History
The
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church was founded by St. Thomas, one of the
twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, who came to India in A.D. 52. At least from
the fourth century, the Indian Church entered into a close relationship with
the Persian or East Syrian Church. From the Persians, the Indians inherited
The East Syrian language and liturgies, and gradually came to be known as
Syrian Christians. In the sixteenth century Roman Catholic missionaries came
to Kerala. They tried to unite the Syrian Christians to the Roman Catholic
Church and this led to a split in the community. Those who accepted Roman
Catholicism are the present Syro-Malabar Catholics. Later, Western
Protestant missionaries came to Kerala and worked among The Syrian
Christians. This also created certain divisions in the community. In the
seventeenth century, the Church came in to relationship with the Antiochene
Church, which again caused splits. As a result of this relationship, the
Church received West Syrian liturgies and practices. The Church entered into
a new phase of its history by the establishment of the Catholicate in 1912.
At present, the Church is using the West Syrian liturgy. The faith of
the Church is that which was established by the three Ecumenical Councils of
Nicea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381) and Ephesus (A.D. 431).
The Church is in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox Churches namely,
Syriac, Alexandrian, Armenian, Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches. The
Church is in good ecumenical relationship with the Eastern Orthodox, Roman
Catholic and Protestant Churches.
This Church now consists of about
2.5 million members, who are spread all over the world, though the majority
reside in The state of Kerala in South West India. The Supreme Head of the
Church and the present Catholicos is H.H. Baselios Marthoma Mathews III. H
H's residence and the Head-quarters of the Church is in Kottayam in the
Kerala State of the South-West India. The Church as a whole is divided into
30 ecclesial units called dioceses and each diocese is served by a bishop,
administratively and spiritually.
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