Chaldean Syrian Church
Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East | |
---|---|
ܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ ܕܐܬܘܖ̈ܝܐ കൽദായ സുറിയാനി സഭ | |
Apostolic Era | |
Branched from | Church of the East in India |
Members | 15,000[1] |
Official website | Official website |
The Chaldean Syrian Church of India (
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
History
Early history
Part of a series on |
Saint Thomas Christians |
---|
History |
|
Religion |
Prominent persons |
|
Culture |
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
Part of a series on |
Christianity in India |
---|
The arrival of Portuguese in India, and gradual establishment of their presence along the
Coercive actions of the Portuguese
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
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
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,
After 1882, the majority of Mellus' followers returned to the
After his death, local Christians appealed to Mar
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
In June 1952, Patriarch
Emerging dispute had several causes, including issues related to hereditary
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. The Chaldean Syrian Higher Secondary School is also affiliated with the church.
References
- ^ "Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East — World Council of Churches". Oikoumene.org. January 1948. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
- ^ "CHURCH OF THE EAST - INDIA". www.churchoftheeastindia.org. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "CHURCH OF THE EAST - INDIA". www.churchoftheeastindia.org. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ^ Brown 1956, p. 281.
- ^ Vadakkekara 2007, p. 101-103.
- ^ a b Mooken 2003, p. 49–51, 65, 70.
- ^ Mooken 1975.
- ^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 51-58.
- ^ Wilmshurst 2000, p. 20, 347, 398, 406-407.
- ^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 106-111.
- ^ Brown 1956, p. 32.
- ^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 115.
- ^ Brown 1956, p. 100.
- ^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 115-116.
- ^ Brown 1956, p. 103.
- ^ Brown 1956, p. 111-112.
- ^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 116.
- ^ Neill 2004, p. 327-328.
- ^ Brown 1956, p. 115-117.
- ^ Mooken 1977, p. 50-51.
- ^ Mooken 1983, p. 25-26.
- ^ Neill 2002, p. 62-65.
- ^ a b Mooken 1987.
- ^ Vadakkekara 2007, p. 102.
- ^ Mooken 1975, p. 11-26.
- ^ a b Vadakkekara 2007, p. 103.
- ^ Mooken 1974, p. 57, 64-65.
- ^ Mooken 2003, p. 169.
- ^ Mooken 2004, p. 32.
- ^ Mooken 2003, p. 180.
- ^ Mooken 2004, p. 90-92.
Sources
- ISBN 9781134430192.
- Brown, Leslie W. (1956). The Indian Christians of St Thomas: An Account of the Ancient Syrian Church of Malabar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Frykenberg, Robert E. (2008). Christianity in India: From Beginnings to the Present. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198263777.
- .
- Mooken, Aprem (1974). Mar Thoma Darmo: A Biography. Trichur: Mar Narsai Press.
- Mooken, Aprem (1975). Mar Abimalek Timotheus: A Biography. Trichur: Mar Narsai Press.
- Mooken, Aprem (1977). The Chaldean Syrian Church in India. Trichur: Mar Narsai Press.
- Mooken, Aprem (1983). The Chaldean Syrian Church of the East. Delhi: National Council of Churches in India.
- Mooken, Aprem (1983x). Indian Christian: Who is Who. Bombay: Bombay Parish.
- Mooken, Aprem (1987). Mar Abdisho Thondanat: A Biography. Trichur: Mar Narsai Press.
- Mooken, Aprem (2003). The History of the Assyrian Church of the East in the Twentieth Century. Kottayam: St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute.
- ISBN 9788190220507.
- Moraes, George M. (1964). A History of Christianity in India: From Early Times to St. Francis Xavier: A. D. 52-1542. Bombay: Manaktalas.
- Mundadan, Mathias (1967). The Arrival of the Portuguese in India and the Thomas Christians Under Mar Jacob, 1498-1552. Bangalore: Dharmaram College.
- Mundadan, Mathias (1970). Sixteenth century traditions of St. Thomas Christians. Bangalore: Dharmaram College.
- Mundadan, Mathias (1984). Indian Christians: Search for Identity and Struggle for Autonomy. Bangalore: Dharmaram College.
- Neill, Stephen (1966) [1984]. Colonialism and Christian Missions. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- ISBN 9780521548854.
- ISBN 9780521893329.
- Vadakkekara, Benedict (2007). Origin of Christianity in India: A Historiographical Critique. Delhi: Media House. ISBN 9788174952585.
- Wilmshurst, David (2000). The Ecclesiastical Organisation of the Church of the East, 1318–1913. Louvain: Peeters Publishers. ISBN 9789042908765.
- Wilmshurst, David (2011). The martyred Church: A History of the Church of the East. London: East & West Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781907318047.