117-644: The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic church based in Kerala, India. Syro-Malabar may also refer to: Syro-Malabar Catholic Church The Syro-Malabar Church , also known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church , is an Eastern Catholic church based in Kerala , India. It is a sui iuris (autonomous) particular church in full communion with the Holy See and
234-669: A bishop and regularised his episcopal succession. This led to the first lasting formal schism in the Saint Thomas Christian community. Thereafter, the faction affiliated with the Catholic Church under Bishop Palliveettil Chandy came to be known as Pazhayakuttukar (or "Old Allegiance"), and the branch affiliated with Thoma I came to be known as Puthenkūttukār (or "New Allegiance"). They were also known as Jacobite Syrians and they organized themselves as independent Malankara Church . The visits of prelates from
351-501: A bishop from among their own people, and chosen by themselves. At this point of time, the Portuguese missionaries attempted reconciliation with Saint Thomas Christians but were not successful. Later, Pope Alexander VII sent a Carmelite priest Joseph Sebastiani as the head of a Carmelite delegation. The Carmelites claimed that the ordination of the archdeacon by the clergy was not in accordance with church law. He managed to persuade
468-541: A copyist, on the other hand, the poor Syriac of the letters and the content style may indicate that they were forged in order to prepare and/or to justify the Coonan Cross revolt, by Saint Thomas Christian priests, having learned Syriac from Francisco Ros . He further highlights that the second letter, which served as basis for the enthronement of the Archdeacon Thomas, does not mention him by name, but on
585-712: A declaration of the Pazhayakūr gave the history of Saint Thomas Christians up to 1787 and advocated for the appointment of a native bishop that adhered to the local traditions. Latin Catholic Carmelite clergy from Europe served as bishops, and the Church along with the Latin Catholics was under the Apostolic Vicariate of Malabar (modern-day Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly ). In 1887,
702-673: A formal split among the Saint Thomas Christians into two factions: the Pazhayakuttukar, or "Old Allegiance," loyal to the Catholic Church under Bishop Palliveettil Chandy , and the Puthankuttukar , or "New Allegiance," led by Thoma I. The Pazhayakuttukar evolved into the modern Syro-Malabar Church and Chaldean Syrian Church , while the Puthankuttukar branched into several denominations, including
819-833: A letter of Dionysious Punnathara ( c. d 1825 ) (a nineteenth century prelate of the Malankara Syrian Church ) to the head of the Anglican Church Missionary Society from a translation of it out of the Syriac original: Mar Dionysius, Metropolitan of the Jacobite-Syrians in Malabar, subject to the authority of our Father, Mar Ignatius, Patriarch, who presides in the Apostolic See of Antioch of Syria, beloved of
936-673: A mass upsurge that heralded the breaking off from the Padroado of the Portuguese Crown and the Jesuits. " In case the patriarch cannot be produced, he having been killed by the Paulists [Jesuits], let any other person of the four religious orders come here by order of the supreme pontiff, a man who knows Syriac, and can teach us in our offices, except the Paulists, whom we do not at all desire, because they are enemies of us and of
1053-477: A pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Thomas and sent a letter through them to the Church of Malankara saying: Behold, I Ignatius, Patriarch of All India and China, send to you a letter through the clerics who came here from your place. When you have read this letter diligently send me two priests and forty men. If however, you wish to send them from your place, send them cautiously, quickly and soon, so that seeing your people they would release me without hindrance. I came to
1170-567: A video message to the people of Ernakulam-Angamaly asking them to only do the Uniform Mass starting Christmas and saying there will be punishment for those who do not. When Christmas came, only 290 Churches of 328 Churches held the Uniform Mass. The Vatican is now currently discussing further action. On 9 January 2024, Raphael Thattil was elected as major archbishop by the Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops. Pope Francis confirmed
1287-638: Is called Holy Qurbana in East Syriac Aramaic and means "Eucharist", is celebrated in its solemn form on Sundays and special occasions. During the celebration of the Qurbana, priests and deacons put on elaborate vestments which are unique to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. The most solemn form of Holy Mass (Holy Qurbana) is Rāsa , literally which means "Mystery". East Syriac liturgy has three anaphorae : those of
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#17328024666841404-770: Is no longer our bishop and we are no longer the subjects of his diocese, unless the Patriarch comes to Malankara and we see him before our very eyes. In order for a bishop to rule our church according to the order of the holy church, it is imperative that Thomas Arcadiacon himself should rule from now on. For this cause the executives are Ittithoman Kathanar of Kallissery Church, Kadavil Chandi kathanar of Kaduthuruthy Church, Vengur Geevarghese Kathanar of Angamaly Church and Chandi kathanar of Kuravilangad Church, and all this four be in charge and they must assemble every three years [regularly] to discuss and to order. Kadavil Chandi Kathanar inscribes this as per this declaration. Sanpaloor
1521-661: Is predominantly of the Malayali ethnic group who speak Malayalam , although there are a minority of Tamils , Telugus , and North Indians from the various eparchies outside Kerala. Following emigration of the Church's members, eparchies have been established in other parts of India and in other countries to serve especially the diaspora living in the Western world . There are four eparchies outside of India, located in English-speaking countries: Australia , Canada ,
1638-627: Is the equivalent of St. Paul's monastery or town, a Portuguese stronghold near Vaippikotta. It was so called because the Paulists or Jesuits resided there. After the Coonan Cross Oath, three letters were circulated, purportedly sent by Ahathalla. One of these letters, read at a meeting in Edappally on 5 February 1653, granted the Archdeacon certain powers of the archbishop. Following this, a large group recognized Archdeacon Thomas as
