Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
	File:SMCC Emblem.jpg That All May Be One
Founder
	St. Thomas the Apostle (A.D. 52); Archbishop Mar Ivanios (1930); Current Head:; Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos
Regions with significant populations
India	500,000
United States	10,000
United Arab Emirates	5,000
Canada	2,000
Australia	2,000
Germany	5,000
United Kingdom	2,000
Saudi Arabia	5,000
Oman	2,000
Qatar	1,000
Kuwait	2,000
Ireland	1,000
Religions
	Christianity
Scriptures
	Bible
Languages
	Vernacular:; Malyalam, Tamil, English; Liturgical:; Syriac, Malayalam, Tamil, English, Hindi

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (also known as Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, Malankara Syriac Catholic Church) is an Antiochian Rite, Major Archiepiscopal sui iuris Eastern Catholic Church in the Catholic Communion in union with the Pope of Rome, historically linked to the Syrian Church. It is one of several groups of Saint Thomas Christians tracing their origin to St. Thomas the Apostle who came to India in A.D. 52 according to tradition. In course of time due to the latinization policy of the Portuguese, Indian Church was divided in two. One group stood away from the Catholic ecclesiastical authorities and eventually came under the Antiochean Jacobite Church.

From this group Archbishop Mar Ivanios, in an effort to preserve the autonomy of the Apostolic Church, joined in the communion with the Catholic Church in 1930. Thus the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church had a humble beginning with only five members on the day of reunion on 20 September 1930. Today, it has a total number of around 50,000. Pope John Paul II qualified it as a "fast-growing church".

On February 10, 2005, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was elevated by Pope John Paul II to a Major Archiepiscopal Church, elevating the Archbishop to Major Archbishop (called Catholicos by Syro-Malankara Catholics). As a major archiepiscopal church, the Syro-Malankaras are granted the greatest level of autonomy under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, governed by the major archbishop and the general synod of all bishops of the church, subject to papal oversight.

The current Major Archbishop and Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis (Thottunkal), who was elected by the Holy Synod as the successor of the late Moran Mor Cyril Baselious on February 8, 2007, and was confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI on February 10, 2007. He was installed on March 5, 2007.

The liturgy of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is West Syrian in character. The liturgy today is done in Malayalam, Syriac, English, Tamil, and Hindi. The Bethany order male and female and Daughters of Mary do religious work in the Syro-Malankara Church.

Official name of the church

The official name of the church is the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. In Malayalam the church name translates to Syro-Malankara Catholica Sabha or Malankara Suriani Catholica Sabha. Another name that can be associated with the church is Malankara Syrian Catholic Church of India. When the "Syro" is used the name isn't required to use the word Syrian but if the Syro isn't used then Syrian is used. (Ex. Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and Malankara Syrian Catholic Church). The slang "Reeth" is used in a colloqial way in Malayalam to refer to the church or its members by others (especially by Syrian Christians) - both Catholic and non-catholic. This usage, although originally meant to denigrate, is not today taken offensively and is even used frequently by the 'Reeth' to refer to themselves.

History

The Syro Malankara Catholic Church: The apostolic origin

The mission of the Apostles and their successors planted the Church of Christ at various places. In divine providence (LG 23), the Indian Church was blessed to have an apostolic foundation in 52 A.D. through the evangelisation mission of St. Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. This Apostolic Church was in Catholic Communion with the Bishop of Rome from the early centuries.

The St. Thomas Christians and the Portuguese

In the 16th century, this Apostolic Church came into direct relationship with the Western Church through the Portuguese missionaries. The Portuguese extended the Padroado Agreement in their evangelization programme over India and wanted to bring the Indian Church of the St. Thomas Christians under this jurisdiction. The Church in India which was rooted in the socio-cultural environment and which enjoyed autonomy in internal administration in communion with the Universal Church resisted the unwanted intervention of the Portuguese who brought with them the Western ecclesiastical traditions. The Portuguese missionaries, ignorant of the Oriental traditions of the Indian Church, had the conviction that anything different from the Western Church was schism and heresy. Hence they wanted to Latinize the Syrian Christians of India.

