 1930, and the hierarchy was established in 1932. They are known as Syro-Malankara Catholics and the church is called the Syro-Malankara Church.

In 1992, the Syro-Malabar church was given the Major Archiepiscopal status.

In 1993, the Vatican granted the Syro-Malabar Church sui juris status or self-governing status, except in making episcopal appointments (that is, except in appointing bishops without the approval of the Vatican).

In the year 2004, the Vatican granted the Syro-Malabar Church autonomy in naming bishops. The synod of the Syro-Malabar Church was accorded full powers in deciding on liturgy and appointing bishops, with the episcopal appointments (bishops) only needing the Vatican's ratification.

Today, the Syro-Malabar Church is the second largest of the 21 Oriental Churches worldwide, second only to the Ukrainian Church. The Syro-Malabar Church is one of the three Major Archiepiscopal Churches, the other two being the Ukrainian Church and the Syro-Malankara Church.

Dioceses & Arch-Dioceses

The Syro-Malabar Church has 26 dioceses (four of which are Arch-dioceses). Thirteen of these dioceses are located in Kerala, 12 in other states of India, and the remaining one diocese in Chicago, USA.

Major Archbishop Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil is the head of the Syro-Malabar Church. The Arch-Diocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly is the major Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church. The Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Curia is located at St Thomas Mount, Kakkanad, near Cochin in Kerala.

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