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The Syriac Church in India :
With the coming of these Christian missionaries from Syria in AD.345, the entire Malankara Christian community adopted the rites and liturgies of the Syriac Church of Antioch and became a part of that ancient Patriarchal See; thus the early Christian converts (St.Thomas Christians) as well as the new Christian settlers (Knanaya Christians) came to be known as 'Syriac Christians'.
From such small beginnings, the Christian Community of Kerala grew up to its present stature against heavy odds aided, among other providential factors, by the continued tolerance and hospitality of many a neighborhood, the good will of the local rulers and chieftains and others. In due course, for various reasons, the Church in Kerala founded by St. Thomas, split into different denominations. Except for the origin of Christianity, all the Churches now have a different perspective on the history and faith of the Malankara Church.
In this website, the history of the JACOBITE SYRIAN CHRISTIAN CHURCH of Malankara, an off-soot of the most ancient Church in Christendom, the SYRIAC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ANTIOCH & ALL THE EAST, is reproduced here the brief section is compiled from the Church histories written by various authors. A detailed history on the evolution of Malankara Church and its faith with ample proof and evidences, that to be published soon, is currently under construction.
Christian population in Kerala
As per the latest census (2001), a quarter of the Christians in India are from its southern most state of Kerala alone. Of the total 32 million people in the province of Kerala, the Christians constitutes around 20 % ie; 6.5 million. A few more thousands of Kerala Christians are residing outside the state. The 'Syrian Christians' numbering about 5 million, spread across various denominations is the largest ethnic group among the Malankara (Kerala) Christians. A recent survey of the Christian population in Kerala is given below.
Approximate population of various CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS in Kerala
| 1 |
Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Churche |
21,00,000 |
| 2 |
Roman Catholic Churches |
30,00,000 |
| 3 |
Other Episcopal & Protestant Churches |
13,60,000 |
| {A}. Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (part of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church) |
| 1 |
| JACOBITE SYRIAN CHRISTIAN CHURCH |
| {Headed by the 'CATHOLICOS OF INDIA' - functions under the spiritual supremacy of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch & all the East ---> Regional Church H.Q. at Puthencuriz, Kochi} |
|
950,000 |
| 2. |
SYRIAN ORTHODOX CONGREGATIONS (under the direct jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch) |
{Comprises of the Simhasana Churches; Evangelical Association of the East & St.Antony's (Honvar) Mission, Mangalore} |
|
50,000 |
| 3. |
KNANAYA JACOBITE SYRIAN COMMUNITY of INDIA |
(Headed by an ARCHBISHOP - functions under spiritual supremacy of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch & all the East --> Church H.Q. at Chingavanam, Kottayam) |
|
100,000 |
| Total |
1,100,000 |
{B}. Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
MALANKARA ORTHODOX SYRIAN CHURCH (also known as Indian Orthodox in outside India)
(administered under an independent 'CATHOLICOS OF EAST' whose constitutional supreme head is the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch & all the East --> Church H.Q.at Kottayam) |
1,000,000 |
Total |
1,000,000 |
II. ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES
{A} Roman - Syrian - Knanaya - {B} Latin churches
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Total Membership- 30.00 lakhs * |
{A}. Roman Catholic Churches with Syriac tradition |
1. |
SYRO-MALABAR CHURCH (East Syriac tradition) Church H.Q.at Kochi |
1,650,000 |
2. |
SYRO-MALANKARA CHURCH (West Syriac tradition) Church H.Q.at Thiruvanathapuram |
200,000 |
3. |
KNANAYA SYRIAN CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS Church H.Q.at Kottayam |
150,000 |
|
Total |
2,000,000 |
{B}. Latin Catholic Church
LATIN CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS (in Kerala) |
|
1,000,000 |
Total |
1,000,000 |
{A} Thoziyoor - Assyrian - {B} MarThoma Syrian - Evangelical - {C} C.S.I. - Protestant Churches |
Total Membership- 13.60 lakhs * |
{A}. Episcopal Churches with Syriac traditions
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MALABAR INDEPENDENT SYRIAN CHURCH (Thoziyoor Church) |
West Syriac traditions, Church H.Q. at Anjoor, Kunnamkulam) |
|
15,000 |
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ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF EAST |
Chaldeans - East Syriac traditions, Local H.Q. at Trichur) |
|
35,000 |
| |
Total |
50,000 |
| {B}. Protestant Churches with Syriac traditions |
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MARTHOMA SYRIAN CHURCH |
(Semi-Protestant Episcopal Church - West Syriac traditions, Church HQ. at Thiruvalla) |
|
600,000 |
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ST. THOMAS EVANGELICAL CHURCH |
(Evolved from the MarThoma Syrian Church) |
|
10,000 |
| |
Total |
610,000 |
| {C}. Anglican & Other Protestant Christian Churches |
CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA & other Protestant Christian congregations |
| in Kerala) |
|
800,000 |
| Total |
700,000 |
Source :
http://www.syrianchurch.org |
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