The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, also known as the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic sui iuris particular church in full communion with the worldwide Catholic Church possessing self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. It is one of the major archiepiscopal churches of the Catholic Church. It is headed by Major Archbishop Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos of the Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum based in Kerala, India. With more than 1096 parishes, its one of India's biggest church evangelical establishments.
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.
Joseph Powathil was an Indian prelate of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. He was the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Changanassery, serving from 1985 until 2007. He was also the first bishop of Kanjirappally, having served from 1977 to 1985. He served as the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) from 1994 to 1998. Powathil was one of the youngest bishops in India, having been ordained bishop at the age of 41 and Pope Paul VI was his principal consecrator. A scholar in theology, Powathil is known for his stance in matters related to the Syro-Malabar Church's liturgy and restoration of eastern traditions. His stance on the fee structure of self-financing colleges had once become a challenge for the Kerala state government.
The Major 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 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.
Mar Joseph Perumthottam is an Indian prelate of the Catholic Church. Since 2007 he has served as the archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry, India.
Mar Joseph Kallarangatt is an Indian bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church serving as the Bishop of the Eparchy of Palai since 2004 succeeding Mar Joseph Pallikaparampil.
Sebastian Adayantharath is a Syro-Malabar Catholic bishop. He is the current bishop of Mandya and also a former auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
Abraham Kattumana was an Indian Catholic Archbishop. He was the Pontifical Delegate of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church with the powers of the Major Archbishop vested in him by Pope John Paul II. Previously, he had served as apostolic nuncio to Ghana, Benin, and Togo. He was a Vatican diplomat and served at the Nunciatures in Indonesia, Uruguay, Iraq, New Zealand and Great Britain.
George Alencherry is the Major Archbishop Emeritus of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church after serving in the postion from 2011 to 2023. He is also a cardinal of the Catholic Church.
George Kocherry is an Indian prelate of the Syro-Malabar Church who joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1978 and became an archbishop and nuncio in 2000. After serving as apostolic nuncio to Togo, Ghana, and Zimbabwe, he was the nuncio to Bangladesh from 2013 to 2022.
Raphael Thattil is an Indian prelate of the Catholic Church who serves as the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, the second largest Eastern Catholic Church and as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly since January 2024.
Mar Mathew Arackal is a bishop of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church and an active champion in issues of the environment and society. He served as Head of the Eparchy of Kanjirappally from 9 February 2001 to 2 February 2020. He was also the Chairman of the Syro-Malabar Church Commission for the Laity.
The Eparchy of Shamshabad is a Syro-Malabar Church eparchy of the Catholic Church in Telangana, India. It was established by Pope Francis on 10 October 2017, and Raphael Thattil was appointed its first bishop. In a letter to the bishops of India, Francis cited India's decades of experience with "overlapping jurisdictions" of different sui iuris churches. He wrote: "With the growth of spiritual friendship and mutual assistance, any tension or apprehension should be swiftly overcome. May this extension of the pastoral area of the Syro-Malabar Church in no way be perceived as a growth in power and domination, but as a call to deeper communion, which should never be perceived as uniformity."
Mar Thomas Tharayil( born 2 February 1972) is the auxiliary bishop of Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Changanacherry. He was conferred as the auxiliary bishop by Mar Joseph Perumthottam on 23 April 2017.
Mar Joseph Pamplany is a is an Indian-born bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church serving archbishop of the Archdiocese of Tellicherry since 2022.
Mar Jose Kalluvelil is an Indian prelate of the Catholic Church; he was serving as the first bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Mississauga.
Mar Joseph Kollamparambil is an Indian bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in the India. He is currently Administrator of Eparchy of Shamshabad.
Gheevarghese Mar Aprem is the Auxiliary bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam. He was elected by the synod of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church as the Auxiliary Bishop on August 29, 2020.