In 1599, Archbishop of Goa Aleixo de Menezes (1595-1617) convoked a Synod of Diamper and imposed latinization on the Apostolic Church of India. This was a blow to the identity of the Indian Church. However, the relation continued till the beginning of the second half of the seventeenth century. The Church of St.Thomas Christians could not withstand any more the denial of her autonomy. The initial resistance slowly gave way to discontentment, which ended up with the revolt in 1653 known as the Coonan Cross Oath. Thus, the one Church of the St. Thomas Christians was split into two. A large majority of the broken-away group hesitated to sever ties with Rome and they remained in communion with Rome, but under the Latin Hierarchy. This group came to be called the Pazhayakûttukar, while the other was known as Puthenkûttukar. The latter group made several attempts to come in communion with Rome safeguarding their autonomy and ritual patrimony. Failing to re-establish communion with Rome, they happened to come in communion with the Jacobite Syrian Church of Antioch. These developments were not acts against the Apostolic See of Rome but against the Portuguese missionaries and their policy of latinization.

The ecclesiastical communion efforts of Puthenkoottu leaders

The Puthenkûr community came under the influence of the British missionaries in the 19th century. From 1815 till 1836, the year of the Synod of Mavelikara, the British missionaries propagated Protestant ideology among the Puthenkûttukar. This paved the way to the formation of the Mar Thoma Church under the leadership of Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan and Mar Athanasios, who was consecrated Bishop by the Patriarch of Antioch. In order to outdo the reformists Mar Divannasios approached the Patriarch of Antioch. Patriarch Ignathios Pathros III arrived in Malankara and in the Synod of Mulanthuruthy (1876) the Malankara Church had to accept the authority of the Patriarch of Antioch over her. Since then, the Malankara Church has contended that the Patriarch’s authority was only in spiritual matters.

It was in this contentious context that Patriarch Mar Abdulla who came to Malankara, excommunicated Vattasseril Mar Divannasios in the year 1911. In this turbulent situation Fr. P.T. Geevarghese (later Archbishop Mar Ivanios) played a vital role in reinstating the position of the excommunicated Metropolitan and in regaining the self-governance of the Malankara Church. To ward off the undue interference of Patriarch Abdulla in the administration of the temporalities of the Church, Fr. P.T. Geevarghese with the blessing of Vattasseril Mar Divannasios contacted Abded M’siha, the Patriarch of Antioch from whom Mar Abdulla usurped the Patriarchal See of Antioch, and invited him to visit Malankara and to establish a Catholicate here. Accordingly, Abded M’siha came to Malankara in 1912 and established the Malankara Catholicate. Thus the Malankara Orthodox Church in India became an autocephalous Church under its head the Catholicos. Moran Mor Baselios Paulos I (1912–1913), the first Catholicos, died after a short period of five months on 13 May 1913.

After the demise of Moran Mor Baselios Paulos I, the See remained vacant until 1925. That was a period of litigation in the Malankara Church, and also a period of spiritual renewal. The litigation for Vattippanam (a fixed deposit of money in the name of the Church) and its after-effects in the community was at its zenith.

The establishment of Bethany Ashram

Fr. P.T. Geevarghese realised that only a spiritual awakening of the Church would give a lasting solution to the problems of the Church. He himself took to sanyâsa and founded the Order of the Imitation of Christ also called Bethany Ashram in the year 1919. The first Ashram was erected at Mundanmala of Ranni Perunad. In 1925 he founded the community of the Sanyasins, the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ also called Bethany Madhom. From these two religious communities winds of spiritual fervour and renaissance blew across Malankara. By a decision of the Episcopal Synod, on 30 April 1925 Moran Mor Baselios Geevarghese I was installed as Catholicos. On the following day, the Catholicos consecrated Fr. P. T. Geevarghese under the name Geevargese Mar Ivanios as the Bishop of Bethany.

On 1 November 1926, the Episcopal Synod held at Parumala near Tiruvalla, Kerala, decided to open negotiations again with Rome for communion with the Catholic Church in order to establish peace in Malankara. The Synod authorised Mar Ivanios, the then Bishop of Bethany, to make necessary correspondence with Rome regarding communion. He earnestly followed up the mandate of the Synod.

The Second Catholicos expired on 17 December 1928. Moran Mor Baselios Geevarghese I succeeded the late Catholicos. On the day following his installation, he consecrated Mar Theophilos of Bethany and Mar Gregorios of Pampady as Bishops. In the meantime, the civil court’s decision on the litigation for Vattipanam was declared in favour of the Malankara Orthodox Church. This was a civil legal backing up for the Church and the Bishops of the Malankara Orthodox Church stepped out from the endeavours of communion with Rome. But Mar Ivanios stood firmly for the efforts of regaining communion with the Catholic Church.

