The Syro-Malabar Church, also known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic Church based in Kerala, India. It is a sui iuris (autonomous) particular church in full communion with the Holy See and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO). The major archbishop presides over the entire church. The incumbent Major Archbishop is Raphael Thattil, serving since January 2024. 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.
The Archeparchy of Changanacherry is a Syro-Malabar Catholic archeparchy with an area of 24,595 km2 comprising the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and also Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the largest Catholic dioceses in India in terms of area. Joseph Perumthottam is the current Metropolitan Archbishop, serving since 2007. Thomas Tharayil has been the auxiliary bishop since 2017. Suffragan eparchies of the Changanassery archeparchy includes Palai, Kanjirappally-Nilackal, and Thuckalay-Thiruvithancode.
The Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly is the major archeparchy and the see of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. It has been the major archeparchy since 1992 when the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was elevated to the status of a major archiepiscopal church with Ernakulam-Angamaly as the primatal see. The major archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly is the main bishop of the jurisdiction, at the same time the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. The eparchies of Kothamangalam and Idukki are the two suffragan eparchies of the major archeparchy.
The Eparchy of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic of Chicago, also known as the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Diocese of Chicago, is a Syro-Malabar Catholic Church ecclesiastical territory or eparchy of the Catholic Church in the United States. Its episcopal seat is the Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral in the episcopal see of Chicago in Illinois state.
The Archeparchy of Trichur, 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 Eparchy of Belthangady is an Eastern Catholic eparchy in Belthangady, India, under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. It was established in 1999 by Pope John Paul II's bull "Cum Ampla". It is a suffragan diocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Tellicherry. The bishop of this diocese is Mar Lawrence Mukkuzhy. This diocese had been established for the Syro-Malabar Christians of three districts in Karnataka, namely Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu and Udupi.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Mananthavady is an Eastern Catholic eparchy in India, under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. It was established in 1973 by Pope Paul VI. It is a suffragan diocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Tellicherry, the bishop of the diocese is Jose Porunnedom.
The Archeparchy of Kottayam is a Syro-Malabar Church metropolitan archeparchy of the Catholic Church in India. The archeparchy is exclusively for Knanaya faithful who claim to be the descendants of Syriac Judeo-Christians who migrated from South Mesopotamia to Kodungallur (Muziris) in South India in 4th century A.D.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Bhadravathi was created by Benedict XVI's Papal bull "Cum Ampla" as a suffragan of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Tellicherry. The territory of the diocese of Bhadravathi thus includes two civil districts of Karnataka State - Shimoga and Chikmagalur.
Chemperi is a town on the bank of the Chemperi River, in the Western Ghat, in the Kannur district of South India. It is characterized by its production and export of rubber and spices, its beautiful hillocks, and its serene streams. Village and Panchayath of Chemperi is Eruvessi. Both Panchayath and Village offices of Eruvessi are located in Chemperi. Also Lourde Matha Forane Church, Chemperi is another attraction. Paithalmala and Palakkayam Thattu is also a few kilometres away.
Vimal Jyothi Engineering College, Chemperi, is a private, unaided, Catholic-minority engineering college in the state of Kerala, India. It was established in 2002 and is run under Catholic supervision with minority rights. This college is managed by The MESHAR Diocesan Educational Trust and the Archdiocese of Thalassery. It is accredited by the All India Council for Technical Education and affiliated with APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Trivandrum.
The Eparchy of Mandya is situated in Mandya city in Mandya district of Karnataka. The eparchy includes ten civil districts of Karnataka, namely Bangalore, Bangalore Rural, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Ramanagara, Tumkur, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Hassan. The most recent bishop of Mandya was Antony Kariyil, who was later appointed as the Metropolitan Vicar of the Major Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly with the personal title of Archbishop on August 30, 2019. Infant Jesus Church, Henkel is the cathedral of the eparchy and the bishop's residence is at Kalenahalli, 6 km away from the city of Mandya.
The Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of Puthur , the first Syro-Malankara Catholic diocese in India's southern Karnataka, is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Syro-Malankara Catholic Archeparchy of Tiruvalla, which depends on the Major Archbishop of Trivandrum, the head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, and with it on the Roman Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
This article gives a list of the territories of the dioceses of the Catholic Church in India.
Thabore is a hill top village in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. Some parts of Thabore comes under Udayagiri, Kerala gram panchayat and the rest under Cherupuzha (Kannur) gram panchayat. Tourists come here to see the scenery of the hill station. A statue of Jesus Christ has been recently? installed on the hilltop which attracts a large number of tourists. Nearby places include Udayagiri, Thirumeni, Chathamangalam (Kannur) and Kozhichal.
Mar George Valiamattam is an East Syriac Catholic Archbishop Emeritus. He was born at Punnathura, Kottayam, Kerala, India. He was appointed as the second bishop of Archdiocese of Tellicherry, upon the retirement of Mar Sebastian Valloppilly on 1 May 1989. He was promoted to the post of Metropolitan Archbishop in 1995.