1755-476: Is the famous oath of the "Coonan Cross" (the open-air Cross which stands outside the church at Mattancherry ). The Saint Thomas Christians did not at any point suggest that they wished to separate themselves from the Pope. They could no longer tolerate the arrogance of Garcia. And their detestation of the Jesuits, to whose overbearing attitude and lack of sympathy they attributed all their troubles, breathes through all
1872-949: Is the oldest of the extant seminaries of the church. However, the Saint Thomas Seminary in Vadavathoor is the first seminary to be established under the Syro-Malabar hierarchy. Saint Thomas Christian denominations Syro-Malabar Catholic , Syro-Malankara Catholic , Latin Catholic Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church , Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Malabar Independent Syrian Church Coonan Cross Oath Archdeacon Thomas , Anjilimmoottil Ittythomman Kathanar Archbishop Francis Garcia, Portuguese missionaries The Coonan Cross Oath (alternatively spelled Koonan Cross Oath ), also known as
1989-718: The Archdiocese of Goa and appointed the Jesuit Francisco Ros as Bishop of Angamaly. Menezes held the Synod of Diamper in 1599 to bring the Saint Thomas Christians under the complete authority of the Latin Church . The oppressive rule of the Portuguese padroado eventually led to a revolt in 1653, known as the Coonan Cross Oath . The Thomas Christians including their native priests assembled in
2106-678: The East Church of Angamāly in the year 1596. Then the Sanpaloor padre [Jesuits priests] stopped the arrival of other Syrians, and oppressed our people, and ruled over them with an iron rule. However, another Syrian Metran [bishop, referring to Ahattalla] arrived at Cochin with the view of coming to us; but soon the news reached us that he had come to an untimely death by being drowned in the sea. Upon this our forefathers assembled at Mattancherry, and took an oath that neither they themselves, nor their descendants, should ever have anything to do with
2223-614: The East Syriac liturgy and origins in Malabar (modern Kerala). The name has been in usage in official Vatican documents since the nineteenth century. The Syro-Malabar Church is primarily based in India; with five metropolitan archeparchies and ten suffragan eparchies in Kerala, there are 17 eparchies in other parts of India, and four eparchies outside India. The Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops canonically convoked and presided over by
2340-1695: The Great Oath of Bent Cross or Leaning Cross Oath , was taken on 3 January 1653, in Mattancherry , by a significant portion of the Saint Thomas Christian community in the Malabar region of India . This public declaration marked their refusal to submit to the authority of the Jesuits and the Latin Catholic hierarchy, as well as their rejection of Portuguese dominance in both ecclesiastical and secular matters. Saint Thomas Christian denominations Syro-Malabar Catholic , Syro-Malankara Catholic , Latin Catholic Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church , Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Malabar Independent Syrian Church Chaldean Syrian Mar Thoma Syrian , St. Thomas Evangelical Protestant denominations Andhra Evangelical Lutheran , Assemblies Jehovah Shammah , Christian Revival Church , Church of North India , Church of South India , Garo Baptist , Indian Brethren , Indian Pentecostal Church of God , Church of God (Full Gospel) , North Bank Baptist Christian , Northern Evangelical Lutheran , Methodist Church , Presbyterian , The Pentecostal Mission , Seventh-day Adventist , United Evangelical Lutheran The Portuguese had established political and religious control over parts of India, seeking to enforce Latin Catholic practices upon
2457-821: The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church , the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church , and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church . Saint Thomas Christians of Malabar was in communion with the Church of the East from 300 to 1599 by Portuguese. Saint Thomas Christians looked to Catholicos-Patriarch of the Church of the East for ecclesiastical authority. Although the bishops from the Middle East were
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#17328024666842574-623: The Malabar Independent Syrian Church , the Marthoma Syrian Church , and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church have originated. In 1663, with the conquest of Cochin by the Dutch , the control of the Portuguese on the Malabar coast was lost. The Dutch declared that all the Portuguese missionaries had to leave Kerala. Before leaving Kerala, on 1 February 1663 Sebastiani consecrated Palliveettil Chandy as
2691-670: The Oriental Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch . Bishop Abdul Jaleel regularised the Episcopal succession of Thoma I. With this, the split among the Saint Thomas Christians became formal. The faction affiliated with the Catholic Church under Bishop Palliveettil Chandy , referred themselves as Pazhayakuttukar , or "Old Allegiance", and called the branch affiliated with Thoma I as Puthankuttukar , or "New Allegiance". These appellations have been somewhat controversial, though, as both parties considered themselves
2808-656: The Propagation of the Faith to Malabar headed by Fr. Sebastiani and Fr. Hyacinth. Fr. Sebastiani arrived first in 1655 and began to speak directly with the Thoma I . Fr. Sebastiani, with the help of Portuguese, gained the support of many, especially with the support of Palliveettil Chandy , Kadavil Chandy Kathanar and Vengoor Geevarghese Kathanar. These were the three of the four counselors of Thoma I, who had defected with Francisco Garcia Mendes, Archbishop of Cranganore , before
2925-706: The Second Vatican Council reform: the liturgy of the word would be celebrated coram populo , while the rest of the Qurbana would be celebrated facing the altar. After hearing this announcement, many priests of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly announced that they would continue their public facing Qurbana. Pope Francis appointed Cyril Vasiľ as the Pontifical Delegate and Andrews Thazhath as Apostolic Administrator for
3042-610: The Society of Jesus (Jesuits), attempted to Latinise the Indian Christians. The Portuguese started a Latin Church diocese in Goa (1534) and another at Cochin (1558), and sought to bring the Saint Thomas Christians under the jurisdiction of the Portuguese padroado and into the Latin Church of the Catholic Church. A series of synods , including the 1585 Synod of Goa , were held, which introduced Latinized elements to