The historic event of reunion

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Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios

After prolonged negotiations, the plenary session of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches, which met on 4 July 1930, took the final decision on the issue of the communion of the Malankara Church. But only Mar Ivanios the Metropolitan of Bethany and his suffragan Mar Theophilos stood by the early decision of the Synod. Mar Ivanios and Mar Theophilos along with Rev. Fr. John Kuzhinapurath OIC, Deacon Alexander OIC and Mr. Chacko Kilileth made their profession of faith before Bishop Benziger OCD of the Diocese of Quilon and entered into full communion with the Catholic Church on 20 September 1930.

Metropolitan Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios

As the Reunion Movement gained momentum, Pope Pius XI through the Apostolic Constitution Christo Pastorum Principi of 11 June 1932, established the Syro-Malankara Hierarchy for the reunited community and erected the Archieparchy of Trivandrum with the Eparchy of Tiruvalla as its suffragan. Thus, the Malankara Church re-entered into the hierarchical communion with the Catholic Church. The Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum was inaugurated on 11 May 1933 and His Grace Mar Ivanios was enthroned as its first Metropolitan Archbishop. The Eparchy of Tiruvalla was inaugurated on 6 November 1933 and Jacob Mar Theophilos was enthroned as its first Bishop.

The reunion of Archbishop Mar Ivanios with the Catholic Church was a historical event in the whole Church, which inspired many of the Malankarites including the Bishops of the Orthodox Church. On 29 November 1937, Joseph Mar Severios of the Orthodox Church reunited with the Catholic Church. Later, Thomas Mar Dioscoros, the Metropolitan of the Knanaya Jacobite Church, reunited with the Catholic Church on 12 November 1939. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church engaged in her double mission of communion of the Malankara Orthodox Church and evangelisation. The Church began to increase in number. With the blessing of Archbishop Mar Ivanios, Joseph Kuzhinjalil founded the missionary congregation of the Daughters of Mary in 1938 at Marthandom in Kanyakumari District. Thus the mission of the Malankara Catholic Church spread to the southern regions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu also.

On 21 February 1943 Bishop Mar Dioscoros died. Mar Ivanios worked relentlessly for the building up of the Malankara Catholic Church. Through his travels abroad to Rome, other European countries, America and Australia, he spread the message of ecclesial communion and the awareness of the mission of the Malankara Catholic Church in the Universal Church. After a period of 22 years of the strenuous hectic task of organizing and administering the Malankara Catholic Church he fell ill for more than a year. Nevertheless, he consecrated Benedict Mar Gregorios as his Auxiliary on 29 January 1953. Archbishop Mar Ivanios died on 15 July 1953. The Eparchy of Tiruvalla was also making strides in its growth and development under the leadership of Jacob Mar Theophilos and Joseph Mar Severios. Mar Severios was the Administrator of the Eparchy until 1950 due to the ill health of Mar Theophilos. In 1950 he was appointed as the Bishop of Tiruvalla. He was also invested with the title ‘Archbishop’. He died on 18 January 1955.

Metropolitan Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios

On 27 January 1955 Metropolitan Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios was enthroned as the Metropolitan-Archbishop of Trivandrum and the Head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Under his able pastoral guidance and social commitment, the Church began to flourish in its multidimensional growth and development.

The Holy See appointed Zacharias Mar Athanasios as successor of Mar Severios, whose consecration took place on 22 April 1954. Jacob Mar Theophilos died on 27 June 1956.

Attracted by the Liturgy of the Malankara Church, Fr. Francis Acharya, a Cistercian Monk came to the Eparchy of Tiruvalla. In the year 1957 he founded in the Malankara Catholic Church, the Kristiya Sanyasa Samaj, Kurisumala Ashram in the high ranges of Vagamon.

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Metropolitan Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios along with the Christian leaders of Kerala on their way to Rome

The Malankara Catholic Church has been steadily growing and spreading throughout all the States in South India. On 14 February 1958 the territorial boundaries of the Eparchy of Tiruvalla was extended to the north including the Malabar region of Kerala, the civil districts of Coimbatore and Nilgiris and Karoor Taluk in Tiruchirappally District of Tamil Nadu and districts of Mysore, Mandya, Coorg, Hasan, Chickamangalore, Shimoga and South Kanara of Karnataka State. On 28 September 1977 March Athanasios died.

