Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church: a Church sui iuris of the Antiochene (West Syriac) tradition. Status, head, countries, liturgical books, history, and sources.
- Tradition (CCEO can. 28 §2)
- Antiochene (West Syriac) tradition (Source: CCEO, vatican.va ↗)
- Catechism (CCC 1203)
- Syriac (Source: Catechism, vatican.va ↗)
- Canonical status
- Major Archiepiscopal Church sui iuris (Source: GCatholic ↗)
- Head
- Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal (Major Archbishop) (as listed by GCatholic on 21 October 2026) (Source: GCatholic ↗)
- Historical centre
- Thiruvananthapuram (major archiepiscopal see) (Source: Wikidata ↗)
- Present see
- Thiruvananthapuram (major archiepiscopal see) (Source: Wikidata ↗)
- Liturgical books
- Unverified Syriac (West Syriac) books based on the Anaphora of St James and other anaphoras; current approved editions per Church not verified. The Catholic Encyclopedia (1912) describes the rite, not current editions. (Source: Catholic Encyclopedia ↗)
- Own jurisdiction in
- Canada, India, United States (3) (Source: GCatholic ↗) As listed on 21 October 2026.
- Approximate historical heartland
- Kerala (India) (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- Note
- West Syriac (Antiochene), not East Syriac. It shares Kerala and the heritage of Saint Thomas the Apostle with the Syro-Malabar Church, but follows a different rite. (Source: CNEWA ↗)
Where it has its own jurisdiction
Showing the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, present jurisdictions: 3 countries.
Countries where the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church has its own jurisdiction: 3 countries.
Countries with the Church's own jurisdiction; faithful elsewhere are served by local ordinaries.
Countries shaded (3)
- Canada
- India
- United States
Source: GCatholic ↗, as listed on 21 October 2026.
Borders are illustrative (Natural Earth, de facto lines) and imply no position. Shading shows where a Church has its own jurisdiction, not where all its faithful live. Made with Natural Earth ↗ (public domain). Sources and method.
History
- 20 September 1930 Reception into full communion of Mar Ivanios and companions (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- 10 February 2005 Raised to Major Archiepiscopal Church (Source: CNEWA ↗)
- 2010 Exarchate for the United States (Source: CNEWA ↗)
Dates are given as ranges or centuries where the sources give no single date.
Texts and resources
Every resource is an outside link; nothing here is hosted by Bibliotheca Catholica. What the badges mean.
In the library
- Ephrem the Syrian Syriac Father and hymnographer
- Thomas the Apostle Kerala's Saint Thomas Christians trace their origin to him
Main sources: CNEWA ↗. Checked 2026-10-26. Sources and method.