Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is a major archiepiscopal East Syriac church centered in India and heir to the ancient Saint Thomas Christian tradition.[1]
Saint Thomas Christians
The Syro-Malabar Church belongs to the ancient Thomas Christian tradition of India's Malabar Coast, which remembers the apostle Thomas as its evangelizer. Its historic ecclesial connections were with the East Syriac Church, and its Eucharistic liturgy is the Holy Qurbana in the East Syriac tradition.
Portuguese colonial intervention and the Synod of Diamper in 1599 imposed extensive Latin influence. Conflict over governance and liturgy contributed to the Coonan Cross Oath of 1653 and to enduring divisions among the Thomas Christians.
Restored governance
A proper Syro-Malabar hierarchy was re-established in 1923. The church became major archiepiscopal in 1992 and is governed by the major archbishop and synod according to Eastern canon law. Its recent liturgical renewal has included both recovery of East Syriac sources and serious internal disputes about common forms of celebration.[2]
Although centered in Kerala, the church now serves faithful throughout India and in a large global diaspora through eparchies, missions, and personal parishes.
References
- 1.Syro-Malabar Church: About Us — Official church history and institutional profile
- 2.Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the CCEO — Holy See principles for Eastern liturgical identity and restoration