Paulos Mar Philoxenos, the Metropolitan of the Malabar Independent Church, was received into the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church on 28 August 1977.

The appointment of Isaac Mar Yoohanon as Bishop of Tiruvalla and erection of the Eparchy of Bathery with the appointment of Cyril Mar Baselios as its first Bishop through the decree of the Holy See took place on 28 October 1978. Both the prelates were consecrated on 28 December 1978. The Eparchy of Bathery was officially inaugurated on 2 February 1978. On 15 May 1979 the Eparchial contemplative monastery, Dhyana Ashram, was founded in the Eparchy of Bathery by Fr. Silvester Kozhimannil. The Golden Jubilee of the Reunion Movement of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was celebrated in Kottayam on 26, 27 & 28 December 1980. Lawrence Mar Ephrem was consecrated Bishop on 27 December 1980. Wladyslaw Cardinal Rubin, the then Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches was the Papal Delegate for the Jubilee. Other eminent participants included Maximos V, the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East of Alexandria and Jerusalem, Luciano Storero, the then Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to India and Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

A significant development of this period is the organisation of the Malankara Catholic faithful in India, outside the canonical territorial boundaries of the Church. From being organized as Malankara Catholic Associations, the communities of our faithful living in the Metropolitan cities of India came to be erected as personal parish communities. With the appointment of Dr. John Berchmans OIC as the Coordinator of the Malankara Catholic Communities in the Extra-territorial regions in India by the Council of Hierarchs of the Malankara Catholic Church, the ecclesial life of these parish communities was coordinated.

It was the long cherished dream of the Malankara Catholic Church to have a Major Seminary of its own for the formation of its clergy. St. Mary’s Malankara Major Seminary was inaugurated at Pattom on 29 June 1983 and the new building at Nalanchira, Trivandrum was blessed on 25 May 1989.

The Malankara Catholic Church welcomed Pope John Paul II on 8 February 1986 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum. The Pope, in his speech at Shankhumukam, praised the founder of the Reunion Movement and expressed his high appreciation of the work and witness of the Syro-Malankara Church. On 28 April 1987, Mar Yoohanon, the Bishop of Tiruvalla died. Following the visit Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Lourdusamy, the then Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, visited the Malankara Catholic Church on 18 and 19 August 1987.

Geevarghese Mar Timotheos succeeded Mar Yoohanon as the Bishop of Tiruvalla. He was consecrated Bishop on 6 August 1988. Metropolitan-Archbishop Mar Gregorios died on 10 October 1994 after an eventful service of 41 years.

Major Archbishop Catholicos Moran Mor Cyril Baselios

Cyril Mar Baselios, the Bishop of Bathery having been appointed by Pope John Paul II, was enthroned as Metropolitan-Archbishop of Trivandrum and as the head of the Malankara Church on 14 December 1995. Geevarghese Mar Divannasios was consecrated Bishop of Bathery in the place of Cyril Mar Baselios on 5 February 1996. Achille Cardinal Silvestrini, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, visited the Malankara Catholic Church on 11, 12, 13 February 1996. On the request of Cyril Mar Baselios, by an Apostolic Bull dated 16 December 1996, Pope John Paul II erected the Eparchy of Marthandom bifurcating the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum. Lawrence Mar Ephrem was appointed as its first Bishop. He died after a few months of his enthronement as Bishop of Marthandom, on 8 April 1997.

In the meantime the Eparchy of Tiruvalla was blessed with an Auxiliary Bishop in the person of Thomas Mar Koorilos who was consecrated Bishop on 17 July 1997. On 29 June 1998 Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom was consecrated as the Bishop of Marthandom and Joshua Mar Ignathios as the Auxiliary Bishop for the Metropolitan Eparchy of Trivandrum. Paulos Mar Philoxenos passed away on 3 November 1998.

Christu Jayanthi Maha Jubilee and the Sapthathy of the Re-union Movement of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church were celebrated jointly at Tiruvalla on 26, 27, 28 December 2000. The Patriarch-Emeritus of Syrian Catholic Church, Moran Mor Ignace Moussa [Cardinal] (Daoud), the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches was the Papal Delegate for the Celebration.

