Chaldean Syrian Church

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Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East
ܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ ܕܐܬܘܖ̈ܝܐ
കൽദായ സുറിയാനി സഭ
Apostolic Era
Branched fromChurch of the East in India
Members15,000[1]
Official websiteOfficial website

The Chaldean Syrian Church of India (

metropolitan province of the Assyrian Church of the East, and represents traditional Christian communities of the East Syriac Rite (hence the name) along the Malabar Coast of India.[2] It is headed by Mar Awgin Kuriakose.[3][4]

The Church uses the East Syriac Rite, and employs the Divine Liturgy of Saints Addai and Mari.[5] Its members constitute a traditional community among Saint Thomas Christians (also known as Nasrani), who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. They are based mostly in the state of Kerala, numbering some 15,000 members in the region.[6]

The Chaldean Syrian Church is a modern-day continuation of the historical

saint by the Church of the East.[8]

History

Early history

Saint Thomas Christians

medieval period, Metropolitans of India belonged to the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Church of the East.[9]

In 1490–1491, Patriarch Shemon IV responded to the request of Christians from India, and appointed two bishops, Mar Yohannan and Mar Awgin, dispatching them to India. These bishops, were followed by Mar Yahballaha, Mar Dinkha and Mar Yaqobin 1503–1504. They were later followed by Metropolitan Abraham, who died in 1597. By that time, Christians of the Malabar Coast were facing new challenges, caused by the establishment of Portuguese presence in India.[10][11]

Period of internal schisms and struggles

The arrival of Portuguese in India, and gradual establishment of their presence along the

Jesuites, claimed full jurisdiction over the local Christians of the Malabar Coast. In the process, local liturgical rite was Latinized, holy books were burned under the suspicion of Nestorianism, and connection with the Church of the East in Mesopotamia was denounced at the Synod of Diamper (1599).[12][13]

Coercive actions of the Portuguese

Mar Thoma I in a rebellion, which became known as the Coonan Cross Oath.[14][15] As a response to these events, Rome sent Carmelites from the "Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples" to the Malabar Coast. They first arrived in 1655, and began to deal directly with the Archdeacon Mar Thoma I. Although they were unable to sway the Archdeacon, Carmelites gained the support of other local leaders, including Palliveettil Chandy, Alexandar Kadavil and the Vicar of Muttam, the three councilors of Mar Thoma.[16]

As a result of this, between 1661 and 1662, out of the 116 churches, the Carmelites reclaimed eighty-four churches, leaving Mar Thoma I with thirty-two churches. The eighty-four churches and their congregations were the body from which the later

Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, arrived in India. The dissident group under the leadership of Mar Thoma welcomed him, apparently mistaking him for a Bishop of East Syriac Rite sent by the Church of the East.[17][18]

Though most of the Saint Thomas Christians gradually relented in their strong opposition to the Catholic influence, the arrival of the Bishop Mar Gregorios of the

Mar Gabriel

A minority within the Christian community tried to preserve the traditional use of the East Syriac Rite and re-establish ties with Patriarchs of the Church of the East, who occasionally sent emissaries to India. At the very beginning of the 18th century (c. 1708), bishop Mar Gabriel (d. c. 1733) arrived to India, sent by the Patriarch. He succeeded in reviving the traditionalist community, but was faced with rivalry both from West-Syriac (Jacobite) and pro-Catholic party.[20][21][22][23]

Revival of the East Syriac rites

The Chaldean Syrian Church's current Metropolitan, Mar Aprem Mooken, has argued that the church represents a continuation of the ancient Church of the East hierarchy in India.[7] In 1862, an attempt was made to reestablish direct ties between the community in India and the Patriarch Shimun XVIII, who consecrated an Indian born Mar Abdisho Thondanat (d. 1900) as Metropolitan of India, but his task proved to be very difficult and challenging.[24]

In order to place Christians of the East Syriac Rite in India under his authority,

Our Lady of Dolours Church (now Marth Mariam Cathedral) in the parish of Thrissur. In response, the Pope dispatched Latin Catholic leaders to remove Mar Mellus from the country and sent him back to Mesopotamia in 1882.[25]

After 1882, the majority of Mellus' followers returned to the

Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, but some 8,000 Christians maintained their demand for restoration of traditional ecclesiastical order. In order to answer those requests, Mar Abdisho Thondanat revived his activity, fulfilling the aspirations of local Christians of the East Syriac Rite for the full reestablishment of traditional ecclesiastical structure. Until his death in 1900, he partially succeeded in organizing the local church, that was named the Chaldean Syrian Church.[24]

