View source for Syro-Malabar Church

{{Short description|Eastern Catholic church}} {{Redirect|Syro-Malabar}} {{About|the church|the people|Syrian Catholics of Malabar}} {{distinguish|Syro-Malankara Catholic Church|Syriac Catholic Church}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox religion|name=Syro-Malabar Church <br />{{Script/Mdnh| ܥܸܕܬܵܐ ܕܡܲܠܲܒܵܪ ܣܘܼܪܝܵܝܵܐ}} <br />{{Script/Mdnh|സീറോ മലബാർ സഭ}}|native_name=|image=Syro Malabar Logo.png|caption=Seal of the Syro-Malabar Church|abbreviation=SMC|type=[[Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites|Self-governing Church]] (''[[sui iuris]]'')|main_classification=[[Eastern Catholic]]|orientation=[[Syriac Christianity]]|scripture={{collapsible list
 |titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;font-size:100%;
 |title = [[Bible|Holy Bible]]
 |{{indented plainlist |
*[[Peshitta]] (Syriac)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Peshitta|title=Peshitta &#124; Syriac Bible|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=25 February 2020|archive-date=9 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909173800/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Peshitta|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Bible translations into Malayalam#POC Bible|Malayalam POC Bible]] (Malayalam) 
 }}
}}|polity=[[Episcopal polity]]|governance=Holy Episcopal Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church|theology={{Ubl | East Syriac theology<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/eastsyriactheolo0000paul|title=East Syriac theology : an introduction|date=3 September 2007|publisher= Ephrem's Publications|location=[[Satna]], M.P., India|editor-last=Maniyatt|editor-first=Pauly|isbn=9788188065042|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> | [[Catholic theology]]}}|leader_title=[[Pope]]|leader_name={{Incumbent pope}}|leader_title1=Major Archbishop|leader_name1=[[Raphael Thattil]]|leader_title2=Administration|leader_name2=Major Archiepiscopal Curia<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/syro-malabar-major-archbishop-curia.php|title=Major Archbishop's Curia::Syro Malabar Church|website=www.syromalabarchurch.in|access-date=25 September 2019|archive-date=22 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722150441/http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/syro-malabar-major-archbishop-curia.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>|area=India and Nasrani Malayali [[diaspora]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/syro-malabar-church-diocese.php | title=Eparchial Sees in the Syro-Malabar Church | access-date=23 May 2019 | archive-date=14 July 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714223919/http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/syro-malabar-church-diocese.php | url-status=dead }}</ref>|founded_date={{indented plainlist|
* c. 50 AD (Saint Thomas Christianity, by tradition),
* [[Schism of 1552|1552]] (origin of Eastern Catholicism in the Church of the East),<ref>{{cite book|title=Gorgias Encyclopaedia of Syriac Heritage|chapter=Malabar Catholic Church|publisher=Gorgias Press|url=https://gedsh.bethmardutho.org/Malabar-Catholic-Church}}</ref>
* 1887 (modern foundation)<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.academia.edu/5266468|last=Perczel|first=István|author-link=István Perczel|chapter=Some New Documents on the Struggle of the Saint Thomas Christians to Maintain the Chaldaean Rite and Jurisdiction|editor1=Peter Bruns|editor2=Heinz Otto Luthe|series=Orientalia Christiana|title=Festschrift for Hubert Kaufhold on his 70th Birthday|page=435|publisher=Harrassowitz Verlag|location=Wiesbaden|year=2013|access-date=31 January 2024|archive-date=22 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922030509/https://www.academia.edu/5266468|url-status=live}}</ref>}}|branched_from=[[Saint Thomas Christians]]<ref name="Frykenberg_on_split">{{cite book |last= Frykenberg |first= Robert Eric |title=Christianity in India From Beginnings to the Present |date=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=369 |isbn=978-0-19-826377-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sOrglHSX6rsC |language=en |quote=Once Mar Thoma I had been consecrated and joined to the Patriarchate of Antioch, Mar Gregorios himself stayed on in Malabar as joint ruler over the newly formed ''Jacoba'' Malankara Church. This joint rule, lasting twenty years (when they both died), made permanent the ‘vertical’ split between Malabar Christians linked to Rome and Malankara Christians linked to Antioch (in Mardin). Those of the ‘new allegiance’, known as Puthankuttukar, were led by metrans who looked to the Jacoba Patriarch of Antioch in Mardin. Those of the ‘old allegiance’, known as Pazhayakuttukar, looked to Rome.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|quote=The community of the St Thomas Christians was now divided into two: one group known as the 'old party' '''joined''' in communion with the [[Latin Church|Western Church]] and in obedience to the Pope whose authority they recognized in the [[Patriarchate of the East Indies|archbishop of Goa]]. The 'new party' (Puttankuttukar) stayed with [[Mar Thoma I|Mar Thoma]] and eventually came under the influence of and entered into communion with the [[Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch|West Syrian Church of Antioch]]|page=79|first1=Leonard|last1=Fernando|first2= G. |last2= Gispert-Sauch|year=2004|isbn=9780670057696|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7dgYjLCSa0wC&pg=PA79|title=Christianity in India: Two Thousand Years of Faith|publisher=Penguin Books India }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|quote=[[Mar Thoma I|His]] followers became known as the 'new party' (Puthankuttukar), as distinct from the 'old party' (Pazhayakuttukar), the name by which the Catholic party became known.|page=361|title=Christianity in India: From Beginnings to the Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mXgSDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA361|author=Robert Eric Frykenberg|year=2008|publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=9780198263777}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|quote=those who rejected the Latin rite were known as the New Party, which later became the Jacobite Church|title=Encyclopedia of Protestantism: 4-volume Set|first=Hans J.|last=Hillerbrand|isbn=9781135960285|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PMSTAgAAQBAJ&q=Catholic+India+New+Party+separated+from&pg=RA1-PA811}}</ref>|founder=[[Thomas the Apostle|Saint Thomas the Apostle]] by tradition<ref>{{cite news|title=Un esercizio di comunione|url=https://www.osservatoreromano.va/it/news/2021-07/quo-159/un-esercizio-di-comunione.html|newspaper=L'Osservatore Romano|access-date=23 July 2021|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727064224/https://www.osservatoreromano.va/it/news/2021-07/quo-159/un-esercizio-di-comunione.html|url-status=live}}</ref>|founded_place=[[Malabar Coast|Malabar]], [[Indian Subcontinent|India]]|liturgy=[[East Syriac Rite]] – [[Liturgy of Addai and Mari|Liturgy of Mar Addai and Mar Mari]], [[Hallowing of Theodore of Mopsuestia|Qudasha of Mar Theodore]] and [[Hallowing of Nestorius|Qudasha of Mar Nestorius]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/news_details.php?news=2512|title=Circular – New Liturgical Texts of the Syro-Malabar Church::Syro Malabar News Updates|access-date=27 March 2021|archive-date=4 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604031053/http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/news_details.php?news=2512|url-status=dead}}</ref><!--<br />[[Hallowing of Theodore of Mopsuestia]]<br />[[Hallowing of Nestorius]]-->|language={{Hlist | [[Syriac language|Liturgical Syriac]] | [[Tamil language|Tamil]] | [[Malayalam]] | [[Syro-Malabarica]] | [[English language|English]] | [[Kannada]] | [[Hindi]] and most other Indian languages}}|members={{ubl
  | 4.53 million worldwide, per 2023 ''[[Annuario Pontificio]]''<ref name="AOC">{{Cite web |date=2023-09-09 |title=Annuario Orientale Cattolico - 2023|editor-first= Vartan Waldir |editor-last=Boghossian |url=https://issuu.com/exarmal/docs/annuarioorientale_-_2023_pdf |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref>
  | 2.35 million in [[Kerala]], per 2011 ''Kerala state census''<ref name="Population_kerala_pdf"/>
  }}|ministers_type=[[Hierarchy of the Catholic Church|Clergy]]|ministers={{plainlist|
* [[Bishop in the Catholic Church|Bishops]]: 66
* [[Priesthood in the Catholic Church|Priests]]: 9,121}}|division_type=[[Parish in the Catholic Church|Parishes]]|division=3,224|headquarters=Mount Saint Thomas, [[Kakkanad]], [[Kochi]], India|territory={{Ubl | India, |with diaspora in the U.S., Australia and Oceania, Europe, UK, Canada, and the Middle East}}|other_names=|separated_from=[[Church of the East]]<ref name="Charles George Herbermann">''Encyclopaedia of sects & religious doctrines'', Volume 4 By Charles George Herbermann page 1180,1181</ref>|publications=[https://syromalabarvision.com syromalabarvision.com]|website=[https://syromalabarchurch.in/ syromalabarchurch.in]|website_title1=Official News Portal|website1=[https://syromalabarnews.com/ syromalabarnews.com]}} {{Eastern Christianity}} {{Eastern Catholicism}} The '''Syro-Malabar Church''', also known as the '''Syro-Malabar Catholic Church''',{{efn|{{langx|syr|ܥܸܕܬܵܐ ܩܵܬܘܿܠܝܼܩܝܼ ܕܡܲܠܲܒܵܪ ܣܘܼܪܝܵܝܵܐ}} ([[Syriac language|Syriac]]: ܥܸܕܬܵܐ ܕܡܲܠܲܒܵܪ ܣܘܼܪܝܵܝܵܐ, [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]]: സീറോ മലബാർ സഭ)}} ([[Syriac language|Syriac]] - ܥܸܕܬܵܐ ܕܡܲܠܲܒܵܪ ܣܘܼܪܝܵܝܵܐ, [[Malayalam]] - സീറോ മലബാർ സഭ) 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 the worldwide [[Catholic Church]], with self-governance under the ''[[Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches]]'' (CCEO).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Letter signed by the Holy Father to the major archbishop and bishops of the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church (3 July 2021) {{!}} Francis|url=https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2021/documents/papa-francesco_20210703_lettera-siromalabarese.html|access-date=17 April 2022|website=www.vatican.va|archive-date=12 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412054012/https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2021/documents/papa-francesco_20210703_lettera-siromalabarese.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/rite/sm.html Catholic-Hierarchy.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611132726/http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/rite/sm.html|date=11 June 2023}} - Syro-Malabar Catholic Church of the Chaldean Tradition</ref><ref>[http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/rite-Sb.htm GCatholic.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611133333/http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/rite-Sb.htm|date=11 June 2023}} - Syro-Malabar Church (Eastern-Rite sui juris Catholic Church)</ref> The [[major archbishop]] presides over the entire church. The incumbent [[List of major archbishops of the Syro-Malabar Church|Major Archbishop]] is [[Raphael Thattil]], serving since January 2024.<ref name="Thattil2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-01/pope-francis-confirms-election-of-head-of-syro-malabar-church.html|title=Pope Francis confirms election of head of Syro-Malabar Church|date=10 January 2024|access-date=10 January 2024|work=Vatican News|archive-date=10 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110123623/https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-01/pope-francis-confirms-election-of-head-of-syro-malabar-church.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It is the largest [[Syriac Christianity|Syriac Christian]] church and the largest Eastern Catholic church.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Winkler|first=Dietmar W.|title=The Syriac World|publisher=Routledge|year=2019|isbn=9781138899018|editor-last=King|editor-first=Daniel|edition=|location=Abingdon|pages=119–133|chapter=The Syriac Church denominations: an overview}}</ref> ''Syro-Malabar'' is a [[prefix]] reflecting the church's use of the [[East Syriac Rite|East Syriac]] liturgy and origins in [[Malabar Coast|Malabar]] (modern Kerala). The name has been in usage in official [[Holy See|Vatican]] documents since the nineteenth century.<ref>St. Raphael Syro Malabar Catholic Mission of Cleveland (2014)[http://www.syromalabarccc.org/index_files/SyroMalabarHistoryPg1.htm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830154728/http://syromalabarccc.org/index_files/SyroMalabarHistoryPg1.htm|date=30 August 2017}}</ref>