3159-610: The Syriac of these letters is very strange. The first two letters are written in a similar style, incidentally not so good Syriac, but the third one is written in a different style. Some of the historians in Kerala think that second and third letters are forgeries and some consider all three are genuine. Perczel says that it is difficult to conclude the authenticity of these letters; first and second letters are in poor Syriac, with possible Malayalam influences and moreover first letter contains so many absurd errors too; these may be simply due to
3276-922: The Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch continued since then and this led to gradual replacement of the East Syriac Rite liturgy with the West Syriac Rite and the Puthenkūttukār affiliated to the Miaphysite Christology of the Oriental Orthodox Communion . The Pazhayakuttukar faction remained in communion with the Catholic and preserved the traditional East Syriac (Persian) liturgy and Dyophysite Christology . They were also known as Romo-Syrians or Syrian Catholics . They also used
3393-503: The Syrian churches ; and when he had assembled all the priests, students and Christians, they heard that Portuguese had brought Mar Ignatius , the patriarch to Cochin. They all immediately arose and went to Cochin Rajah, decalared to him their grievances, and entered him to deliver their patriarch out of the hands of the Portuguese. The Rajah replied that he would certainly deliver him to them
3510-523: The United Kingdom , and United States . Saint Alphonsa is the Church's first canonized saint, followed by Saint Kuriakose Chavara , Saint Euphrasia , and Saint Mariam Thresia . The Syro-Malabar Church is one of the two Eastern Catholic Churches in India, the other being the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church , which represents the faction of the Puthenkoor that returned to full communion with
3627-666: The oriental nature of the Latinized Syro-Malabar rite. In 2021, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church adopted a uniformed manner of celebration liturgies, removing the practice of facing versus populum during the Liturgy of Eucharist . Following this, there has been sustained dissent by some clergy and laity in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. The Syro-Malabar Church has its own liturgical year , structured around eight liturgical seasons: The curia of
Syro-Malabar (disambiguation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-531: The schism of 1552 , a portion of the Church of the East entered communion with the Holy See of Rome, forming what became the modern-day Chaldean Catholic Church . Throughout the later half of the 16th century, the Malabar Church was under Chaldean Catholic jurisdiction as the Archdiocese of Angamaly . Through the Synod of Diamper of 1599, the Chaldean jurisdiction was abolished and the Malabar Church
3861-462: The 116 churches in existence were in favor of Sebastiani, leaving only 32 churches in favor of Thoma I. However, in 1663, with the conquest of Cochin by the Dutch , the control of the Portuguese on the Malabar coast was lost. The Dutch declared that all the Portuguese missionaries had to leave Kerala. Before leaving Kerala, on 1 February 1663 Sebastiani consecrated Palliveettil Chandy as the Metran of
3978-555: The 54-year-old Padroado supremacy of the Portuguese Crown over the Thomas Christians which was imposed at the Synod of Diamper in 1599. The exact wordings of the Coonan Cross Oath is disputed. There are various versions on the wording of swearing. Stephen Neill , a Scottish Anglican Protestant missionary and historian, in his book A History of Christianity in India: The Beginnings to AD 1707 explains
4095-407: The Administrator of Kodungalloor Archdiocese after him. The new administrator ran the affairs of the church, establishing his headquarters at Angamaly . In 1790, the headquarters of the Archdiocese was shifted to Vadayar , dodging the invasion of Tippu Sultan . In the last four years of his life, Thomma Kathanar managed church administration from his own parish, Ramapuram . Angamaly Padiyola ,
4212-417: The Anaphora of Theodore which was withdrawn from use after the Synod of Diamper (a large number of churches used it up to 1896) is being used again in the Syro-Malabar Church after 415 years is indeed an important historical reality. In a way the Syro-Malabar church rejected the Synod of Diamper . Pope Pius XII during the process of restoration of the Syro-Malabar Qurbana in 1957 had requested the restoration of
4329-421: The Anaphorae of Theodore and Nestorius. The draft of the Anaphora of Theodore was restored after meticulous study by the Central Liturgical Committee, Liturgical Research Centre, various sub-committees, and the eparchial liturgical commissions. Many changes befitting to the times have been made in the prayers, maintaining maximum fidelity to the original text of the Second Anaphora. It was this text so prepared that
4446-474: The Archdeacon. On 22 May 1653, at a general meeting held in Alangad , twelve priests laid hands on Archdeacon Thoma, proclaiming him bishop. After the consecration of Thoma I, The information about this consecration was then communicated to all the churches. The vast majority of churches accepted Thoma I as their bishop. At this point of time, Portuguese authorities requested direct intervention of Rome and hence Pope sent Carmelite Missionaries in two groups from
4563-463: The Archdiocese in matters of solving the crisis but was unsuccessful. On 7 December 2023, Pope Francis wrote in a letter to George Alencherry accepting his resignation as Major Archbishop of Ernakulam–Angamaly . He also accepted the resignation of Andrews Thazhath as the Apostolic Administrator and appointed Bosco Puthur , due to Thazhath being the Archbishop of Trichur and President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India. Pope Francis then made
4680-405: The Carmelites claimed 84 churches, leaving the native archdeacon Thoma I with 32 churches. The 84 churches and their congregations were the body from which the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church has descended. The other 32 churches and their congregations represented the nucleus from which the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church), the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church ,
4797-421: The Coonan Cross Oath in his letter entitled " The antiquity of the Syrian Christians, and Historical events relating to them " addressed to Jacobus Canter Visscher , a Dutch chaplain at Kochi (1717 –1720). Following is the excerpt from the letter: In the meantime a priest called Mar Matti [referring to Ahattalla] came to Maliapore sent by the Catholic Patriarch. The Portuguese apprehended him and brought him into