A significant development in this period has been the establishment of parishes for the faithful of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in the United States of America. Pope John Paul II nominated the Proto-Syncellus of Bathery Isaac Thottunkal, as Apostolic Visitor and the Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum on 18 June 2001 for the Syro-Malankarites residing in North America and Europe. He was consecrated on 15 August 2001 at Tirumoolapuram, (Tiruvalla) and he assumed the name Isaac Mar Cleemis.

Bifurcating the Eparchy of Tiruvalla, the Eparchy of Muvattupuzha was erected on 15 January 2003 and Thomas Mar Koorilos was appointed as its first Bishop.

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Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Malankara Seminary as seen from Mar Ivanios Tower

On 29 March 2003 Bishop Mar Timotheos gave resignation to the Holy See due to super-annuation and the Holy See appointed Isaac Mar Cleemis, the Apostolic Visitor to Europe and America, as the Bishop of Tiruvalla. Mar Cleemis took charge of the Diocese on 2 October 2003. On January 5, 2005 Joseph Mar Thomas was appointed as the Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum and Apostolic Visitor to North America and Europe.

On February 10 2005, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was raised to the status of a Major Archiepiscopal Church on that day by the papal document Ab ipso Sancto Thoma. Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Apostolic Nuncio in India read the official declaration at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum. The Hierarchical Head of the Church was elevated as Major Archbishop who exercises patriarchal powers and governs the Church assisted by the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Church. The Major Archbishop also assumed the title “Catholicos” according to the Antiochene-Malankara tradition.

On 19 February 2005, Joseph Mar Thomas was consecrated as the Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum and the Apostolic Visitor to North America and Europe. On 11 April 2005 the Faculty of Theology of St. Mary’s Malankara Major Seminary got affiliated to the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome.

The enthronement of the Major Archbishop Catholicos as the Father and Head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church on 14 May 2005 was officiated by the Patriarch-Emeritus of the Syrian Catholics Moran Mor Ignace Moussa [Cardinal] (Daoud), the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Apostolic Nuncio of the Pope in India, was present at the enthronement ceremony. The Malankara Major Archiepiscopal Curia (Catholicate Centre) started functioning at the St. Mary’s Campus, Pattom, Trivandrum. On 20 May 2005, the Catholicos Moran Mor Cyril Baselios blessed the Curia building. The Catholicos soon constituted the Holy Episcopal Synod. The first Synod of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was convened from 16 to 18 August 2005 at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia (Catholicate Centre), Trivandrum.

The first Holy Episcopal Synod constituted the Permanent Synod and the various Synodal Commissions headed by Bishops to take care of various Apostolates of the Church. The official bulletin, MALANKARA, is published from the Catholicate Centre, to communicate the Synodal acts and voice of the Syro-Malankara Major Archiepiscopal Church. The Platinum Jubilee of the Reunion Movement and the Year of the Eucharist were celebrated jointly at Mar Ivanios Nagar, Punnamoodu, Mavelikara on 19, 20, 21 September 2005. Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Apostolic Nuncio of the Pope in India, Shri Bhaironsingh Shekhawat, the Vice-President of India, and Sri Oommen Chandy, the Chief Minister of Kerala, participated in the celebrations.

By the decrees of the Major Archbishop Catholicos the Metropolitan Province of Tiruvalla with the Eparchies of Bathery and Muvattupuzha as suffragans, was established on 15 May 2006 and Isaac Mar Cleemis was appointed as the Metropolitan-Archbishop of Tiruvalla. On 10 June 2006 Isaac Mar Cleemis was enthroned as the first Metropolitan-Archbishop of Tiruvalla. By the decree of the Major Archbishop-Catholicos, on 1 January 2007, the new Eparchy of Mavelikara was erected and Joshua Mar Ignathios, The Auxiliary Bishop and protosyncellus of the Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum, was appointed as its first Bishop.

The Second Ordinary Holy Episcopal Synod was convoked on 6–7 December 2006 and it was decided to revive the ministerial titles of Ramban and Corepiscopo which were in vogue in the Church and to honour a few priests for their meritorious service in the Church. Isaac Mar Cleemis, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla, conferred the consecrations on Saturday, 13 January 2007 on three priests at St. John’s Cathedral, Tiruvalla and Moran Mor Cyril Baselios Catholicos conferred these consecrations on priests on 17 Wednesday, 2007 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum.

