User:Syrian Catholics

Syrian Catholics are a type of Catholic branch that comes under the Catholic churches in Kerala.There are namely two Catholic churches in Kerala : The Syrian Catholic church (consisting of 2 rites Syro Malabar and Syro Malankara) and the Latin Catholic church (Latin rite).

The members of the Church are colloquially known in Kerala as Roman Catholic Syrian Christian (RCSC) and Syrian Catholic, and they have been known at various times as Nasrani, Catholic Syrian, Catholicka Kaldaya Suriyani, Catholicka Nasrani, or St. Thomas Christian. Saint Alphonsa is the Church's first canonized saint, followed by Saint Kuriakose Chavara and Saint Euphrasia. The Malabar Syrian Catholic church uses the East Syriac Rite Liturgy and the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church uses the West Syriac Rite liturgy.

The Syrian Catholics have communities called Northists(Vadakumbagakar) and Southists (Thekumbagakar/Knanaya)

Description

The Syro-Malabar Church is the largest of the Nasrani (St. Thomas Christians) denominations with around 4.60 million believers and traces its origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. Syro-Malabar historian and theologian Bishop Mar Placid Podipara describes the Church as "Catholic by faith, Indian by culture, and East Syriac/Oriental in liturgy." The Syro-Malabar Church members are mostly of the Malayali ethnic group and their vernacular language is Malayalam. Although due to emigration of the members, various eparchies have opened up in other parts of India along with various parts in the rest of the world due to a worldwide Syro-Malabar Malayali diaspora living in North America, Canada,United States of America,Australia,United Kingdom and the Middle East.

The Malankara Catholic Church was established on 20 September 1930 as a result of the re-union movement under the leadership of Archbishop Mar Ivanios, when it split from the Malankara Church and entered into communion with the Catholic Church. The Malankara Church itself had emerged from the split within the Saint Thomas Christian community of the 16th century; previously the entire community had comprised a province of the Church of the East, or the Nestorian Church, based in Persia. It too has parishes in North America, Canada,United States of America,Australia,United Kingdom and the Middle East.

Connan Cross Oath

A protest took place in 1653 with the Coonan Cross Oath. Under the leadership of Archdeacon Thomas, the Thomas Christians publicly took an oath that they would not obey the Jesuit Bishops or the Pope.

Rome sent Carmelites in two groups from the Propagation of the Faith to Malabar headed by Fr. Sebastiani and Fr. Hyacinth. Fr. Sebastiani arrived first in 1655. He began to directly with the Archdeacon, Mar Thoma I. Fr. Sebastiani, with the help of Portuguese, gained the support of many, especially with the support of Palliveettil Mar Chandy, Kadavil Chandy Kathanar and Vengoor Geevarghese Kathanar . These were the three of the four counselors of Mar Thoma I, who had been defected with Francisco Garcia Mendes, SJ, Archbishop of Cranganore, before the arrival of Sebastaini, according to Jesuit reports.

Between 1661 and 1662, out of the 116 churches, the Carmelites claimed eighty-four churches, leaving the native metropolitan Mar Thoma I with thirty-two churches. The eighty-four churches and their congregations were the body from which the Syro Malabar Catholic Church has descended. The other thirty-two churches and their congregations represented the nucleus from which the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church (Jacobites), the Orthodox Syrian Church, the Thozhiyur Church, Mar Thoma Syrian (Reformed Syrians), Syro Malankara Catholic Church have originated.