Syro-Malabar (disambiguation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-434: The East shared communion with the Roman Imperial Church , within Nicene Christianity , until the Council of Ephesus in the 5th century, separating primarily over differences in Christology and for political reasons. The Syro-Malabar Church uses a variant of the East Syriac Rite, which dates back to 3rd century Edessa , Upper Mesopotamia . As such it is a part of Syriac Christianity by liturgy and heritage. After
5031-401: The Holy Apostles (Saints Mar Addai and Mar Mari ), Mar Theodore Mpašqana , and Mar Nestorius . The first is the most popularly and extensively used. The second is used (except when the third is ordered) from Advent to Palm Sunday . The third was traditionally used on the Epiphany and the feasts of St. John the Baptist and of the Greek Doctors , both of which occur in Epiphany-tide on
5148-424: The Holy See established two Apostolic Vicariates , Thrissur and Kottayam (later Changanassery) under the guidance of indigenous Syro-Malabar bishops, and named the Church as "The Syro-Malabar Church" to distinguish them from the Latins. The Holy See re-organized the Apostolic Vicariates in 1896 into three Apostolic Vicariates ( Thrissur , Ernakulam , and Changanassery ). A fourth Apostolic Vicariate ( Kottayam )
5265-419: The Holy See in 1930. It is believed that the Saint Thomas Christians in Malabar came into contact with the Persian Church of the East in the middle of the 4th century. Saint Thomas Christians looked to Catholicos-Patriarch of the Church of the East for ecclesiastical authority. Although the bishops from the Middle East were the spiritual rulers of the Church, the general administration of the Church of Kerala
5382-409: The Jesuits, who represented and ruled the Latin Church of India in 1599. In a way, the SyroMalabar church rejected the Synod of Diamber (Udayamperoor) by restoring the Anaphora of Theodore and Anaphora of Nestorius. Liturgical latinisation was furthered in 1896 by Ladislaus Zaleski , the Apostolic Delegate to India , who requested permission to translate the Roman Pontifical into Syriac . This
5499-409: The Latin Catholic Church under Bishop Parambil Chandy , the native Apostolic vicar of Malabar . During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Archdiocese of Cranganore remained under the Syro-Malabar, but it was later suppressed and integrated into the modern day Latin Archdiocese of Verapoly . After more than two centuries under the hegemony of the Latin Church, in 1887 Pope Leo XIII fully emancipated
5616-402: The Latin patriarch of Venice as arranged by the Pope Pius IV (1559–1565) in Rome. Subsequently, Abraham was appointed by Pope as Archbishop of Angamaly , with letters to the Archbishop of Goa and the Bishop of Cochin. In 1597, Abraham of Angamaly died. The Catholic Portuguese padroado Archbishop of Goa , Aleixo de Menezes , downgraded the Angamaly Archdiocese into a suffragan diocese of
5733-417: The Messiah. Love from Christ and the people of all the churches to Lord Gambier and .... In the year of our Lord 1653, came our Spiritual Father, Mar Ignatius, the Patriarch, from Antioch to Malabar: but, when the Franks knew this, they brought the Holy Man to the walls of Cochin, imprisoned him in a cell and gave no small money to the King of Cochin. They then brought out the good man, and the drowned him in
5850-447: The Metran of the Catholic St. Thomas Christians. Thoma I, meanwhile sent requests to various Oriental Churches to receive canonical consecration as bishop. In 1665 Gregorios Abdal Jaleel , a bishop sent by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch , arrived in India. The independent group under the leadership of Thoma I which resisted the authority of the Portuguese padroado welcomed him. Abdal Jaleel consecrated Thoma I canonically as
5967-496: The Metropolitan See, with Augustine Kandathil as the first head and archbishop. As such, the Syro-Malabar Church became an autonomous sui iuris Eastern Catholic Church. The Syro-Malabars are unique among Catholics in their inculturation with traditional Hindu customs through Saint Thomas Christian heritage. Scholar and theologian Placid Podipara describes the Saint Thomas Christian community as "Hindu in culture, Christian in religion, and Oriental in worship." The Church
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#17328024666846084-472: The Oriental Churches – CCEO) as Monasteries, Hermitages, Orders, Congregations, Societies of Common Life in the Manner of Religious, Secular Institutes, and Societies of Apostolic Life. Active are: Seminaries of the Syro-Malabar Church are under the general supervision of the Roman Congregation for the Eastern Churches and share the Major archbishop as their common Chancellor. Saint Joseph's Seminary in Mangalapuzha, established by Syrian Catholics in 1865,
6201-408: The Pfarangi Church of Rome. Here, the oath is narrated as an opposition to the Church of Rome itself. István Perczel , a Hungarian scholar of early Christianity and a leading expert on the Saint Thomas Christians, describes the oath as follows: Yet, under the Jesuit archbishops that followed him [Francisco Ros] in the see of Cranganore, the situation deteriorated, finally leading to a revolt of
6318-519: The Portuguese referred to as "Nestorians," largely resisted these latinizations, as they were seen as an infringement on their longstanding religious customs. A key figure in this resistance was Ahatallah , a Syrian bishop who arrived in India and was regarded by many Saint Thomas Christians as a potential leader capable of restoring their traditional practices. His capture by Portuguese authorities, who feared his influence, and his subsequent mysterious disappearance only fueled further resistance among
6435-414: The Portuguese. In Angamaly Padiyola , declaration of the Syrian Catholics (Pazhayakoor faction of Saint Thomas Christians) proclaimed in 1787, narrates the oath as the following: Our forefathers received the true faith of Jesus Christ at the hands of the Apostle Saint Thomas. Upon this, Chaldean Syrian bishops ruled over us up to the time of the death of the Metropolitan Mar Abraham, which took place in
6552-500: The Saint Thomas Christians. By 1653, dissatisfaction with the Latin Church’s increasing control had grown significantly. The disappearance of Ahatallah played a direct role in prompting the Coonan Cross Oath, as the community feared the complete erosion of their traditions under Portuguese rule. After the oath, Thoma I sought canonical consecration as a bishop, leading to Gregorios Abdal Jaleel 's arrival in India in 1665, who regularized Thoma I's Episcopal succession. This established