The Syro-Malabar Church is primarily based in India; with five metropolitan [[Eparchy|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 the major archbishop constitutes the supreme authority of the church. The [[Curia (Catholic Church)|Major Archiepiscopal Curia]] of the church is based in [[Kakkanad]], [[Kochi]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/Synod.php|title=Syro Malabar Church ::Cardinal George Alencherry::Major Archbishop|website=www.syromalabarchurch.in|access-date=7 October 2020|archive-date=12 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012121806/http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/Synod.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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<ref name="Population_kerala_pdf">{{cite web|url=http://14.139.171.199:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/87/WP468.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611195258/http://14.139.171.199:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/87/WP468.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|archive-date=2022-06-11|id=Working paper 468|title=Religious denominations of Kerala|first=K.C.|last=Zachariah|date=April 2016|publisher=Centre for Development Studies (CDS)|place=Kerala}}</ref> and 4.53 million worldwide as estimated in the 2023 ''[[Annuario Pontificio]]''. It is the second largest ''[[sui juris]]'' church within the communion of the Catholic Church after the [[Latin Church]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Vaticano|first=Segreteria di Stato|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ujzDzwEACAAJ|title=Annuario pontificio (2023)|date=2023|publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana|isbn=978-88-266-0797-9|language=it}}</ref>

The Syro-Malabar Church traces its origins to [[Thomas the Apostle]]'s evangelization efforts in 1st-century AD India.<ref name="Official Website">{{Cite web|url=http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/syro-malabar-church.php|title=The Syro-Malabar Church Today: An Overview::The St. Thomas Christians::East Syrian (Chaldean)::Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church|website=www.syromalabarchurch.in|access-date=2020-02-28|archive-date=11 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811103409/http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/syro-malabar-church.php|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Menachery">[[George Menachery]] (1973) The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India, Ed. George Menachery, B.N.K. Press, vol. 2, {{ISBN|81-87132-06-X}}, Lib. Cong. Cat. Card. No. 73-905568; B.N.K. Press&nbsp;– (has some 70 lengthy articles by different experts on the origins, development, history, culture... of these Christians, with some 300 odd photographs).</ref><ref name="Lbrown">Leslie Brown, (1956) The Indian Christians of St. Thomas. An Account of the Ancient Syrian Church of Malabar, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1956, 1982 (repr.)</ref><ref name="Puthiakunnel">Thomas Puthiakunnel, (1973) "Jewish colonies of India paved the way for St. Thomas", The Saint Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India, ed. George Menachery, Vol. II., Trichur.</ref> The earliest recorded organised Christian presence in India dates to the 4th century, when [[Sasanian Empire|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]].<ref>Frykenberg, pp. 102–107; 115.</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/2479127|title=Persian Christians in the Anuradhapura Period|first=Prabo|last=Mihindukulasuriya|access-date=19 December 2018|website=Academia.edu|archive-date=2 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602083852/https://www.academia.edu/2479127|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stgregorioschurchdc.org/cgi/doc.cgi?doc=ChurchHistory3.lesson&lang=en|title=St. Gregorios Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Church of Washington, DC : Indian Orthodox Calendar|website=Stgregorioschurchdc.org|access-date=19 December 2018|archive-date=21 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121170610/http://www.stgregorioschurchdc.org/cgi/doc.cgi?doc=ChurchHistory3.lesson&lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.assyrianchurch.org/2013/08/06/mar-aprem-metropolitan-visits-ancient-anuradhapura-cross-in-official-trip-to-sri-lanka/4480|title=Mar Aprem Metropolitan Visits Ancient Anuradhapura Cross in Official Trip to Sri Lanka|publisher=Assyrian Church News|date=6 August 2013|access-date=1 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226144609/http://news.assyrianchurch.org/2013/08/06/mar-aprem-metropolitan-visits-ancient-anuradhapura-cross-in-official-trip-to-sri-lanka/4480|archive-date=26 February 2015}}</ref> The Church of the East shared communion with the [[State church of the Roman Empire|Roman Imperial Church]], within [[Nicene Christianity]], until the [[Council of Ephesus]] in the 5th century, separating primarily over [[Chalcedonian Definition|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]].<ref name="ODCC">''Addai and Mari, Liturgy of''. Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press. 2005</ref> As such it is a part of [[Syriac Christianity]] by [[liturgy]] and heritage.<ref name="From Nasrani Foundation">{{cite book|author=P. Malekandathil|year=2003|title=St. Thomas Christians: A Historical Analysis of their Origin and Development up to 9th Century AD, from St.Thomas Christians and Nambudiris Jews and Sangam Literature: A Historical Appraisal|publisher=Bosco Puthur (ed.) LRC Publications)|location=Kochi, India}}</ref>

After 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 was reorganized as the [[Archdiocese of Cranganore]] and made subject to the ''[[Padroado]]'' Latin Catholic [[Patriarchate of the East Indies|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 [[Discalced Carmelites|Carmelite]] missionaries, was by 1662 able to reconcile the majority of dissidents with the Latin Catholic Church under Bishop [[Palliveettil Chandy|Parambil Chandy]], the native [[Apostolic vicar of Malabar]].{{sfnp|Menon|1965}}<ref>Stephen Neill, ''A History of Christianity in India: The Beginnings to AD 1707'', pp. 326–27, Cambridge University Press, 1984</ref> 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 the Syro-Malabars, though the Archdiocese of Verapoly remained as the jurisdiction for Latin Catholics. He established two [[Apostolic Vicariate|Apostolic Vicariates]] for Syro-Malabar, [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Thrissur|Thrissur]] and [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery|Changanassery]] (originally named Kottayam), and in 1896, the Vicariate of [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly|Ernakulam]] was erected as well, governed by indigenous Syro-Malabar bishops. In 1923, the Syro-Malabar hierarchy was organized and unified under [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly|Ernakulam]] as the Metropolitan See, with [[Augustine Kandathil]] as the first head and archbishop.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/syro-malabar-church-cronology.php|title=CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE SYROMALABAR CHURCH|publisher=Syro-Malabar Church Official website|access-date=13 August 2020|archive-date=4 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004221750/http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/syro-malabar-church-cronology.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> As such, the Syro-Malabar Church became an autonomous ''sui iuris'' Eastern Catholic Church.<ref name="Nedumparambil">{{cite web|author=George Joseph Nedumparambil|date=2013|title=A Search of the Roots of the Syro-Malabar Church in Kerala|url=https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/opus4-wuerzburg/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/6595/file/Joseph_Nedumparambil.pdf|access-date=19 September 2019|publisher=University of Würzburg|archive-date=8 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308025556/https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/opus4-wuerzburg/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/6595/file/Joseph_Nedumparambil.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Syro-Malabars are unique among Catholics in their [[inculturation]] with traditional [[Culture of India|Indian customs]] through Saint Thomas Christian heritage. The Saint Thomas Christian community has been described as "Indian in culture, Christian in faith and Syriac in liturgy".{{sfnp|Amaladass|1993|p=16}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wilfred|first=Felix|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CtNjAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA33|title=The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia|date=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press, USA|isbn=978-0-19-932906-9|language=en}}</ref> The Church is predominantly of the [[Malayali]] ethnic group who speak [[Malayalam]], although there are a minority of [[Tamils]], [[Telugu people|Telugus]], and [[North India|North Indians]] from the various eparchies outside Kerala. Following [[emigration]] of the Church's members, [[Eparchy|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]], the [[United Kingdom]], and [[United States]]. [[Saint Alphonsa]] is the Church's first canonized saint, followed by [[Kuriakose Elias Chavara|Saint Kuriakose Chavara]], [[Euphrasia Eluvathingal|Saint Euphrasia]], and [[Mariam Thresia Chiramel|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 [[Malankara Church|Puthenkoor]] that returned to full communion with the Holy See in 1930.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=66&pagetypeID=9&sitecode=hq&pageno=1|title=The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church|publisher=E Catholic Near East Welfare Association|first=Ronald|last=Roberson|access-date=2 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803074448/http://www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=66&pagetypeID=9&sitecode=hq&pageno=1|archive-date=3 August 2018}}</ref>