On Thursday, 18 January 2007 Moran Mor Cyril Baselios, the first Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro- Malankara Catholic Church died. The Catholicos was entombed by the side of his great predecessors at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum on 20 January 2007.

Major Archbishop Catholicos Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis

Isaac Mar Cleemis was elected the Second Major Archbishop Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church through the first Episcopal Synod of election of the Syro Malankara Catholic Church convoked on 7–10 February 2007 at Catholicate Centre, Pattom, Trivandrum. Pope Benedict XVI confirmed the election on 9 February and it was announced on 10 February at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum.

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Holy Qurbono in Syro-Malankara Rite

The installation of Aboon Mor Joshua Ignathios was held on 16 February 2007 at Mavelikara and Aboon Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, the Administrator of The Malankara Catholic Major Archiepiscopal Church presided over the installation ceremony. The new eparchy has a 30,825 Syro-Malankara Catholic faithful of a total population of 2,998,325 inhabitants. Of this 269,849 are Malankara non-Catholics and 598,824 Christians of other denominations.

On Wednesday, 7 February 2007 a long-cherished dream of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was realized. Pope Benedict XVI appointed Dr. Chacko Aerath OIC as the Apostolic Visitor with Episcopal status for the Malankara Catholic faithful residing in the Extra-territorial Regions of the Church within India.

Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis was enthroned the Second Major Archbishop Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church on 5 March 2007 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum. His installation service was officiated by Geevarghese Mar Divannasios, the Synodal Administrator of the Church. A large number of ecclesiastical and political dignitaries including Mar Varkey [Cardinal] Vithayathil (Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church), Cardinal Telesphore Toppo (the President of the CBCI), and Sri. V. S. Achuthanandan (the Chief Minister of Kerala) participated in the installation ceremony.

On Saturday, 10 March 2007 Dr. Chacko Aerath OIC was consecrated Bishop by Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos and he received the name Jacob Mar Barnabas.

On Monday, 26 March 2007 the Aboon Thomas Mar Koorilos was appointed the Second Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archieparchy of Tiruvalla. His installation Ceremony was held on Wednesday, 2 May 2007 at St.John’s Cathedral, Tiruvalla. Catholicos Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis was the main celebrant.

Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos visited Pope Benedict XVI on 28 May 2007 at Vatican and received ecclesiastical Communion. The Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Rome gave him a warm reception on his first visit to the Holy See.

On Saturday, 14 July 2007 Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop-Catholicos declared Archbishop Mar Ivanios as Servant of God on the basis of the petition submitted by Rev. Fr. Antony Valiyavilayil, the postulator for the cause of canonization of Archbishop Mar Ivanios the Prophet of Reunion Movement. The 77th Reunion celebrations, the Platinum Jubilee of the Constitution of the Hierarchy of the Malankara Church in Catholic Communion and the Golden Jubilee of the Immigration of the Malankarites to Malabar were celebrated at Kodencherry in the Eparchy of Bathery from 19 -21 September 2007.

On Sunday, 23 September 2007 the 125th birth anniversary of Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios was celebrated at Puthiyakavu, the birth place of the Servant of God in the Eparchy of Mavelikara.

The Silver Jubilee of the Malankara Major Seminary that commenced on Thursday, 29 June 2007 was officially inaugurated on Tuesday, 2 October 2007 by Catholicos Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis and its concluding celebrations were held from 5–8 November 2007.

As per the provisions of CCEO can. 1063 the Ordinary Tribunal of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church was constituted on November 15, 2007.

Aboon Dr. Abraham Mar Julios was consecrated bishop of the eparchy of Moovattupuzha by Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos and all the eight bishops of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church on 9 February 2008 at Moovattupuzha. Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos blessed the newly built Tomb Chapel of Servant of God Mar Ivanios in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum on 1 July 2008.