6669-454: The Sanpaloor padre. They subsequently assembled at Allangād church, where they duly nominated Archdeacon Thoma as their bishop. The Church Missionary Society (CMS) report for the year 1818-19 (page 319) includes an abstract of a brief history of Malankara Syrian Church (Puthenkoor faction of Saint Thomas Christians) preserved among themselves as their history. Here the situation is explained as below: The archdeacon addressed letters to all
6786-399: The Syro Malabar Catholics from 1932 onwards to differentiate them from the Syro-Malankara Catholics in Kerala. The Indian East Syriac Catholic hierarchy was restored on 21 December 1923 with Augustine Kandathil as the first Metropolitan and Head of the Church with the name Syro-Malabar. In 2021, the Syro Malabar Synod of Bishops announced that the celebration of the Qurbana according to
6903-409: The Syro-Malabar Church began to function in March 1993 at the archbishop's house of Ernakulam-Angamaly. In May 1995, it was shifted to new premises at Mount St. Thomas near Kakkanad , Kochi . The newly constructed curial building was opened in July 1998. The administration of the Syro-Malabar Church has executive and judicial roles. The major archbishop, officials, various commissions, committees, and
7020-414: The Syro-Malabars, though the Archdiocese of Verapoly remained as the jurisdiction for Latin Catholics. He established two Apostolic Vicariates for Syro-Malabar, Thrissur and Changanassery (originally named Kottayam), and in 1896, the Vicariate of Ernakulam was erected as well, governed by indigenous Syro-Malabar bishops. In 1923, the Syro-Malabar hierarchy was organized and unified under Ernakulam as
7137-444: The Thomas Christians became extremely exasperated. On 3 January 1653, Archdeacon Thomas and representatives from the community assembled at Our Lady of Life Church, (Nossa Senhora da Vida) at Mattancherry to swear "never to submit to the Portuguese". Standing in front of a granite cross, the oath was read aloud with lighted candles, with the Archdeacon and the leading priests touching the Bible. The number of people who took part in
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#17328024666847254-432: The Thomas Christians were very real and could not be contained for long. Archdeacon Thomas , the leader of the Saint Thomas Christians had come to the conclusion that no remedy for their sufferings, other than the arrival of an Eastern bishop of the tradition to which they had been accustomed through the centuries. He wrote letters to the Coptic patriarch in Alexandria, the Jacobite patriarch of Antioch asking them to provide
7371-410: The Thomas Christians who adhered to the Church of Rome. Thoma I, meanwhile sent requests to various Oriental Churches to receive canonical consecration as bishop. In 1665, Gregorios Abdal Jaleel , a bishop sent by the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, arrived in India and the faction under the leadership of Thoma I welcomed him. The bishop was sent in correspondence to the letter sent by Thoma to
7488-467: The Thomas Christians, including advisors of Thoma I metran Palliveettil Chandy and Kadavil Chandy Kathanar . As the validity of Thoma I's consecration was questioned, he began to lose followers. In the meantime, Sebastiani returned to Rome and was ordained as bishop by Pope on 15 December 1659. Joseph Sebastiani returned to Kerala in 1661 and within a short time period he restored most of the churches that had been with Thoma I to Rome. Thus, by 1663, 84 of
7605-409: The United States, St. Thomas the Apostle Eparchy of Melbourne in Australia, Eparchy of Great Britain, and Eparchy of Mississauga, Canada enjoy personal jurisdiction. Most believers of this church are organized under five metropolitan archeparchies (archdioceses), all in Kerala, and their suffragan eparchies. The Religious Congregations are divided in the Eastern Catholic Church Law (Code of Canons of
7722-401: The Wednesday of the Rogation of the Ninevites, and on Maundy Thursday. The same pro-anaphoral part (Liturgy of the Word) serves for all three. In the second half of the 20th century, there was a movement for better understanding of the liturgical rites. A restored Eucharistic liturgy, drawing on the original East Syriac sources, was approved by Pope Pius XII in 1957, and for the first time on
7839-419: The absence of a bishop, twelve priests could lay hands on Archdeacon Thomas, which would suffice for episcopal consecration. The authenticity of these letters remains debated. Some believe the letters may have been forged by Anjilimoottil Itty Thommen Kathanar, a skilled Syriac writer. Others suggest that the letters may reflect an ancient Alexandrian Church tradition of elevating a presbyter to patriarch through
7956-399: The arrival of Sebastaini, according to Jesuit reports. The Carmelite missionaries succeeded in convincing a group of St.Thomas Christians that the consecration of Archdeacon as bishop was not legitimate and Thoma I started losing his followers. In the meantime, Sebastiani returned to Rome and was ordained as bishop by Pope on 15 December 1659. Between 1661 and 1662, out of the 116 churches,
8073-427: The bishopric had to distort the contents of this letter to justify what they did among others they attributed to Archdeacon Thomas the rights given by the letter to George Parambil. After the consecration of Thoma I, The information about this consecration was then communicated to all the churches. The vast majority of churches accepted Thoma I as their bishop. Thus, for the first time in history, Thomas Christians had
8190-404: The church of Our Lady at Mattancherry near Cochin , formally stood before a crucifix and lighted candles and solemnly swore an oath upon the Gospel that they never again accept another European prelate. The exact wording used in Coonan Cross Oath is disputed. There are various versions about the wording of oath, one version being that the oath was directed against the Portuguese, another that it
8307-413: The church of Rome; with that exception let anybody come, and we are ready to obey without hesitation. " The Thomas Christians made one more attempt to reach some kind of compromise before proceeding to extreme measures. They wrote to Archbishop Garcia, requesting him to come and meet them but Garcia refused to accept the invitation. Seeing that the Archbishop thus turned a deaf ear to their insistent pleas,