== History ==
{{Main|Saint Thomas Christians}} {{Main|Timeline of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church}}

=== Pre-Coonan Cross Oath ===
{{Main|India (East Syriac ecclesiastical province)}} 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thomas-Christians/Later-developments|title=Thomas Christians|last=|first=|date=|website=britannica.com|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=26 May 2021|quote=India's ancient Christians looked to the Assyrian Church of the East (often disparaged as “Nestorian” by Western or Roman Catholic Christians, who associated it with the anathematized bishop Nestorius) and its catholicos (or patriarch) for ecclesiastical authority|archive-date=3 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603105300/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thomas-Christians/Later-developments|url-status=live}}</ref> Although the bishops from the Middle East were the spiritual rulers of the Church, the general administration of the Church of Kerala was governed by the indigenous Archdeacon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gedsh.bethmardutho.org/Thomas-Christians|title=Thomas Christians|date=|website=|publisher=e-GEDSH:Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage|access-date=|quote=Although India was supplied with bishops from the Middle East, the effective control lay in the hands of the indigenous Archdeacon.|last1=Brock|first1=Sebastian P.|archive-date=7 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307151211/https://gedsh.bethmardutho.org/Thomas-Christians|url-status=live}}</ref> The Archdeacon was the head of Saint Thomas Christians.<ref name="ClaraAB">{{cite book|last=Joseph|first=Clara A.B|title=Christianity in India: The Anti-Colonial Turn|date=2019|publisher=Taylor & Francis|page=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xEmMDwAAQBAJ|language=en|isbn=9781351123846|quote=Documents address him as the Jathikku Karthavyan [the head of the caste], that is, the head of the Thomas Christians.....even when there were more than one foreign bishop, there was only one Archdeacon for entire St.Thomas Community..|access-date=19 March 2023|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404210715/https://books.google.com/books?id=xEmMDwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> Even when there were more than one foreign bishop, there was only one Archdeacon for the entire community.<ref name="ClaraAB" />

The Church of the East [[Patriarch of 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 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]].{{sfn|Habbi|1966|p=99-132, 199–230}}{{sfn|Wilmshurst|2000|p=21-22}}

Thus, parallel to the "traditionalist" (often referred as Nestorian) Patriarchate of the East, the "Chaldean" Patriarchate in communion with Rome came into existence. Following 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 the Latin patriarch of Venice as arranged by the [[Pope Pius IV]] (1559–1565) in Rome. Subsequently, [[Abraham of Angamaly|Abraham]] was appointed by Pope as Archbishop of [[Angamaly]], with letters to the Archbishop of Goa and the Bishop of Cochin.<ref name="CG_Herbermann1">{{cite book|last=Herbermann|first=Charles George|title=Encyclopaedia of sects & religious doctrines, Volume 4|date=2005|publisher=Cosmo Publications|page=1181|url=|language=en|isbn=9788177559385|quote="....and Abraham succeeded also in obtaining his nomination and creation as Archbishop Angamale from the pope, with letters to the Archbishop of Goa, and to the Bishop Cochin dated 27 Feb 1565."}}</ref>

In 1597, Abraham of Angamaly died. The Catholic [[Padroado|Portuguese padroado]] [[Archbishop of Goa]], [[Aleixo de Menezes]], downgraded the Angamaly Archdiocese into a suffragan diocese of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman|Archdiocese of Goa]] and appointed the [[Society of Jesus|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]].{{sfnp|Menon|1965}}

=== Coonan Cross Oath ===
{{Main|Coonan Cross Oath}} The oppressive rule of the Portuguese padroado eventually led to a revolt in 1653, known as the [[Coonan Cross Oath]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Koonan Oath 00001|url=http://www.education.kerala.gov.in/englishmedium/historyeng/chapter8.pdf|access-date=20 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627005303/http://www.education.kerala.gov.in/englishmedium/historyeng/chapter8.pdf|archive-date=27 June 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The Thomas Christians including their native priests assembled in 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thomas-Christians|title=Thomas Christians|last=|first=|date=|website=britannica.com|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.|access-date=25 May 2022|quote=In 1653 anti-Catholic kattanars met at Koonen (“Crooked”) Cross, a granite monument at Mattancheri. There they swore an oath to never again accept another farangi (European) prelate and installed their own high metran|archive-date=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328144941/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/115623/Christians-of-Saint-Thomas|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">Eugene Cardinal Tisserant, "Eastern Christianity in India"</ref> 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 was directed against Jesuits, yet another version that it was directed against the authority of Latin Catholics.<ref name="Gazette">{{cite book|title=Census of India (1961: Kerala|date=1965|publisher=Office of the Registrar General|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0JCaAAAAIAAJ|language=en|page=111|quote=There are various versions about the wording of swearing, one version being that it was directed against the Portuguese, another that it was directed against Jesuits, yet another that it was directed against the authority of church of Rome.}}</ref>

=== Post-Coonan Cross Oath ===
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 Mar Chandy|Palliveettil Chandy Kathanar]] of Kuravilangad, [[Kadavil Chandy]] Kathanar of Kaduthuruthy and Vengoor Geevarghese Kathanar of Angamaly were appointed as advisors of the Archdeacon. On 22 May 1653, at a general meeting held in [[Alangad]], twelve priests laid hands on Archdeacon Thoma, proclaiming him bishop.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JmFetR5Wqd8C&dq=Kadavil+Chandy+Anjilimoottil&pg=PT737|title=The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, John Anthony McGuckin|isbn=9781444392548|access-date=9 April 2021|archive-date=3 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103074355/https://books.google.co.in/books?id=JmFetR5Wqd8C&pg=PT737&lpg=PT737&dq=Kadavil+Chandy+Anjilimoottil&source=bl&ots=SrlJrBonEJ&sig=ACfU3U2woCP_5hRm6jDyR-V2hMP7Mg9sSQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjlu_GXzOPvAhWkguYKHQKJBoM4FBDoATAHegQIExAD#v=onepage&q=Kadavil%20Chandy%20Anjilimoottil&f=false|url-status=live|last1=McGuckin|first1=John Anthony|date=15 December 2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons}}</ref> 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.{{sfn|Neill|2004|pp=320–321}}

At this point of time, Portuguese authorities requested direct intervention of Rome and hence Pope sent Carmelite Missionaries in two groups from the [[Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples|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 Mar Chandy|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 [[Kodungallur|Cranganore]], before the arrival of Sebastaini, according to Jesuit reports.<ref name="ReferenceB" />

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, 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.<ref name="auto3">Catholic Encyclopedia profile of "St. Thomas Christians" – The Carmelite Period</ref>

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]], the [[Malabar Independent Syrian Church]], the [[Mar Thoma Syrian Church|Marthoma Syrian Church]], and the [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church]] have originated.<ref name="auto3" /> In 1663, with the conquest of Cochin by the [[Netherlands|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 the Catholic St. Thomas Christians.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

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.<ref name="ReferenceC">Thekkedath, History of Christianity in India"</ref> Abdal Jaleel consecrated Thoma I canonically as a bishop and regularised his episcopal succession. This led to the first lasting formal schism in the Saint Thomas Christian community.<ref name="ChurchInIndiaAndPak">{{cite book|last=Neill|first=Stephen|title=The Story of the Christian Church in India and Pakistan|date=1970|publisher=Christian Literature Society|page=36|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OwgXAAAAIAAJ|language=en|quote=At the end of a period of twenty years, it was found that about two – thirds of the people had remained within the Roman allegiance; one – third stood by the archdeacon and had organized themselves as the independent Malankara Church, faithful to the old Eastern traditions and hostile to all the Roman claims.|access-date=19 March 2023|archive-date=5 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405004144/https://books.google.com/books?id=OwgXAAAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>