After his death, local Christians appealed to Mar

Qochanis who was forthcoming, and in December 1907 consecrated Mar Abimalek Timotheus as metropolitan bishop for India. He reached his diocese in February 1908, and took over the administration.[26]

Mar Abimalek Thomotheus organized ecclesiastical order and revived East Syriac rites and teachings in the local Thrissur church. These reforms caused some followers to break away and rejoin the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, but through the reforms, the original East-Syriac oriented Church of India was revived, as it was prior to the Synod of Diamper in 1599.[27]

Modern schism and reconciliation

Metropolitan Mar Aprem Mooken, with his two Bishops, Mar Yohannan Yoseph (left) and Mar Awgin Kuriakose (right)
Inside view of Thrissur Marth Mariam Cathedral
Marth Mariam Valiyapalli, Thrissur

In June 1952, Patriarch

Trichur. During his tenure, several churches were built, preparation of new clergy was organized, and the Mar Narsai Press was established. In January 1964, a dispute broke out, and Thoma Darmo was suspended from the metropolitan office by the Patriarch.[28][29]

Emerging dispute had several causes, including issues related to hereditary

Dinkha Khanania, at that time Bishop of Iran, who was appointed Patriarchal delegate for India, in 1967.[30]

In October 1971, Patriarch Shimun XXI appointed Mar Timotheus II (d. 2001) as new Metropolitan for India.[31] During the following years, several attempts were made to heal the schism. In 1995, under new Patriarch Dinkha IV of the Assyrian Church of the East, an agreement with Metropolitan Aprem Mooken was reached, thus initiating the process of reconciliation. On that occasion, the validity of ordinations performed by Thoma Darmo after the suspension of 1964 was recognized, and in 1997 the suspension itself was annulled by the Holy Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East.[32]

The Chaldean Syrian Church in India now constitutes one of the four Archbishoprics of the Assyrian Church of the East. Its followers number around 45,000.[27] The present Metropolitan, Mar Aprem Mooken (ordained in 1968), is headquartered in Thrissur City. His seat is the Marth Mariam Valiyapalli 10°31′6″N 76°13′2″E / 10.51833°N 76.21722°E / 10.51833; 76.21722. The Chaldean Syrian Higher Secondary School is also affiliated with the church.

References

  1. ^ "Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East — World Council of Churches". Oikoumene.org. January 1948. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  2. ^ "CHURCH OF THE EAST - INDIA". www.churchoftheeastindia.org. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  3. ^ Bureau, The Hindu (8 January 2023). "Mar Awgin Kuriakose ordained as Metropolitan of the Chaldean Syrian Church of the East". The Hindu. Retrieved 5 March 2023 – via www.thehindu.com.
  4. ^ "CHURCH OF THE EAST - INDIA". www.churchoftheeastindia.org. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  5. ^ Brown 1956, p. 281.
  6. ^ Vadakkekara 2007, p. 101-103.
  7. ^ a b Mooken 2003, p. 49–51, 65, 70.
  8. ^ Mooken 1975.
  9. ^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 51-58.
  10. ^ Wilmshurst 2000, p. 20, 347, 398, 406-407.
  11. ^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 106-111.
  12. ^ Brown 1956, p. 32.
  13. ^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 115.
  14. ^ Brown 1956, p. 100.
  15. ^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 115-116.
  16. ^ Brown 1956, p. 103.
  17. ^ Brown 1956, p. 111-112.
  18. ^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 116.
  19. ^ Neill 2004, p. 327-328.
  20. ^ Brown 1956, p. 115-117.
  21. ^ Mooken 1977, p. 50-51.
  22. ^ Mooken 1983, p. 25-26.
  23. ^ Neill 2002, p. 62-65.
  24. ^ a b Mooken 1987.
  25. ^ Vadakkekara 2007, p. 102.
  26. ^ Mooken 1975, p. 11-26.
  27. ^ a b Vadakkekara 2007, p. 103.
  28. ^ Mooken 1974, p. 57, 64-65.
  29. ^ Mooken 2003, p. 169.
  30. ^ Mooken 2004, p. 32.
  31. ^ Mooken 2003, p. 180.
  32. ^ Mooken 2004, p. 90-92.

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