8424-561: The city of Mylapore thinking that many people come here, and that priests would get me to your place of the Indias. In the year 1652 of our Lord, in the month of August, on Monday, I arrived in Mylapore in the monastery of the Jesuits. In the same monastery I stay, and they help me very much; may their reward increase here and there. Peace be with them, with you, and with us now and always. Amen. I, Ignatius, Patriarch of All India and China. He
8541-496: The city, and afterwards dragged him to the harbour and cast him into the water. On hearing this, the Christians of Malabar assembled in the church of Mar Tancheri [Mattancherry], took counsel together, bound themselves by oath, and thus threw off the Portuguese yoke from their necks; having first written and signed a letter declaring that from that time forward and for ever, they would have nothing more to do, for good or evil, with
8658-526: The civil and religious authorities in Cochin, for at least an opportunity to visit Ahatallah, to examine his credentials and to verify his identity, promising that if he was found an imposter, they would be the first to press for his punishment. Due to the staunch and intransigent opposition of Archbishop Garcia and the Jesuit priests it did not happen. They informed him that the ship had already sailed for Goa. It
8775-544: The commissions are ordinarily bishops, but include priests. For judicial activities there is the major archiepiscopal ordinary tribunal formed in accordance with CCEO which has a statutes and sufficient personnel, with a president as its head. At present, Rev. Dr. Jose Chiramel is the president. The Major archiepiscopal curia functions in the curial building in Kerala, India. They have prepared the particular law for their Church and promulgated it part by part in Synodal News,
8892-524: The communion of the Catholic Church after the Latin Church . The Syro-Malabar Church traces its origins to Thomas the Apostle 's evangelization efforts in 1st-century AD India. The earliest recorded organised Christian presence in India dates to the 4th century, when Persian missionaries of the East Syriac Rite tradition, members of what later became the Church of the East , established themselves in modern-day Kerala and Sri Lanka . The Church of
9009-466: The community against the Portuguese and the Jesuits, the celebrated Oath of the Slanting Cross (kūnan kuriśu satyam). The Christians rejected their obedience to the Portuguese and the Jesuits, the then archdeacon, Thomas Pakalomaṭṭam, was consecrated metropolitan of India with the name Mar Thoma, and the community pledged their obedience to the Chaldean patriarch. Mar Gabriel gives a narrative of
9126-470: The contrary instructs the Saint Thomas Christians to appoint Deacon George Parambil as the Archdeacon and to establish a body consisting of 12 presbyters in order to elect the Metropolitan after the death of Francis Garcia. Perczel comments that this contradicts the hypothesis of a forgery by the authors of the Coonan Cross revolt. In fact, those who conducted the revolt and ordained Archdeacon Thomas to
9243-455: The documents of the time. But let the Pope send them a true bishop, not a Jesuit, and they will be pleased to receive and obey him. Stephen Neil describes the oath only as an expression of anger against Archbishop Garcia and the Jesuits. Another Church historian Dietmar W. Winkler also shares the opinion that Coonan Cross Oath was not against the see of Rome, but against the Latin archbishop and
9360-660: The ecclesiastical provinces of the church at present, all in Kerala: Ernakulam-Angamaly, Changanacherry, Trichur, Tellicherry, and Kottayam. Archeparchy of Kottayam enjoys personal jurisdiction over the Southist (Knanaya) Syro-Malabar catholics whereas the remaining four are with mutually exclusive territories. These have another 13 suffragan eparchies: Bhadravathi, Belthangady, Irinjalakuda, Kanjirapally, Kothamangalam, Idukki, Mananthavady, Mandya, Palai, Palghat, Ramanathapuram, Thamarassery, and Thuckalay within
9477-542: The election, with Thattil now heading the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. As per the East Syriac tradition, liturgical day of the Syro-Malabar Church starts at sunset (6 pm). Also the worshiper has to face the East while worshiping. This is not followed after Latinization. According to the East Syriac (Edessan or Persian) tradition, the following are the seven times of prayer: The Holy Mass, which
9594-521: The existing provinces of the church. There are 13 further eparchies within the canonical territory of the Major Archiepiscopal Church of which Adilabad, Bijnor, Chanda, Gorakhpur, Jagdalpur, Rajkot, Sagar, Satna, and Ujjain in India are with exclusive jurisdiction within Latin provinces and Kalyan, Faridabad, Hosur and Shamshabad are with personal jurisdiction over Syro-Malabar catholics in India. The St. Thomas Eparchy of Chicago in
9711-558: The faith of the Pope. Here, the oath is interpreted as an opposition to the Pope himself. As per the Idavakapathrika magazine (book 5, volume 3, Meenam ) published in 1896 edited by E.M. Philip, a Syriac Orthodox historian and author, the Mattancherry Padiyola describes the oath as the following: On the 3rd of Makaram of the 1653rd year after the birth of Māran [Lord] Isho Mishiha [Jesus Christ], this
9828-721: The feast of St. Thomas on 3 July 1962 the vernacular, Malayalam , was introduced for the celebration of the Syro-Malabar Qurbana. Currently they celebrate the Divine Liturgy of Addai and Mari and the Anaphora of Theodre in mostly Malayalam, with Syriac and English influences. Besides the Anaphora of Mar Addai and Mar Mari being used currently in Syro-Malabar liturgy, there are two more anaphorae known as Anaphora of Theodore and Anaphora of Nestorius . That
9945-847: The first Major Archbishop . The Syro-Malabar Church shares the same liturgy with the Chaldean Catholic Church based in Iraq and the independent Assyrian Church of the East based in Iraq , including its archdiocese the Chaldean Syrian Church of India . The Syro-Malabar Church is the third-largest particular church ( sui juris ) in the Catholic Church, after the Latin Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church . The Catholic Saint Thomas Christians ( Pazhayakūttukār ) came to be known as
10062-522: The first letter, Ahathalla informs Saint Thomas Christians of his coming to India and his detention by the Jesuits; in the second letter, he gives the order for Deacon George (George Parampil, one of his visitors at Mylapore) to be ordained Archdeacon and for the Saint Thomas Christians to establish a body consisting of 12 presbyters, one of whom should be elected as bishop; and in the third letter he legislates that Metropolitan Thoma I should be nominated as Patriarch of all India. István Perczel, observes that