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''<ref name="MS">{{cite book|last=|first=|title=The Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society. Vol.3|date=1911|publisher=Mythic Society|page=141|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4JtEAQAAMAAJ|language=en|quote=This incident marks an epoch in the history of the Syrian Church, and led to a separation of the community into parties, namely the Pazhayakuru (the Romo-Syrians) who adhered to the Church of Rome according to the Synod at Diamper; and the Puttankuru, the Jacobite Syrians, who after the oath of the Coonan Cross got Mar Gregory from Antioch, acknowledged the spiritual supremacy thereof. The former owed its foundation to the Archbishop Menezes and the Synod at Diamper in 1599 and its reconciliation after the revolt to the Carmelite Bishop Father Joseph of St.Mary whom the Pope appointed in 1659.}}</ref> and they organized themselves as independent ''Malankara Church''.<ref name="ChurchInIndiaAndPak" /> The visits of prelates from the [[Syriac Orthodox Church|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 [[Malankara Church|Puthenkūttukār]] affiliated to the [[Miaphysitism|Miaphysite Christology]] of the [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodox Communion]].{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

The ''[[Syrian Catholics of Malabar|Pazhayakuttukar]]'' faction remained in communion with the Catholic and preserved the traditional East Syriac (Persian) liturgy and [[Dyophysitism|Dyophysite Christology]]. They were also known as ''Romo-Syrians''<ref name="MS" /> or ''Syrian Catholics''. They also used the title ''Malankara Church'' initially.{{efn|"In the travelogue [[Varthamanappusthakam]] (dated to 1790) written by [[Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar]], the author uses the terms ''Malankara Pallikkar'',''Malankara Idavaka'',''Malankara Sabha'' etc. to refer the Syrian Catholic community.<ref name="VP-OIRSI">{{cite book |last=Thoma Kathanar|first=Paremmakkal |title=Varthamanappusthakam (Translation of John Malieckal) |date=2014|publisher=Oriental Institute of Religious Studies India Publications, Vadavathoor|page= |isbn=978-93-82762-15-7}}</ref><!--end efn:-->}} 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 the local church, and for the appointment of bishops from local priests. To represent their position, Kerala's Syrian Catholics [[Mar Joseph Kariattil|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.<ref name="Malekandathil">{{cite encyclopedia|first=Pius|last=Malekandathil|title=Nazrani History and Discourse on Early Nationalism in Varthamanapusthakam|encyclopedia=NSC Network|url=https://www.nasrani.net/amp/2013/01/28/nazrani-history-and-discourse-on-early-nationalism-in-varthamanapusthakam/|year=2013|access-date=28 January 2013|archive-date=28 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028075313/https://www.nasrani.net/amp/2013/01/28/nazrani-history-and-discourse-on-early-nationalism-in-varthamanapusthakam/|url-status=live}}</ref>

While journeying home, they stayed in [[Goa]] where Kariattil died before he could formally take charge. Before he died, Kariattil appointed Kathanar as 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, Kottayam|Ramapuram]].<ref name="Malekandathil" />

''[[Angamaly Padiyola]]'', a declaration of the ''[[Syrian Catholics of Malabar|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.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Whitehouse|editor-first=Thomas|title=Lingerings of light in a dark land: Researches into the Syrian church of Malabar|date=1873|publisher=William Brown and Co.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ie4CAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA308|language=en|page=308}}</ref>

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, the Holy See established two [[Apostolic Vicariate|Apostolic Vicariates]], [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Thrissur|Thrissur]] and [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery|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.<ref name="Nedumparambil" /> The Holy See re-organized the Apostolic Vicariates in 1896 into three Apostolic Vicariates ([[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Thrissur|Thrissur]], [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly|Ernakulam]], and [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery|Changanassery]]). A fourth Apostolic Vicariate ([[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam|Kottayam]]) was established in 1911 for [[Knanaya]] Catholics.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

=== Restoration of the Syro-Malabar hierarchy ===<!---please do not use HH, HB, Moran Mar or other honorifics with titles. This is contrary to [[WP:MOS]]--->
In 1923, [[Pope Pius XI]] (1922–1939) set up a full-fledged Syro-Malabar hierarchy with [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly|Ernakulam-Angamaly]] as the [[Metropolis (religious jurisdiction)|Metropolitan See]] and [[Augustine Kandathil]] as the first [[Major archbishop|Head and Archbishop]] of the Church. In 1992, [[Pope John Paul II]] (1978–2005) raised the Syro-Malabar Church to [[Major archiepiscopal church|Major Archepiscopal]] rank and appointed [[Antony Padiyara|Cardinal Antony Padiyara]] of Ernakulam as the first [[Major Archbishop]].<ref name="miranda">{{cite web|title=The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church|url=http://www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=60&pagetypeID=9&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1|last=Roberson|first=Ronald|website=CNEWA|access-date=22 February 2015|archive-date=27 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227051916/http://www.cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=60&pagetypeID=9&sitecode=hq&pageno=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

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|Chaldean Syrian Church of India]]. The Syro-Malabar Church is the third-largest particular church (''sui juris'') in the Catholic Church, after the [[Latin Catholic Church|Latin Church]] and the [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church]].<ref name="Annuario">{{cite web|title=Presentation of the Pontifical Yearbook 2019 and the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2017|date=6 March 2019|publisher=[[Holy See Press Office]]|url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/03/06/190306b.html|access-date=6 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190307110120/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2019/03/06/190306b.html|archive-date=7 March 2019}}</ref>

The Catholic Saint Thomas Christians (''Pazhayakūttukār'') came to be known as the Syro Malabar Catholics from 1932 onwards to differentiate them from the Syro-Malankara Catholics in Kerala. The Indian [[East Syriac Rite|East Syriac]] Catholic hierarchy was restored on 21 December 1923 with [[Augustine Kandathil]] as the first [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]] and Head of the Church with the name Syro-Malabar.<ref>George Thalian: {{cite web|url=http://kandathil.org/kandathil/kandathil.html|title=''The Great Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil, D. D.: the Outline of a Vocation''}}, Mar Louis Memorial Press, 1961. [http://kandathil.org/kandathil/kandathil.ps (Postscript)]{{Dead link|date=March 2022|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} [http://kandathil.org/kandathil/kandathil.pdf (PDF)]{{Dead link|date=March 2022|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}.</ref>

=== 2020s ===
In 2021, the Syro Malabar Synod of Bishops announced that the celebration of the Qurbana according to 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 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 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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Letter of the Holy Father to His Beatitude Mar George Cardinal Alencherry|url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2023/12/07/231207d.html|access-date=2023-12-28|website=[[Holy See Press Office]]|archive-date=8 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208220624/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2023/12/07/231207d.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2023-12-07|title=Pope Francis accepts Syro-Malabar head's resignation, seeks end to 'liturgy war'|url=https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/pope-francis-accepts-syro-malabar|access-date=2023-12-28|website=[[The Pillar]]|language=en|archive-date=12 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212034722/https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/pope-francis-accepts-syro-malabar|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=ജോർജ്|first=അനിൽ|date=2023-12-25|script-title=ml:മാർപാപ്പയുടെ അന്ത്യശാസനം തള്ളി; എറണാകുളം - അങ്കമാലി അതിരൂപതയിലെ 328 പള്ളികളിൽ 290 എണ്ണത്തിലും നടന്നത് ജനാഭിമുഖ കുർബാന|trans-title=Pope's ultimatum rejected; Of the 328 churches in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, 290 held Mass|url=https://www.thefourthnews.in/news/keralam/syro-malabar-catholic-church-ernakulam-angamaly-archdiocese-attempt-to-stop-public-mass|access-date=2023-12-28|website=The Fourth|language=ml|archive-date=28 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231228181806/https://www.thefourthnews.in/news/keralam/syro-malabar-catholic-church-ernakulam-angamaly-archdiocese-attempt-to-stop-public-mass|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 9 January 2024, [[Raphael Thattil]] was elected as major archbishop by the Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops. Pope Francis confirmed the election, with Thattil now heading the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.<ref name="Thattil2024" /> {{Anchor|Liturgy}}

== Liturgy ==
{{main|East Syriac Rite}} {{Redirect|Syro-Malabar rite|other liturgical customs or practices from South India|Malabar rites}}{{More citations needed section|date=April 2019}}As per the [[East Syriac Rite|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.<ref>Divine Praises in Aramaic Tradition by Pathikulangara Varghese Kathanar</ref>
[[File:Syro-Malabar_Church.jpg|thumb|Altar of a Syro Malabar Catholic Church]]
According to the East Syriac (Edessan or Persian) tradition, the following are the seven times of prayer:

* '''[[Ramsha]] ({{Script/Mdnh|ܪܲܡܫܵܐ}})''' or ''the Evening Liturgy'' (6 pm)
* '''Suba-a ({{Script/Mdnh|ܣܘܼܒܵܥܵܐ}})''' or ''the Supper Liturgy'' (9 pm)
* '''Lelya ({{Script/Mdnh|ܠܸܠܝܵܐ}})''' or ''the Night Liturgy'' (12 am)
* '''Qala d-Shahra ( {{Script/Mdnh|ܩܵܠܵܐ ܕܫܲܗܪܵ}} )''' or ''the Vigil Liturgy'' (3 am)
* '''Sapra ({{Script/Mdnh|ܨܲܦܪܵܐ}})''' or ''the Morning Liturgy'' (6 am)
* '''Quta'a ({{Script/Mdnh|ܩܘܼܛܵܥܵܐ}})''' or ''the Third Hour Liturgy'' (9 am)
* '''Endana ({{Script/Mdnh|ܥܸܕܵܢܵܐ}})''' or ''the Noon Liturgy'' (12 pm)