In 1665 Mar Gregorios, a Bishop sent by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, arrived in India. The independent group under the leadership of the Archdeacon welcomed him.Though most of the St. Thomas Christians gradually relented in their strong opposition to the Western control, the arrival of the Bishop Mar Gregorios of the Syriac Orthodox Church in 1665 marked the beginning of a formal schism among the St. Thomas Christians. Those who accepted the West Syriac liturgical tradition of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch of Mar Gregorios became known as the Jacobites or Puthenkoor; they also continued to use the name "Malankara," the real name of the St. Thomas Christian community for the church. Those who joined the communion of Rome after the Synod of Daimper and remained in the communion even after the oath of bent cross, and those who joined the catholic communion from the Puhenkoor Malankara church during the Carmelite period, came to be known as the Syro Malabar Church from the last decade of the Nineteenth century onwards. Some of the churches not joined in the Angamaly Padiyola (1787) later became Latin churches, e.g. Mathilakom (Pappinivattom), Maliankara, Thuruthipuram etc. One branch of the Syro Malabar Catholic church later left to form the Assyrian Church of the East aligned Chaldean Syrian Church when an Eastern Syriac rite bishop, Mar Gabriel, came to evangelize them in 1701. Kottayam cheriapalli was the headquarters of Mar Gabriel.

Time line of events

1 Ancient Era
2 Portuguese Era
3 Era of Divisions
4 The Dark Era of Invasions
5 Era of Self-governance
6 A Sui iuris Church.
7 Title restoration

Eparchies and Exarchates of Syro Malankara

Archeparchies and Eparchies of Syro-Malabar

Most believers of this church are organized under 5 Metropolitan Archeparchies (archdioceses), all in Kerala, and their suffragan eparchies.

Eparchies Outside Kerala

Exempt jurisdictions

Eparchy of Faridabad, see near Delhi, also serves Haryana, (Indian) Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Uttar Pradesh
Eparchy of Hosur, see in Tamil Nadu
Eparchy of Shamshabad, territory of the eparchy includes the entire country of India not already included in existing eparchies

Outside India :

Apostolic Exarchate of Canada
Eparchy of Melbourne, for Australia
Eparchy of Chicago, for the USA
Eparchy of Great Britain in Preston, England for England, Wales & Scotland

Weddings

Traditionally there were many practices before the marriage conducted in houses of both the groom and the bride.But many of the practices became unpracticed after the colonization of the Portugese. Before the betrothal, both the bride and groom are supposed to attend the pre-marriage course conducted by the archdiocese. Usually the classes are for three days. Since nowadays, bride and groom, being working, the classes are conducted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Bride and groom are to stay at some convention center/pastoral centers for the classes along with many other couples, who want to get married. Counseling and other classes are given for them by the priests and educated people in how to live a family life. The pre-marriage courses are compulsory for the Catholics to marry. During pre-marriage courses mostly bride and groom, get more opportunity to understand better. At the end of the courses a certificate is given with a validity of 6 months and the same is needed for the marriage through church.

Before the marriage, the marriage acceptance is announced to the public/parish members of both bride and groom during Sunday mass. This needs to be done on three consecutive Sundays as a rule of thumb. But if there is any urgency, there is rule to bypass this custom. This is done so as to ensure that there is nobody opposing this decision. Like say if bride and groom is /had any prior marriage which is not legally removed, can be noticed to the concerned person or authority or to the church itself, if there is any objection.

The next thing after the marriage fixing is that of Betrothal. Betrothal is done by the bride’s party. Betrothal is giving permission in public. Both the bride and groom accept their willingness to marry in front of the church and their relatives and friends. Betrothal is usually done as a small marriage function itself. The groom and party reach the bride’s parish along with the letter from their parish priest. Since this is the function conducted by the bride’s party, they take it or conduct it with all possible way to make it look and feel great. There will be a small function at church in which both bride and groom is asked their permission or acceptance to marry. After the lunch, the groom’s party will reach brides home and where the groom is given an amount to buy dress by bride’s brother. Again any gift given as amount or property is handed over by bride’s uncle to grooms uncle.

Night before the marriage, at the brides and grooms house, the Madhuram veppu/sweet ceremony is conducted. The bride /groom is placed in a special seat and then the prayers are done and the uncle of the bride/groom will ask to the group of close relatives, whether he shall give the bride/groom the sweet, It will be asked three times and then sweet is given to the bride/groom. Now a day’s mehendi function and sangeet is also conducted along with madhuram veppu ceremony. It is actually a get together of all relatives and friends before the marriage.