10179-447: The following morning. He immediately sent for the Portuguese governor of Cochin fort, and said to him "You have confined the patriarch of our Christians, and nothing will satisfy me but your delivering him up to them without any delay". The Portuguese however, gave the Rajah a great sum of money, by the consideration of which he allowed them to retain the prisoner. The same night they tied a great stone to patriarch's neck, and threw him into
10296-549: The following words "There remains in this city a good old man of eighty years, a foreigner, who was lodging with the late monsignor Archbishop of Myra. They say he is the Patriarch of Antioch. Be that it may, he is alone and has no mark of prelacy". Thekkedath also adds that most probably, Ahatalla died in Paris. The treatment of Ahatalla, shocked the Thomas Christian community, and their wounded feelings effervesced into
10413-482: The laying on of hands by fellow presbyters. Archdeacon Parambil Thomas was ultimately consecrated as Metropolitan by twelve priests, taking the title Thoma I . Copies of three letters which are said to be written by said to be written by Ahathalla to Saint Thomas Christians are preserved in the archives of the Propaganda Fide and were published in facsimile by Jacob Kollaparambil, a Church historian. In
10530-475: The leader of their church. Four senior priests— Anjilimoottil Itty Thommen Kathanar of Kallisseri, Parambil Palliveettil Chandy Kathanar of Kuravilangad , Kadavil Chandy Kathanar of Kaduthuruthi , and Vengur Giwargis Kathanar of Angamali —were appointed as his advisors. At a subsequent meeting in Alangad on May 23, 1653, another letter, also attributed to Ahathalla, was read. This letter advised that in
10647-662: The local Christian community, which followed its own traditions. At the Synod of Diamper in 1599, led by Archbishop Aleixo de Menezes , the Latin Church imposed several changes, including the use of Portuguese bishops, the Latin liturgy , Roman vestments, clerical celibacy , and the establishment of the Portuguese Inquisition in Goa , which also extended its jurisdiction to Cochin . The Saint Thomas Christians, whom
10764-653: The local church, and for the appointment of bishops from local priests. To represent their position, Kerala's Syrian Catholics Joseph Kariattil and Paremmakkal Thomma Kathanar went to Rome in 1778. While they were in Europe, Kariatty Joseph Kathanar was installed in Portugal as the Archbishop of Kodungalloor Archdiocese. While journeying home, they stayed in Goa where Kariattil died before he could formally take charge. Before he died, Kariattil appointed Kathanar as
10881-493: The local liturgy. In 1599 Aleixo de Menezes , Archbishop of Goa , led the Synod of Diamper , which finally brought the Saint Thomas Christians formally under the authority of the Latin Archdiocese of Goa. The independence of the ancient Church of Saint Thomas Christians was rescinded. The padroado rule of the Portuguese was only momentary, for the feelings of resentment and the desire to regain independence among
10998-481: The major archbishop constitutes the supreme authority of the church. The Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the church is based in Kakkanad , Kochi . It is the largest among Saint Thomas Christians communities, with a population of 2.35 million in Kerala as per the 2011 Kerala state census and 4.53 million worldwide as estimated in the 2023 Annuario Pontificio . It is the second largest sui juris church within
11115-710: The missionary work of the Jesuits. Robert Erick Frykenberg, an American historian, narrates the oath in his book Christianity in India From Beginnings to the Present as follows: At Koonen Cross, the assembly of priests (kattanars) and people formally stood before a crucifix and lighted candles and solemnly swore an oath upon the Gospel that they would strive, henceforth, to restore their ancient Church to its former full independence and that they would no longer obey Francis Garcia (SJ) or any other prelate sent by
11232-477: The monk Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa as a rival patriarch. Sulaqa's subsequent consecration by Pope Julius III (1550–1555) saw a permanent split in the Church of the East; and the reunion with Catholic Church resulted in the formation of the modern-day Chaldean Catholic Church of Iraq . Thus, parallel to the "traditionalist" (often referred as Nestorian) Patriarchate of the East, the "Chaldean" Patriarchate in communion with Rome came into existence. Following
11349-399: The necessary help. However no answer was received to any of the letters. In 1652, Ahatallah , a Syrian prelate visited India. He is said to have landed at Surat and thence came to Mylapore, where he was arrested by the Jesuits on 3 August 1652. While at Mylapore, Ahatalla met two Syrian Christian deacons, viz: Chengannur ltty and Kuravilangad Kizhakkedath Kurien from Malankara, who were on
11466-493: The oath was so significant that all of them could not touch the cross at the same time. Therefore, they held on to ropes tied to the Cross in all directions. Because of the weight, it is said that the cross bent a little and so it is known as Oath of the bent cross ( Coonen Kurisu Sathyam ) After this historic oath, out of a population of 200,000 St. Thomas Christians , only 400 remained loyal to Archbishop Garcia. The event broke
11583-432: The official Bulletin of this Church. There are statutes for the permanent synod and for the superior and ordinary tribunals. 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. There are 35 eparchies (dioceses). Five of them are archeparchies (each administered by a Metropolitan Archbishop) leading
11700-680: The permanent synod form the executive part. The permanent synod and other offices are formed in accordance with the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (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
11817-485: The prison. Jacob Kollamparambil, a Church historian says that when the ship carrying Ahatallah reached Goa, he was handed over to the inquisition, and he was kept in close custody in the Jesuit house there. He was sent to Portugal on the ship "Nosa Senhora da Graca" from Goa and reached Lisbon on 14 July 1653. The king of Portugal decided to send him to Rome. Joseph Thekkedath, another Church historian narrates that Vincent De Paul , who met Ahatallah at Paris, mentions him in
11934-527: The schism, both traditionalist and Chaldean factions began sending their bishops to Malabar. Abraham of Angamaly was one among them. He first came to India in 1556 from the traditionalist patriarchate. Deposed from his position in 1558, he was taken to Lisbon by the Portuguese, escaped at Mozambique and left for his mother church in Mesopotamia, entered into communion with the Chaldean patriarchate and Rome in 1565, received his episcopal ordination again from