The Holy Mass, which 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".
[[File:Syro-Malabar_Rite_of_Renewal_of_Holy_Malka.jpg|thumb|Rite of Renewal of [[Holy Leaven]] (Malka)]]

=== Restoration of East Syriac liturgy ===
[[File:Crowning_in_Syro-Malabar_Nasrani_Wedding_by_Mar_Gregory_Karotemprel.jpg|thumb|The [[Mystery of Crowning]] during a Syro-Malabar wedding]]
[[East Syriac Rite|East Syriac]] [[liturgy]] has three [[Anaphora (liturgy)|anaphorae]]: those of [[Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari|the Holy Apostles]] (Saints Mar [[Addai]] and Mar [[Saint Mari|Mari]]), [[Hallowing of Theodore of Mopsuestia|Mar Theodore Mpašqana]], and [[Hallowing of Nestorius|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 (Christian)|Epiphany]] and the feasts of [[St. John the Baptist]] and of the [[Greek Doctor|Greek Doctors]], both of which occur in Epiphany-tide on 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.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

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 the feast of [[Thomas the Apostle|St. Thomas]] on 3 July 1962 the vernacular, [[Malayalam]], was introduced for the celebration of the Syro-Malabar Qurbana.<ref>The Origin and Progress of the Syro-Malabar Hierarchy By Varkey J. Vithayathil</ref> Currently they celebrate the Divine [[Liturgy of Addai and Mari]] and the Anaphora of Theodre in mostly Malayalam, with Syriac and English influences.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

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 Mar Nestorius|Anaphora of Nestorius]]. That 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 the Anaphorae of Theodore and Nestorius.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://syromalabarchurch.in/|title=Syro Malabar Church|website=syromalabarchurch.in}}</ref> 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 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.<ref name="auto2" /> After almost 420 years, the Anaphora of Nestorius was used by Syro-Malabar Catholics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/news_details.php?news=9670|title=Syro Malabar News Updates|website=www.syromalabarchurch.in|access-date=2020-02-28|archive-date=14 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414180420/http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/news_details.php?news=9670|url-status=dead}}</ref> The aftermath of the so-called Synod of Diamper was that any texts related to Nestorius were systematically burnt by 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.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

[[Liturgical latinisation]] was furthered in 1896 by [[Wladyslaw Michal Zaleski|Ladislaus Zaleski]], the [[Apostolic Delegate]] to [[India]], who requested permission to translate the [[Roman Pontifical]] into [[Syriac language|Syriac]]. This 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.<ref>The Synod of Diamper and the Liturgy Jacob Vellian The Synod of Diamper Revisited, George Nedugatt, ed.</ref> He initiated a process of liturgical reform that sought to restore the [[oriental]] nature of the Latinized Syro-Malabar rite.<ref>A Study of the Syro-Malabar Liturgy (George Vavanikunnel)</ref>

In 2021, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church adopted a uniformed manner of celebration liturgies, removing the practice of facing ''[[versus populum]]'' during the [[Anaphora (liturgy)|Liturgy of Eucharist]]. Following this, there has been sustained dissent by some clergy and laity in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2023-06-27|title=Prelate threatens sanctions in Catholic world's nastiest liturgical dispute|url=https://cruxnow.com/church-in-asia/2023/06/prelate-threatens-sanctions-in-catholic-worlds-nastiest-liturgical-dispute/|access-date=|website=Crux|language=en|archive-date=27 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927214853/https://cruxnow.com/church-in-asia/2023/06/prelate-threatens-sanctions-in-catholic-worlds-nastiest-liturgical-dispute|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2023-08-17|title=Holy Mass row: Papal delegate issues strict warning, orders priests in Kerala archdiocese to obey Synodal decision|url=https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/holy-mass-row-papal-delegate-issues-strict-warning-orders-priests-in-kerala-archdiocese-to-obey-synodal-decision/|access-date=|website=The South First|language=en-GB|archive-date=4 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904010507/https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/holy-mass-row-papal-delegate-issues-strict-warning-orders-priests-in-kerala-archdiocese-to-obey-synodal-decision/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2023-08-17|title=As Kerala priests keep up protest, Vatican warns: Stop public offering of Mass or face action|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kerala-priest-protest-vatican-warns-stop-public-offering-of-mass-or-face-action-8897344/|access-date=|website=The Indian Express|language=en|archive-date=4 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904010454/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kerala-priest-protest-vatican-warns-stop-public-offering-of-mass-or-face-action-8897344/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2023-01-07|title=Where things stand in the Syro-Malabar 'liturgy war'|url=https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/where-things-stand-in-the-syro-malabar-liturgy-war|access-date=|website=|language=en|archive-date=30 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930185439/https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/where-things-stand-in-the-syro-malabar-liturgy-war|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Liturgical calendar ===
{{Main|Liturgical calendar of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church}}

The Syro-Malabar Church has its own [[liturgical year]], structured around eight liturgical seasons:

# ''[[Subara|Suvara]]'' (Annunciation)
# ''[[Epiphany season|Denha]]'' (Epiphany)
# ''[[Sawma Rabba]]'' (Great Lent)
# ''[[Qyamta]]'' (Resurrection of the Lord)
# ''[[Season of Apostles|Slīhe]]'' (Season of Apostles)
# ''[[Season of Summer (liturgy)|Qaita]]'' (Summer)
# [[Elijah]]-Cross-[[Moses]] (''Elijah-Sliva-Muse'')
# Dedication of the Church (''Qudas-Edta'')

== Hierarchy ==

=== List of ecclesiastical Heads ===
{{main|List of major archbishops of the Syro-Malabar Church}}
[[File:Mar_Varkey_Vithayathil.jpg|right|thumb|[[Varkey Vithayathil]], Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church from 1999 until his death in 2011]]
[[File:Mar_George_Alencherry_Syro-Malabar.jpg|right|thumb|George Cardinal Alencherry, Major Archbishop Emeritus]]

==== Chaldean Metropolitans of India ====

* [[Joseph Sulaqa]] (1558)
* [[Abraham of Angamaly|Abraham]] (1565)

==== Native bishops after Coonan Cross Oath ====

* [[Palliveettil Chandy]] (1663, Vicar apostolic of [[Malabar (Apostolic vicariate)|Malabar]])
* [[Kariattil Iousep]] (1783, Archbishop of [[Archdiocese of Cranganore|Cranganore]])

==== Heads of the restored Syro-Malabar hierarchy ====

* [[Augustine Kandathil]] (1923, Metropolitan Archbishop of Ernakulam)
* [[Joseph Parecattil]] (1956-1987, first Cardinal of the Syro-Malabar Church)

===== Major archbishops =====

* [[Antony Padiyara]] (1992–1997)
* [[Varkey Vithayathil]] (1997–2011)
* [[George Alencherry]] (2011–2023)
* [[Raphael Thattil]] (since 2024)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/erna0.htm|title=Major Archdiocese of Ernakulam–Angamaly, India (Syro-Malabar Rite)|website=GCatholic|access-date=25 August 2021|archive-date=24 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924082413/http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/erna0.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Syro-Malabar major archiepiscopal curia ===
[[File:Syriac_inscription_at_Syro-Malabar_Catholic_Major_Archbishop's_House_Ernakulam.jpg|right|thumb|[[Syriac language|Syriac]] inscription at Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archbishop's House, Ernakulam]]
The curia of 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, India|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 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.<ref name="auto1">Francis Eluvathingal, Syro-Malabar Church Since the Eastern Code</ref>

The members of 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, 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.<ref name="auto1" />
[[File:Syro_Malabar_Bishops_at_Mar_Varghese_Payyappilly_Palakkappilly_S_D_Convent.jpg|right|thumb|Syro-Malabar bishops at the Generalate of [[Sisters of the Destitute]]]]

== Jurisdictions ==
[[File:സിറോ-മലബാർ_സഭയുടെ_രൂപതകൾ_ഇന്ത്യൻ_ഭൂപടത്തിൽ.svg|thumb|250x250px|Dioceses of the Syro-Malabar Church in India as of 2017]]
There are 35 eparchies (dioceses). Five of them are archeparchies (each administered by a Metropolitan Archbishop) leading 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 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 the United States, St. Thomas the Apostle Eparchy of Melbourne in Australia, Eparchy of Great Britain, and Eparchy of Mississauga, Canada enjoy personal jurisdiction.<ref name="Official Website" />

=== Proper Ecclesiastical provinces ===
Most believers of this church are organized under five metropolitan archeparchies (archdioceses), all in Kerala, and their suffragan eparchies. {{main|List of Syro-Malabar Catholic eparchies}}

* Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly
** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly|Metropolitan Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Idukki|Eparchy of Idukki]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kothamangalam|Eparchy of Kothamangalam]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Faridabad|Eparchy of Faridabad]], near [[Delhi]], also serves entire [[Haryana]], (Indian) [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Chandigarh]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] and [[Ladakh]] and western part of [[Uttar Pradesh]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Hosur|Eparchy of Hosur]], centered in [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], with personal jurisdiction over Syro-Malabar catholics in northern Tamil Nadu.<ref name="pr20171010">{{cite press release|publisher=Holy See Press Office|url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/10/10/171010d.html|access-date=24 May 2018|title=Provisions for the Syro-Malabar Church, 10.10.2017|archive-date=10 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410011104/http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2017/10/10/171010d.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Shamshabad|Eparchy of Shamshabad]], includes the entire territory of India not included in the existing eparchies, with personal jurisdiction over Syro-Malabar catholics where Latin dioceses exist<ref name="pr20171010" />
** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery|Metropolitan Archeparchy of Changanassery]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kanjirappally|Eparchy of Kanjirappally]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Palai|Eparchy of Palai]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Thuckalay|Eparchy of Thuckalay]], with personal jurisdiction in southern Tamil Nadu
** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Thrissur|Metropolitan Archeparchy of Thrissur]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Irinjalakuda|Eparchy of Irinjalakuda]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palghat|Eparchy of Palghat]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Ramanathapuram|Eparchy of Ramanathapuram]]
** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Tellicherry|Metropolitan Archeparchy of Tellicherry]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Belthangady|Eparchy of Belthangady]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Bhadravathi|Eparchy of Bhadravathi]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Mananthavady|Eparchy of Mananthavady]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Mandya|Eparchy of Mandya]]
*** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Thamarassery|Eparchy of Thamarassery]]
** [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam|Metropolitan Archeparchy of Kottayam]] (Exclusively for the Southist (Knanaya) Catholic faithful), personal jurisdiction within the territorial bounds of the existing provinces

=== Exclusive jurisdictions suffragan to Latin provinces ===

* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Bijnor|Eparchy of Bijnor]]
* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Gorakhpur|Eparchy of Gorakhpur]]
* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Sagar|Eparchy of Sagar]]
* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Satna|Eparchy of Satna]]
* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Ujjain|Eparchy of Ujjain]]
* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Rajkot|Eparchy of Rajkot]]
* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Adilabad|Eparchy of Adilabad]]
* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chanda|Eparchy of Chanda]]
* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Jagdalpur|Eparchy of Jagdalpur]]

=== Personal jurisdiction suffragan to Latin province ===

* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kalyan|Eparchy of Kalyan]], serves [[Mumbai]] and western [[Maharashtra]], suffragan to the Roman catholic Archdiocese of Bombay

=== Personal jurisdictions outside India ===

* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Mississauga|Eparchy of Mississauga]], for Canada
* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Melbourne|Eparchy of Melbourne]], for Australia and New Zealand
* [[St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Chicago|Eparchy of Chicago]], for the USA
* [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain|Eparchy of Great Britain]] in [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston, England]] for England, Wales & Scotland
* [[Apostolic Visitation]] of Europe, based in Rome.
* As of 2024, the pope has extended the jurisdiction of the church to the [[Persian Gulf]] but its exact nature or structure remains unclear.<ref>{{Cite web|work=[[Catholic News Agency]]|title=Pope Francis: The devil is threatening the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church with division|url=https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2024/05/13/pope-francis-the-devil-is-threatening-the-syro-malabar-catholic-church-with-division/|access-date=2024-06-19|via=Catholic World Report|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-05-13|title=Syro-Malabar divisions over liturgy are work of the devil, pope says|url=https://catholicreview.org/syro-malabar-divisions-over-liturgy-are-work-of-the-devil-pope-says/|access-date=2024-06-19|website=Catholic Review|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Religious Congregations ==
{{Main|Syro Malabar Church Religious Congregations}} The Religious Congregations are divided in the Eastern Catholic Church Law (Code of Canons of the Oriental Churches&nbsp;– CCEO) as Monasteries, Hermitages, Orders, Congregations, Societies of Common Life in the Manner of Religious, Secular Institutes, and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Active are:

* [[Carmelites of Mary Immaculate]] (C. M. I.)
* [[Congregation of the Mother of Carmel]] (C. M. C.)
* [[Little Flower Congregation]] (L. F. C.)
* [[Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament]] (M. C. B. S.)
* Missionary Society of Saint Thomas the Apostle (M. S. T.)
* Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Adoration Congregation) (S. A. B. S.)
* [[Sisters of the Destitute]] (S. D.)
* Nazareth Sisters (N. S.)
* Vincentian Congregation (V. C.)

=== Latin Religious Congregations with Syro-Malabar provinces ===

* [[Franciscan Clarist Congregation]] (F. C. C.)

== Major archiepiscopal churches ==

* [[St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church Kuravilangad|St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Archdeacon Church Kuravilangad]], [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palai|Eparchy of Palai]]
* [[Kaduthuruthy Valiya Palli|St. Mary's Knanaya Forane Church]], [[Kaduthuruthy]] (Valiya palli), [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam|Kottayam Archdiocese]]
* Holy Cross Forane Church Nadavayal, [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Mananthavady|Eparchy of Manathavady]]
* St. Mary's Forane Church Kudamaloor, [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery|Archeparchy of Changanassery]]
* [[St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, Palayoor|St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church Palayoor]], [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Thrissur|Archeparchy of Thrissur]]
* St. Sebastian Church Thazhekad, [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Irinjalakuda|Eparchy of Irinjalakuda]]
* [[St. Mary's Church (Akkarappally) Kanjirappally]], [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kanjirappally|Eparchy of Kanjirappally]]
* [[St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church, Arakuzha]], Muvattupuzha, [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Kothamangalam]]
* [[St.Joseph Major Archiepiscopal Church, Peravoor]] (Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Tellicherry)
* [[St. Sebastian Major Archiepiscopal pilgrim Church, Nedumkandam]] - Idukki (Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Idukki)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/priests-cannot-offer-holy-mass-as-per-their-will-mar-thattil/article67752406.ece/amp/|title=Priests cannot offer Holy Mass as per their will: Mar Thattil|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.syromalabarchurch.in/pilgrim-churches|title=Major Archiepiscopal Churches|website=syromalabarchurch.in}}</ref>

== Seminaries ==

=== Major seminaries ===
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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Syromalabarchurch{{!}} Major seminaries|url=https://www.syromalabarchurch.in/major-seminaries}}</ref> Saint Joseph's Seminary in Mangalapuzha, established by Syrian Catholics in 1865, is the oldest of the extant seminaries of the church.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mangalapuzha{{!}} History|url=https://www.mangalapuzha.org/history.php#mangalapuzha}}</ref> However, the Saint Thomas Seminary in Vadavathoor is the first seminary to be established under the Syro-Malabar hierarchy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Santhom|url=https://santhom.org/}}</ref>

==== Major archiepiscopal major seminaries ====

# [[St. Joseph's Seminary, Mangalapuzha]]
# [[St. Thomas' Seminary, Vadavathoor]]
# [[Good Shepherd Seminary, Kunnoth]]
# [[St. Ephrem's Seminary, Satna]]

==== Archeparchial major seminary ====

# [[Mary Matha Major Seminary|Mary Matha Seminary, Thrissur]] (Archeparchy of Trichur)

==== Religious major seminaries ====

# [[Little Flower Seminary, Aluva]] (CST)
# [[Ruhalaya Seminary, Ujjain]] (MST)
# [[St. Vincent DePaul Seminary, Bangalore]] (VC)
# [[Sanathana Seminary, Thamarasssery]] (MCBS)
# [[Jeevalaya Seminary, Bangalore]] (MCBS)
# [[Darsana Seminary, Wardha]] (CMI)
# [[Samanvaya Seminary, Bhopal]] (CMI)
# [[Dharmaram Seminary, Bangalore]] (CMI)

== Statistics ==
{{Christianity in India sidebar|state=collapsed}} {{Nasrani people}}
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:40%; font-size:90%;"
|+ style="font-size:100%;" |<span style="color:black;">The number of Syro Malabar Church institutions and personnel</span><ref name="statistics2">[http://www.smcim.org/ataglance.htm At a Glance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904234536/http://www.smcim.org/ataglance.htm|date=2009-09-04}}, Syro Malabar Church Website.</ref>
! style="background:blue;" |<span style="color:white;">Institutions</span>
! style="background:blue;" |<span style="color:white;">#</span>
|-
|Parishes
|3,224
|-
|Quasi-parishes
|539
|-
|Missions
|490
|-
|Institutes of consecrated life – men & women
|53
|-
|Major & minor seminary
|71
|-
|Regular, technical & other colleges
|691
|-
|Teachers' training institutes
|24
|-
|Engineering colleges
Higher Secondary & Primary Schools
|29
2,981
|-
|Kindergartens
|1,685
|-
|Non-formal & adult education
|503
|-
|Special schools
|4,021
|-
|Health care institutions
|700
|-
|Nurse's training schools
|44
|-
|Hospitals, dispensaries & health centers
Medical colleges
|670
5
|-
|Specialized health care centers, incurables & leprosy care centers
|54
|-
|Old age homes
|211
|-
|Children's homes
|185
|-
|Orphanages
|230
|-
|Rehabilitation centers and other institutions
|1,616
|-
|Total
|13,805
|-
! style="background:blue;" |<span style="color:white;">Personnel</span>
! style="background:blue;" |
|-
|Religious sisters
|35,000
|-
|Religious brothers
|6,836
|-
|[[Seminarian|Seminarians]]
|2,907
|-
|Diocesan and religious priests
|9,121
|-
|Bishops
|56
|-
|Major archbishop
|1
|-
|Total
|51,097
|}
According to the 2023 [[Annuario Pontificio]] pontifical yearbook, there were about 4,537,342 members in the Syro-Malabar Church making them the largest Eastern Catholic Church.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="AOC" /> According to the 2011 census of India, Syro-Malabar Catholics in Kerala makes up around 2.35 million and thus they are the largest Christian body in the state.<ref name="Population_kerala_pdf" />

== List of prominent Syro-Malabar Catholics ==
{{main|List of Syro-Malabar Catholics}}