Marriage is usually conducted by the groom’s party, at groom’s parish. In the morning the bride and groom gets ready and do the prayer and get blessings from the elders,this is known as "Sthuthikudupu". “Praise to be to Jesus Christ” is what is to be said to them. After that, they are led to the church. The bride and party are to reach the church first. Once the bride reaches the church, the groom and party will start from their house. Both bride and groom will enter the church along with their parents. The marriage is usually done along with the holy mass. The marriage is blessed in the middle of the holy mass, by the priest. The thali (Mangalsutra made from seven threads from the Manthrakodi) is blessed and then the groom will tie the thali in bride’s neck. Then as a custom, the manthrakodi(Saree gifted by the groom to the bridde) is also blessed and the groom, make it wear by the bride on her head as a symbol to protect her for the rest of his life. Later ring exchange is also done. Once the marriage is over they take oath of marriage, in the name of holy bible. There is also another custom called 'Kireedam Vazhvu' were the priest places a crown on the head of the bride and the groom.

Once the marriage is over, then bride and groom will do offerings to the church and then they are led to the grand feast of marriage. Where they will together, lit the lamp and also cut the cake and have it.Once the feast starts, the bride will go and change her wedding dress and put on the manthrakoodi. Later after the feast, everybody gather at grooms home, where grooms mother will welcome both bride and groom, by blessing them.The bride enters the house with a lighted lamp called the "Nilavilaku". Then at home, both bride and groom are given, sweetened milk and sweets. Then comes, handing over of bride to the groom’s mother. The bride’s mother will come and hand over bride to groom’s mother. Also the bride’s mother will put a gold chain to groom. The groom will gift a Saree back to the bride’s mother.

The day next to marriage, in the morning, both bride and groom have to join for the holy mass at groom’s parish church. Then starts the ceremony – “virunnu” or visits. Both Bride and groom will be invited by the relatives of both groom and bride’s relatives, in the coming days. Bride and groom will visit every relative’s house and they will be treated specially on that occasion, with mouthwatering dishes. This process will last for months, as there will be so many invitations, for newly wedded couples.

After three days, the bride’s father will come and invite the couple, back to their home and along with that there is a custom, saying Adukkala Kanal – Seeing the kitchen. In which the bride’s father will bring in with some furniture’s or home appliances for the groom’s house, which will be later be used by the bride itself. The bride and groom will visit the bride’s home, once invited. And thus the marriage ceremony comes to an end.

Saints, Blesseds, Venerables and Servants of God

Saints

Mar Thoma Sliha (St. Thomas The Apostle & Father in Faith)
Marth Alphonsa – Eparchy of Palai – canonized on 12 October 2008 by Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.
Mar Kuriakose Elias Chavara – Archeparchy of Changanacherry – Founder of the CMI.
Marth Euphrasia Eluvathingal –Eparchy of Irinjalakuda, Archeparchy of Thrissur – CMC Sister

Beatified people

Mariam Thresia Chiramel – Eparchy of Irinjalakuda – declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II in Rome on 9 April 2000.
Mar Augustine Thevarparambil (Kunjachan) – Eparchy of Palai – declared Blessed on 30 April 2006 by Mar Varkey Vithayathil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church at Ramapuram, Palai as the delegate of Pope Benedict XVI.
Rani Maria (1954–1995) – Archeparchy of Ernakulam – Angamaly will Declare by H.B Mar George II Alanchery

Venerables

Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly – Founder of Sisters of the Destitute (1876-1929)

Mar Thomas Kurialachery – Archeparchy of Changanassery – First Bishop of Changanassery (1872-1925)
Mar Mathai Kadalikattil (1872-1935)
Mar Joseph Vithayathil, (1865-1964);Priest of Trichur Archeparchy Co-Founder of Holy Family born at Ernakulam-Ankamaly Archeparchy