12051-594: The sea, and so put him to death. But when we knew this, all the Jacobite Syrians in Malabar assembled in the Church of Mathancherry, which is in Cochin, and we swore a great oath, by the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that henceforth we would not adhere to the Franks, nor accept the faith of the Pope of Rome: we accordingly separated from them. A short time after this, some of our people again joined them, and received
12168-525: The sea. In the hour that this was done the Rajah died. After this, all the Syrians assembled in the church at Muttoncherry and thus resolved – and "These Portuguese having murdered Mar Ignatius, we will no longer join them. We renounce them, and do not want either their love or their favour. The present Francis, bishop, shall not be our governor. We are not his children or followers. We will not again acknowledge Portuguese bishops." The version presented in
12285-458: The situation as follows: On [ sic ] January 1653, priests and people assembled in the Our Lady of Life Church at Mattancherry, and standing in front of a cross and lighted candles swore upon the holy Gospel that they would no longer obey Garcia, and that they would have nothing further to do with the Jesuits they would recognize the Archdeacon as the governor of their Church. This
12402-441: The spiritual rulers of the Church, the general administration of the Church of Kerala was governed by the indigenous Archdeacon. The Archdeacon was the head of Saint Thomas Christians. Even when there were more than one foreign bishop, there was only one Archdeacon for the entire Saint Thomas Christian community. However, with the establishment of Portuguese power in parts of India, the clergy of that empire, in particular members of
12519-478: The title Malankara Church initially. Following the death of Palliveettil Chandy in 1687, the Syrian Catholics of the Malabar coast came under the parallel double jurisdiction of Vicariate Apostolic of Malabar under Roman Catholic Carmelites and Archdiocese of Cranganore under the Padroado. Thus many priests and laymen attempted to persuade the Pope to restore their Chaldean Catholic rite and hierarchy of
12636-452: The worldwide Catholic Church , with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO). The major archbishop presides over the entire church. The incumbent Major Archbishop is Raphael Thattil , serving since January 2024. It is the largest Syriac Christian church and the largest Eastern Catholic church. Syro-Malabar is a prefix reflecting the church's use of
12753-463: Was claimed that a rumor was also spread at this time that Ahatallah was drowned by the Portuguese. What happened to Ahatallah in the midst of the Arabian Sea is still a mystery. The earlier historians have mentioned that Ahatallah was drowned by the Portuguese. Some other writers state that Ahatallah was not killed in 1653 and he was sent as a prisoner to Lisbon where he died a natural death in
12870-510: Was directed against Jesuits, yet another version that it was directed against the authority of Latin Catholics. After the Coonan Cross Oath, the leaders of Saint Thomas Christians assembled at Edappally , where four senior priests Anjilimoottil Itty Thommen Kathanar of Kallisseri, Palliveettil Chandy Kathanar of Kuravilangad, Kadavil Chandy Kathanar of Kaduthuruthy and Vengoor Geevarghese Kathanar of Angamaly were appointed as advisors of
12987-485: Was established in 1911 for Knanaya Catholics. In 1923, Pope Pius XI (1922–1939) set up a full-fledged Syro-Malabar hierarchy with Ernakulam-Angamaly as the Metropolitan See and Augustine Kandathil as the first Head and Archbishop of the Church. In 1992, Pope John Paul II (1978–2005) raised the Syro-Malabar Church to Major Archepiscopal rank and appointed Cardinal Antony Padiyara of Ernakulam as
13104-505: Was governed by the indigenous Archdeacon. The Archdeacon was the head of Saint Thomas Christians. Even when there were more than one foreign bishop, there was only one Archdeacon for the entire community. The Church of the East Patriarch Shemon VII Ishoyahb 's unpopularity led to the schism of 1552 , due to the patriarchal succession being hereditary, normally from uncle to nephew. Opponents appointed
13221-579: Was reorganized as the Archdiocese of Cranganore and made subject to the Padroado Latin Catholic Primatal Archbishopric of Goa . In 1653, after a half-century of administration of the Padroado missionaries, the local Christians revolted and took the Coonan Cross Oath . In response, Pope Alexander VII , with the help of Carmelite missionaries, was by 1662 able to reconcile the majority of dissidents with
13338-467: Was sent to Rome for the recognition of the Apostolic See in accordance with the decision of the Syro-Malabar Synod. The Congregation for the Eastern Churches gave its approval for using this anaphora on an experimental basis for three years on 15 December 2012. After almost 420 years, the Anaphora of Nestorius was used by Syro-Malabar Catholics. The aftermath of the so-called Synod of Diamper was that any texts related to Nestorius were systematically burnt by
13455-444: Was taken on board a Portuguese ship at Madras bound for Goa , and en route, it touched Cochin . Thomas Christians heard of the arrival of the ship at Cochin. The Archdeacon with a large number of Priests and several thousands of Saint Thomas Christians assembled at Mattancherry Cochin; their efforts to visit Ahatallah when the fleet arrived in Cochin intensified but ultimately, they were not fruitful. Several letters were sent to all
13572-480: Was the choice of some Malabar prelates, who chose it over the East Syriac Rite and West Syriac Rite pontificals . A large number of Syro-Malabarians had schismed and joined with Assyrians at that time and various delayed the approval of this translation, until in 1934 Pope Pius XI stated that latinization was to no longer be encouraged. He initiated a process of liturgical reform that sought to restore
13689-558: Was the decision declared and executed by the Arcadiakon father and the vicars and native priests of the churches belonging to the diocese of Malankara and everyone else at the church in Mattancherry : that is, since the Patriarch who had been sent to Malankara for us from the holy catholic church was deprived from us by the bishop and the Sanpaloor padre for their interest, we pledge that Bishop Mar Francius who now rule Malankara
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