=== Prominent Syro-Malabar leaders ===

* [[Kadavil Chandy]], Syriacist, poet, and church leader.
* [[Joseph Kariattil]], the first Indian native Metropolitan Archbishop
* [[Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar]], administrator of the [[Archdiocese of Cranganore|Archdiocese of Cranganore-Angamaly]] and author of ''[[Varthamanappusthakam]]'', the first travelogue in an Indian language
* [[Thachil Matthoo Tharakan]], lay leader and Minister of [[Travancore]]
* [[Nidhiry Mani Kathanar]], church leader and founder of ''[[Deepika (newspaper)|Deepika]]'', the first Malayalam daily
* [[Palackal Thoma]], scholar and founder of C.M.I.
* [[Placid J. Podipara]], Saint Thomas Christian historian
* [[Joseph Parecattil]], the first Cardinal from the Syro-Malabar Church
* [[Joseph Powathil]], Archbishop of Changanacherry and proponent of Syro-Malabar identity and traditions
* Emmanuel Thelly, orientalist and Syriacist, author of several books including a Syriac lexicon
* [[Thomas Koonammakkal|Koonammakkal Thomas]], expert in Syro-Malabar history and [[Suriyani Malayalam]]

== Saints, Blesseds, Venerables and Servants of God ==
[[File:Mannam_Church.jpg|alt=|thumb|St. Joseph's Syro-Malabar Monastery Church, Mannanam, where the mortal remains of [[Kuriakose Elias Chavara]] are kept]]

=== Saints ===

* [[Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception]]&nbsp;– religious sister of FCC congregation
* [[Kuriakose Elias Chavara]]&nbsp;– priest and one of the founding members of [[Carmelites of Mary Immaculate|CMI]]
* [[Euphrasia Eluvathingal]]&nbsp;– religious sister of [[Congregation of Mother of Carmel|CMC]] congregation
* [[Mariam Thresia Chiramel]]– religious sister and founder of Holy Family congregation

=== Beatified people ===

* [[Thevarparampil Kunjachan|Augustine Thevarparambil (Kunjachan)]]&nbsp;– priest
* [[Rani Maria Vattalil|Rani Maria]] (1954–1995)&nbsp;– religious sister of FCC congregation

=== Venerables ===

* [[Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly|Payyappilly Varghese Kathanar]]&nbsp;– priest and founder of [[Sisters of the Destitute]] (1876–1929)
* [[Mar Thomas Kurialachery|Thomas Kurialachery]]&nbsp;– first bishop of Archeparchy of Changanassery (1872–1925)
* [[Kadalikkattil Mathai Kathanar]]&nbsp;– priest (1872–1935)
* [[Joseph Vithayathil]]&nbsp;– priest and co-founder of Holy Family congregation (1865–1964)
* [[Augustine John Ukken]]&nbsp;– priest and Congregation of Sisters of Charity (CSC) (1880–1956)

=== Servants of God ===

* Tommiyachan Poothathil<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-11-12|title=Thomas Poothathil {{!}} THE ARCHEPARCHY OF KOTTAYAM {{!}} Leading the Knanaya Community|url=https://kottayamad.org/thomas-poothathil/|access-date=2024-05-02|language=en-US}}</ref> (1871–1943)
* [[Mary Celine Payyappilly]] (1906–1993)
* [[Joseph C. Panjikaran]] (1888–1949)
* [[Antony Thachuparambil]] (1894–1963)
* [[Mathew Kavukattu]] (1904–1969)
* Thommachen Puthenparampil<ref>{{Cite web|title=Edathua Church|url=https://edathuachurch.in/abouttmc.php|access-date=2024-05-02|website=edathuachurch.in}}</ref> (1871–1943)
* [[Canisius Thekkekara]] (1914–1998)
* [[Varkey Kattarath]]
* [[Armond Madavath OFM Cap]]

=== Candidates for canonization ===

* Fr. Emilian Vettath CMI

== Liturgy dispute ==
The question of liturgical identity was the main obstacle the newly formed hierarchy had to solve and there was difference of opinion among the bishops about the direction of liturgical reform.{{sfnp|Brock|2011d}}{{sfn|Winkler|2018|pp=131-132}} The {{lang|ml|Pazhayakoottukar}} were using a heavily latinised form of the East Syriac liturgy which they had inherited from the period that immediately followed the Synod of Diamper.{{sfnp|Perczel|2013|p=425}}{{sfnp|Fenwick|2009|p=136—137}} The Carmelite missionaries imposed further latinization in this rite.{{sfnp|Pallath|Kollara|2012|p=90—102}} The opinion of the bishops were divided with some aspiring for a return to genuine East Syriac Rite while others opting for retaining the latinized rite or a new process of inculturation copying the [[North India|North Indian]] [[Brahmanical philosophy|Brahminical]] rites.{{sfnp|Brock|2011d}} In 1934, Rome decided for the re-establishment of the genuine East Syriac rite, and in 1962 the Chaldean [[Pontifical]] was reintroduced. But many Latin rite priests and bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed these decisions and identified those who supported the reintroduced liturgy as 'Chaldean traditionalists' ({{transliteration|ml|Kaldāyavādikal}}).{{sfn|Winkler|2018|pp=131-132}} The reforms of the [[Second Vatican Council|2nd Council of Vatican]] encouraged the recovery of lost Eastern Catholic liturgical traditions and in 1986 [[Pope John Paul II]] inaugurated the reintroduced liturgy personally in Kottayam, during his visit to India, in an attempt to resolve the confusion in liturgy.{{sfnp|Brock|2011d}}{{sfn|Winkler|2018|pp=131-132}} However following the introduction of {{lang|la|[[versus populum]]}} liturgy in the Latin Rite, those who oppose the reintroduced liturgy began practicing it among themselves. Newer liturgical innovations based on inculturation, such as the {{transliteration|ml|[[Bharatiya Pooja|Bāratīyapūja]]}} also emerged during this period. This led to a new conflict within the Syro-Malabar hierarchy.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pallath|first=Paul|year=1995|title=Roman Documents on the Syro-Malabar Liturgy|location=Kottayam|publisher=OIRSI}}</ref> In response, the unauthorised liturgical forms were strictly forbidden by Rome.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Pallath|first1=Paul|last2=Kollara|first2=Joseph|year=2012|title=Roman Pontifical into Syriac and Beginning of Liturgical Reform in the Syro-Malabar Church|location=Kottayam|publisher=OIRSI|pages=4—6, 11—35}}</ref> However the differences in the direction of the priest during the liturgy, namely {{lang|la|[[ad orientem]]}} and {{lang|la|versus populum}}, continued. Following the elevation of the Syro-Malabar Church to major archiepiscopal rank in 1992, the church initiated discussions on the resolution of differences and in 1999, they decided on a uniform mode of liturgical practice combining both styles.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pallath|first=Paul|year=2019|title=The Liturgical Heritage of the Syro-Malabar Church: Shadows and Realities|location=Changanacherry|publisher=HIRS Publishers|pages=144—190}}</ref> However this was met with widespread protests among the clergy and many bishops temporarily paused its implementation. In 2020, the church leadership resumed this process and implemented it in all eparchies except the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, where it continue to face fierce protests by the local clergy which demands complete {{lang|la|versus populum}} liturgy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kumar|first=Dileep V.|editor-last=Babu|editor-first=Majnu|year=|title=Facing the Altar or Congregation: Unity at Stake in Syro-Malabar Church over Liturgical Changes|url=https://thesouthfirst.com/kerala/facing-the-altar-or-congregation-unity-at-stake-in-syro-malabar-church-over-liturgical-changes/|website=thesouthfirst.com}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Liturgical calendar of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church]]
* [[Sisters of the Destitute]]
* [[Carmelites of Mary Immaculate]]
* [[Congregation of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux]]
* [[All India Catholic Union]]
* [[Catholic Church in India]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin}}

