The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic Church based in Kerala, India. It is sui iuris (autonomous) particular Church in full communion with the Pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, including the Latin Church and the 22 other Eastern Catholic Churches, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO). The Church is headed by the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar, currently George Alencherry. The Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops canonically convoked and presided over by the Major Archbishop constitutes the supreme authority of the Church. The Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the Church is based in Kakkanad, Kochi. Syro-Malabar is a prefix reflecting the church's use of the East Syriac Rite liturgy and origins in Malabar. The name has been in usage in official Vatican documents since the nineteenth century.
Johann Ernst Hanxleden (1681–1732), better identified as Arnos Pathiri, was a German Jesuit priest and missionary, best known for his contributions as a Malayalam and Sanskrit poet, grammarian, lexicographer, and philologist. He lived in India for most part of his life and became a scholar of Sanskrit and Malayalam languages before authoring Puthen Pana, a poem on the life of Jesus Christ, Malayalam–Portuguese Dictionary, the first dictionary in Malayalam as well as two linguistic treatises, Malayalavyaakaranam and Sidharoopam.
The Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly is the major archeparchy and the See of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church. Mar Cardinal George Alencherry is the present Major Archbishop, and until July 2022 Archbishop Mar Antony Kariyil CMI was the Vicar of Major Archbishop, responsible for the administration of the major archeparchy. Currently Mar Andrews Thazath, Archbishop of Thrissur Archeparchy, was appointed by the Holy Father Pope Francis as the apostolic administrator of the same, replacing Mar Antony Kariyil. The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was elevated to the status of a major archiepiscopal church in 1992 with Ernakulam-Angamaly as the primatal see.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Trichur-Palayoor, in Thrissur District of Central Kerala, India, with nearly half a million Syro-Malabar Catholics now, used to be the largest Catholic diocese in India when it included the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Irinjalakuda until 1978 and Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Palghat until 1973. Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Irinjalakuda, also located in Thrissur District, has over a quarter million Syro-Malabar Catholics now. Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Palghat in Central Kerala extends to some regions in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. In 2010, the parts of Tamil Nadu under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Palghat were separated to form another Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Ramanathapuram.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy (Diocese) of Sagar is an eparchy in central India, which is part of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, yet is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Latin Catholic rite Metropolitan of the Roman Archdiocese of Bhopal. It was created in 1968 as (missionary) and promoted diocese in 1977 by the papal bull Divina Verba of Pope Paul VI.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Irinjalakuda-Kodungallur is a suffragan eparchy in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Thrissur in Kerala state's Thrissur District, southern India.It is part of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.
Kochouseph Thomas Chittilappilly is an Indian business magnate, writer, investor and philanthropist. He is the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of V-Guard Industries and a chain of amusement parks called Wonderla. K. Chittilappilly Foundation, a non profit organization founded by him is engaged in charitable and philanthropic activities. Chittilappilly is a recipient of the Rashtriya Samman award from the Government of India for being among the highest taxpayers and the Newsmaker of the Year 2011 award from Malayala Manorama.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Thrissur is the chief bishop and principal leader of the nearly half a million Syro Malabar Catholics now used to be the largest catholic diocese in India, when it included the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur, Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Irinjalakuda, Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Palghat and Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Ramanathapuram. He is also the Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur. The title is more powerful as he is the custodian of St. Thomas Church (Palayur), where Christianity came to Indian sub-continent, and have two blessed people, Maria Theresa Chiramel and Euphrasia Eluvathingal in the Archdiocese.
Mar Raphael Thattil is an Indian Catholic prelate of the Syro-Malabar Church. He has been a bishop since 2010 and the first bishop of the Eparchy (Diocese) of Shamshabad since 2018. The Diocese of Shamshabad is headquartered in Telangana and has jurisdiction over Syro-Malabar Catholics in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, North India, Central India, and Northeast India. As per Pope Francis's October 2017 letter, through the creation of the Shamshabad Diocese, ‘all India jurisdiction’ of the Syro-Malabar Church has been restored.
Augustine John Ukken was a Syrian Catholic priest from the Indian state of Kerala in Thrissur and the founder of the Congregation of Sisters of Charity (CSC).
The Kidney Federation of India is a non-government charitable foundation working for patients with renal problems, located in Thrissur city of Kerala, India. It was founded by a Syro-Malabar Catholic Church priest, Davis Chiramel.
Accident Care and Transport Service or ACTS is a voluntary organisation providing free emergency assistance to accident victims in Thrissur city and Thrissur District of India.
Fr. Gabriel Chiramel CMI was an Indian Syro-Malabar Catholic priest, educationist, zoologist, author and social reformer, known for his services in the fields of education, health and human welfare. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2007 by the Government of India for his contribution to education and literature.
Joseph Vithayathil was a priest from India who has been declared as Venerable by the Catholic Church. He was born in Puthenpally, Varapuzha, Ernakulam District of Kerala State of India to Catholic parents of the Vithayathil family on 23 July 1865. He had two brothers and two sisters.
St. Francis Xavier's Church, Sampaloor, popularly known as Sampaloor Palli, is a parish church coming under the Diocese of Kottapuram of the Archdiocese of Verapoly. It is situated along Palayamparambu Road, at Sampaloor, Mala in Thrissur district of the south Indian state of Kerala. The church is best known for hosting a number of Christian saints and missionaries including Francis Xavier, John de Britto, Arnos Pathiri and Constanzo Beschi.
Organ transplantation in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is regulated by India's Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 and is facilitated by the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN) of the Government of Tamil Nadu and several NGOs. Tamil Nadu ranks first in India in deceased organ donation rate at 1.8 per million population, which is seven times higher than the national average.
Organ donation in India is regulated by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994. The law allows both deceased and living donors to donate their organs. It also identifies brain death as a form of death. The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) functions as the apex body for activities of relating to procurement, allotment and distribution of organs in the country.
Stephanos Geevarghese is a Syriac Orthodox archbishop of Simhasana Churches in the Malabar Region.
Uma Preman is an Indian social worker from Kerala, India. She is the founder of Santhi Medical Information Center, a nonprofit charitable organization that provides medical guidance, care and rehabilitation for patients with limited income and resources.