The Holy Episcopal Synod of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church decided to confer following dignities to the lay Christian faithful: Malankara Sabha Ratnam (the Gem of the Malankara Church), Bar Itho Briro (the Prominent Son of the Church), Bars Itho Britho (the Prominent Daughter of the Church), Bar Itho Shariro (the Good Son of the Church) , Bars Itho Sharirtho ( the Good Daughter of the Church), Bar Itho Kashiro ( the Earnest Son of the Church) Bars Itho Kashirtho ( the Earnest Daughter of the Church).^[1]

Leonardo Cardinal Sandri at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum

Leonardo Cardinal Sandri, the Prefect of Congregation for the Oriental Churches visited Syro-Malankara Catholic Church on November 10, 2008. Official reception was given to Cardinal Sandri at 9 am. Concelebrated Holy Mass in the Malankara Rite was followed. Major Archbishop Catholicos Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis was the maincelebrant. In the following meeting Cardinal Sandri declared the Queen of Peace Pro-Cathedral at Palayam, Trivandrum as Basilica. Major Archbishop Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos dedicated St. Mary, Queen of Peace Basilica on December 7, 2008. Kerala Minister M. Vijaya Kumar presided over the following meeting.

In the course of the growth and development of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, besides the canonical institutions, various associations such as the Malankara Catholic Youth Movement (MCYM), the Malankara Catholic Association (MCA), the Legion of Mary, Matruvedi, Pithruvedi, and other pious associations have become the backbone of the life of the Church.

The Syro-Malnkara Catholic Church engages itself in humanitarian activities. One example of such services is Thapovanam, Shelter of Hope, Sulthan Bathery, a centre for the rehabilitation of the mentally ill persons.

Monastic and other religious communities that are founded in the Malankara Catholic Church contribute towards the spiritual enrichment of the Church. Similarly, other Religious Congregations of both men and women founded in other sui iuris Churches are rendering their service in fulfilling the mission of the Malankara Church. The cause of Canonisation of Mar Ivanios, the pioneer of the Reunion Movement is in progress.

Eparchies

Major Archeparchy of Trivandrum
- Eparchy of Marthandom
- Eparchy of Mavelikara

Archieparchy of Tiruvalla
- Eparchy of Bathery
- Eparchy of Muvattupuzha

Hierarchs

The Malankara Syrian Catholic Church has 10 Hierarchs:

Hierarchs	Diocese	Cathedral / Location
Pope Benedict XVI	Bishop of Rome & Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church	St. John Lateran Basilica / Vatican City, Rome, Italy
Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis	Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Church	St. Mary's Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral / Pattom, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
Aboon Thomas Mar Koorilos	Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla	St. John's Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral / Tiruvalla, Kerala, India
Geevarghese Mar Divannasios	Metropolitan of Bathery	St. Thomas Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral / Sulthan Bathery, Kerala, India
Yoohanon Mar Chrysostom	Metropolitan of Marthandom	Christu Raja Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral / Marthandom, Tamil Nadu, India
Joshua Mar Ignathios	Metropolitan of Mavelikkara	St.Mary's Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral / Punnamoodu, Mavelikkara, Kerala, India
Abraham Mar Julios	Metropolitan of Muvattupuzha	St. Mary's Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral / Vazhappilly, Mudavoor, Muvattupuzha, Kerala, India
Geevarghese Mor Timotheos	Metropolitan Emeritus of Tiruvalla	Emeritus of St. John's Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral / Tiruvalla, Kerala, India
Joseph Mor Thomas	Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum and Apostolic Visitor to North America	Mar Ivanios Malankara Syrian Catholic Center / New Hyde Park, New York, USA
Jacob Mor Barnabas	Apostolic Visitor to North India and Delhi	Mar Ivanios Bhavan Malankara Syrian Catholic Center / New Delhi, India

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in the Extra Territorial Regions in India

Metropolitan: Aboon Mor Jacob Barnabas Episcopa

Baroda, Gujarat
Ahmedabad
Aurangabad
Matikere, Banglore
Lingarajapuram, Banglore
Singa Sandra, Banglore
Bhopal
Calcutta
Padi, Chennai
Thiruvattiyoor, Chennai
Perambur, Chennai
Vasant Kunj, Delhi
Gaziabad, Delhi
Uttam Nagar, Delhi
Faridabad, Delhi
Mayurvihar, Delhi
Dilshad Garden, Delhi
Hyderabad
Jaipur
Ludhiayana
Sakinaka, Mumbai
Anusakthinagar, Mumbai
Ulhas Nagar, Mumbai
New Bombay, Mumbai
Thane, Mumbai
Vikroli, Mumbai
Borivili, Mumbai
Malad, Mumbai
Nasik
Kirkee, Pune
Warje Malwadi, Pune
Kalewadi, Pune
Chinchwad, Pune
Dehu Road, Pune
Pune Central, Pune
Vadagaonsheri, Pune
Surat
Vasi Road
Boisur