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* [[Joseph Simon Assemani|ASSEMANI]], Bibliotheca Orientalis (Rome, 1719–28); DE SOUZA.
* Orientale Conquistado (2 vols., Indian reprint, Examiner Press, Bombay).
* {{cite book|first=Antonio de|last=Gouvea|author-link=Antonio de Gouvea|orig-date=1606|title=Jornada of Dom Alexis de Menezes: A Portuguese Account of the Sixteenth Century Malabar|editor-last=Malekandathil|editor-first=Pius|editor-link=Pius Malekandathil|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cUKybwAACAAJ|year=2003|publisher=L. R. C. Publications|location=Kochi|isbn=9788188979004}}.
* Fr. tr. De Glen, Histoire Orientale etc. (Brussels, 1609); DU JARRIC.
* {{Cite book|title=Thesaurus rerum Indicarum|last=Jarric|first=Pierre du|author-link=Pierre de Jarric|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hhoNSl6ta2QC|publisher=Sumptibus Petri Henningii|year=1615}}.
* {{cite book|title=India Orientalis Christiana'|last=Paulinus|first=a. S. Bartholomaeo|year=1794|publisher=Typis Salomonianis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IL1OAAAAcAAJ|author-link=Paulinus of St. Bartholomew}}
* {{cite book|title=Christianity in Travancore|first=Gordon Thomson|last=MacKenzie|year=1901|publisher=Travancore Government Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cVQoAAAAYAAJ|isbn=9781230341651}}
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* {{cite web|author=Thalian, George|url=http://kandathil.org/kandathil/kandathil.html|title=The Great Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil, D: The Outline of a Vocation|publisher=Mar Louis Memorial Press|year=1961}}[http://kandathil.org/kandathil/kandathil.ps (Postscript)]{{Dead link|date=March 2022|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}[http://kandathil.org/kandathil/kandathil.pdf (PDF)]{{Dead link|date=March 2022|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}.
* Menachery G (1973) [http://www.indianchristianity.com/index.html The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103074355/http://www.indianchristianity.com/index.html|date=3 January 2023}}, Ed. George Menachery, B.N.K. Press, vol. 2, {{ISBN|81-87132-06-X}}, Lib. Cong. Cat. Card. No. 73-905568; B.N.K. Press &nbsp;– (has some 70 lengthy articles by different experts on the origins, development, history, culture ... of these Christians, with some 300 odd photographs). Vol. 1, 1982. Vol. 3, 2010.
* Mundadan, A. Mathias. (1984) ''History of Christianity in India'', vol. 1, Bangalore, India: Church History Association of India.
* [[Placid J. Podipara|Podipara, Placid J.]] (1970) "The Thomas Christians". London: Darton, Longman and Tidd, 1970. (is a readable and exhaustive study of the St. Thomas Christians.)
* Philip, E. M. (1908) The Indian Christians of St. Thomas (1908; Changanassery: Mor Adai Study Center, 2002).
* [[Aprem Mooken|Aprem, Mar.]] (1977) The Chaldaean Syrian Church in India. Trichur, Kerala, India: Mar Narsai, 1977.
* [[George Menachery|Menachery, George]] (2000) Kodungallur&nbsp;– The Cradle of Christianity in India, Thrissur: Marthoma Pontifical Shrine.
* Menachery, George & Snaitang, Dr. Oberland (2012)"India's Christian Heritage". The Church History Association of India, Dharmaram College, Bangalore.
* Acts of St. Thomas (Syriac) MA. Bevan, London, 1897
* {{cite book|first=Eugene|last=Tisserant|title=Eastern Christianity in India: A History of the Syro-Malabar Church from the Earliest Times to the Present Day|editor-last=Hambye|editor-first=E. R.|editor-link=Édouard Hambye|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.107629|year=1957|publisher=Newman Press|location=Westminster|isbn=}}
* [[Michael Geddes]], (1694) A Short History of the Church of Malabar together with the Synod of Diamper, London. Ed. Prof. George Menachery in the Nazranies i.e. The Indian Church History Classics I, 1998.
* [[Bosco Puthur|Puthur, B.]] (ed.) (2002):  The Life and Nature of the St Thomas Christian Church in the Pre-Diamper Period (Cochi, Kerala).
* T.K Velu Pillai, (1940) "The Travancore State Manual"; 4 volumes; Trivandrum
* Menachery G (ed); (1998) "The Indian Church History Classics", Vol. I, ''The Nazranies'', Ollur, 1998. {{ISBN|81-87133-05-8}}.
* Menachery, George. Glimpses of Nazraney Heritage.SARAS 2005 Ollur.
* [[Joseph J. Palackal|Palackal, Joseph J.]] Syriac Chant Traditions in South India. PhD, Ethnomusicology, City University of New York, 2005.
* Joseph, T. K. The Malabar Christians and Their Ancient Documents. Trivandrum, India, 1929.
* Leslie Brown, (1956) ''The Indian Christians of St. Thomas. An Account of the Ancient Syrian Church of Malabar'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1956, 1982 (repr.)
* Thomas P. J; (1932) "Roman Trade Centres in Malabar", Kerala Society Papers II.
* [[Marco Polo]].(1298) LATHAM, R. (TRANSL.) "The Travels" Penguin Classics 1958
* Bjorn Landstrom (1964) "The Quest for India", [[Doubleday (publisher)]] English Edition, Stockholm.
* Francis Eluvathingal (ed), Syro-Malabar Church Since the Eastern Code, Mary Matha Publications, Trichur, 2003.
* Francis Eluvathingal, "Patriarchal and Major Archiepiscopal Curia in the Eastern Catholic Legislation based on CCEO Canons 114–125" ORISI, Kottayam, 2009.
* {{Cite book|title=Roman Documents on the Syro-Malabar Liturgy|year=1999|location=Kottayam|publisher=Oriental Institute of Religious Studies|isbn=81-86063-49-8|series=Issue 213 of Oriental Institute of Religious Studies, India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GmfZAAAAMAAJ}}
* {{cite encyclopedia|first=Sebastian P.|last=Brock|author-link=Sebastian Brock|title=Thomas Christians|encyclopedia=Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage: Electronic Edition|editor1=Sebastian P. Brock|editor2=Aaron M. Butts|editor3=George A. Kiraz|editor4=Lucas Van Rompay|url=https://gedsh.bethmardutho.org/Thomas-Christians|publisher=Gorgias Press|year=2011a|access-date=22 September 2016|archive-date=7 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307151211/https://gedsh.bethmardutho.org/Thomas-Christians|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Menon|first=A. Sreedhara|url=https://indianculture.gov.in/gazettes/kerala-district-gazetteers-ernakulam|title=Portuguese and the Malabar Church|journal=Kerala District Gazetteers: Ernakulam|publisher=The Superintendent of Government Presses, Government Press|year=1965|location=Trivandrum|pages=128, 131–144|author-link=A. Sreedhara Menon|access-date=11 February 2022|archive-date=11 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211052543/https://indianculture.gov.in/gazettes/kerala-district-gazetteers-ernakulam|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite book|last=Brown|first=Leslie W.|title=The Indian Christians of St Thomas: An Account of the Ancient Syrian Church of Malabar|year=1956|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H9gYAAAAIAAJ|access-date=15 July 2021|archive-date=2 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240202005053/https://books.google.com/books?id=H9gYAAAAIAAJ|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Mingana|first=Alphonse|author-link1=Alphonse Mingana|title=The Early Spread of Christianity in India|journal=Bulletin of the John Rylands Library|year=1926|volume=10|number=2|pages=435–514|doi=10.7227/BJRL.10.2.7|url=https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:1m1200&datastreamId=POST-PEER-REVIEW-PUBLISHERS-DOCUMENT.PDF|access-date=15 July 2021|archive-date=24 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124093126/https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man-scw:1m1200&datastreamId=POST-PEER-REVIEW-PUBLISHERS-DOCUMENT.PDF|url-status=live}}
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* {{Cite book|last=Mundadan|first=Mathias|author-link=Mathias Mundadan|title=The Arrival of the Portuguese in India and the Thomas Christians Under Mar Jacob, 1498–1552|year=1967|location=Bangalore|publisher=Dharmaram College|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UqEhAAAAMAAJ|access-date=15 July 2021|archive-date=2 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240202005007/https://books.google.com/books?id=UqEhAAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Habbi|first=Joseph|title=Signification de l'union chaldéenne de Mar Sulaqa avec Rome en 1553|journal=L'Orient Syrien|year=1966|volume=11|pages=99–132, 199–230|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-pEWAAAAMAAJ|access-date=6 January 2024|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803003914/https://books.google.com/books?id=-pEWAAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}
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{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}

* [https://www.syromalabarchurch.in/ Syro-Malabar Church]
* [http://www.trichurarchdiocese.org Archdiocese of Thrissur]
* [https://kottayamad.org/ Archdiocese of Kottayam]
* [https://www.archdiocesechanganacherry.org/ Archdiocese of Changanacherry]
* [http://www.ernakulamarchdiocese.org Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly]
* [https://www.archdioceseoftellicherry.org/ Archdiocese of Tellicherry]
* [https://www.synodofdiamper.com/ The website for Synod of Diamper]
* [http://www.indianchristianity.com Indian Christianity: Books by Geddes, Mackenzie, Medlycott, &c.]
* [http://www.syromalabarmissionchennai.com The Chennai Mission] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925222804/http://syromalabarmissionchennai.com/|date=25 September 2020}}
* [http://www.stpcchennai.com Syro malabar mission in Chennai] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128222627/http://www.stpcchennai.com/|date=28 November 2020}}
* [https://syromalabar.org.au/ Syro Malabar Church in Australia]
* [https://christianhomily.com/ www.christianhomily.com] Sunday and Feast Homily Resources in English and Homily Videos in Malayalam according to the Syro-Malabar Calendar Set one and two by Fr. Abraham Mutholath
* [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiWpOMlff6zCi7R3xMjZkVJVe5kyVCF9q Homily Videos in Malayalam] by Fr. Abraham Mutholath
* [https://bibleinterpretation.org/ www.bibleinterpretation.org] Bible Interpretation by Rev. Abraham Mutholath in English.
* [https://biblereflection.org/ www.biblereflection.org] Bible Interpretation with reflection by Rev. Abraham Mutholath in English.
* [http://www.syromalabarmatrimony.org/index.php Syro Malabar Matrimony] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719042128/http://www.syromalabarmatrimony.org/index.php|date=19 July 2013}}
* [https://cnewa.org/eastern-christian-churches/toc/the-assyrian-church-of-the-east/the-syro-malabar-catholic-church/ Article on the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church by Ronald Roberson on the CNEWA web site]
* [https://www.fathimamathachurch.in/ Fathima Matha Church, East Hill, Kozhikode]

{{Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Hierarchy}} {{Particular churches sui iuris footer}} {{Churches in India}} {{Syriac Christianity}} {{Authority control}}

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