Syro Malankara Catholic Church in North America

Metropolitan Bishop: Aboon Mor Joseph Thomas

Church	Location	Bishop or Vicar
Mar Ivanios Syro Malankara Catholic Center	New Hyde Park, NY, USA	Aboon Joseph Mar Thomas
St. Mary's Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Chicago, IL, USA	Rev. Fr. Saji George
St. Mary's Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Dallas, TX, USA	Rt. Rev. Geevarghese Mannikkarott Corepiscopo
St. Joseph's Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Detroit, MI, USA	Rev. Fr. Rev. Fr. Koshy Chirakkarottu
St. Peter's Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Houston, TX, USA	Rev. Fr. Job
Flordia Syro Malankara Catholic Community	Miami Beach, FL, USA	Rev. Fr. Joel Mathew OIC
St. John Chrysostom Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Long Island, NY, USA	Rev. Fr. Joseph Nedumankuzhiyil
St. Mary's Syro Malankara Catholic Church	New Rochelle, NY, USA	Rev. Fr. Augustine Mangalath
St. Thomas Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Linden, NJ, USA	Rev. Fr. John Karavila
St. Jude's Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Philadelphia, PA, USA	Rev. Fr. Joseph Sundaram
St. Basil's Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Queens, NY, USA	Rev.Fr. Antony Padipurackal OIC
St. Peter's Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Rockland, NY, USA	Rev. Fr. Joy Mankulam
St. Mary's Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Toronto, ON, Canada	Rev. Fr. Cherian Mambrakuzhiyil
St. Mary's Syro Malankara Catholic Church	Washington, DC, USA	Rev. Fr. Jacob George Chirayath

Syro-Malankara Catholic Communities in Europe

Metropolitan: Aboon Mor Joseph Thomas Episcopa

Bonn/ Koln, Germany
Krefeld, Germany
Herne/Dortmund, Germany
Heidelberg/ Stuttgart, Germany
Frankfurt, Germany
Rome, Itlay
Reggio Emilia, Italy
Milan, Italy
Zurich, Switzerland
Bern, Switzerland
London, United Kingdom

Syro-Malankara Catholic Communities in Middle East

Metropolitan: Aboon Mor Joseph Thomas Episcopa

Abbassia, Kuwait
Doha, Qatar
Manama, Baharain
Abu-Dhabi, UAE
Dubai, UAE
Sharja, UAE
Al Ain, UAE
Fujairah, UAE
Ruwi, Oman
Ghala, Oman
Salalah, Oman

Religious orders

Seminaries

Colleges

Malankara Catholic Youth Movement

Malankara Catholic Youth Movement (MCYM) is the official organization for the youth in Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. The Catholic Youth Movement of Kerala dates back to the second half of the 1960s. Although there were some youth organisations in the parish level at different parts of Kerala, the spread of the organization of the youth movements in the diocese took place rather late. Two reasons seems to be of prime importance for the foundation of the youth organizations in the late 1960s.

MCYM Branches

Kerala MCYM

1) Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum
2) Archieparchy of Thiruvilla
3) Eparchy of Bathery
4) Eparchy of Marthandom
5) Eparchy of Muvattupuzha
6) Eparchy of Mavelikkara

MCYM ETR in India

1) Apostolic Visitation of North India Malankara Syrian Catholic Churches (MCCETR)

MCYM North America

1) Apostolic Visitation of North America Malankara Syrian Catholic Churches (New York)

Malankara Catholic Association

Founded in 1989, the Malankara Catholic Association (MCA) is the association of lay faithful of the Church. Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, Catholicos is the patron; there are now diocesan sections in the Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvalla, Bathery, Moovattupuzha and Marthandom Dioceses and in North America.

Sources

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
"Archdiocese of Trivandrum (Malankarese)", Catholic-Hierarchy.Org, retrieved January 11, 2006
The Syro-Malankara Catholic Major Archiepiscopal Church Directory, Trivandrum, 2006.
Ronald Robertson, CSP; The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey (6th Edition); Edizioni Orientalia Christiana, Pontifico Instituto Orientale; Rome, Italy; 1999; ISBN 88-7210-321-5
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

External links

^ Malankara, 3/2 (2008)

[1] Malankara, 3/2 (2008)

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