Christianity in Kerala
Christianity is the third-most practised religion in Kerala, accounting for 18% of the population according to the Indian census.[1] Although a minority, the Christian population of Kerala is proportionally much larger than that of India as a whole. A significant portion of the Indian Christian population resides in the state.[2][3]
History
The tradition of origin among Saint Thomas Christians relates to the arrival of Saint Thomas, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus at the ancient seaport Muziris on the Kerala coast in AD 52.[4][5][6]
The families near St.Mary's Church, Niranam, Sankarapuri, Pakalomattam, Kalli, and Kaliyankal were considered particularly preeminent, and historically the most aristocratic Syriac Christian families tended to claim descent from these families.
It is also possible for Aramaic-speaking Jews from Galilee to make a trip to Kerala in the 1st century. The Cochin Jews are known to have existed in Kerala around that time. The earliest known source connecting the apostle to India is the Acts of Thomas, likely written in the early 3rd century, perhaps in Edessa.
The text describes Thomas' adventures in bringing Christianity to India, a tradition later expanded upon in early Indian sources such as the "Thomma Parvam" ("Song of Thomas"). Generally he is described as arriving in or around Maliankara and founding Seven Churches and half churches, or Ezharapallikal: Kodungallur, Kollam, Niranam, Nilackal (Chayal), Kokkamangalam, Kottakkavu, Palayoor and Thiruvithamcode Arappalli (half church). A number of 3rd- and 4th-century Roman writers also mention Thomas' trip to India, including Ambrose of Milan, Gregory of Nazianzus, Jerome, and Ephrem the Syrian, while Eusebius of Caesarea records that his teacher Pantaenus visited a Christian community in India in the 2nd century. There came into existence a Christian community who were mainly merchants.
The medieval historian Pius Malekandathil believes that the St Thomas Christians, integrated with Persian Christian migrant merchants in the 9th century, had become a powerful trading community by this time and were granted the privileges by the Brahmins and the Hindu rulers to promote revenue generation and to undermine Buddhist and Jain traders who rivaled the Hindus for religious and political hegemony in Kerala at the time.
Denominations
The 2011 Indian census found a total of 6.14 million Christians in India..[1]
Oriental Orthodox Churches (West Syriac Rite)
- Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church - autonomous jurisdiction of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch in India.
- Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church[7] - autocephalous Indian Orthodox Church, part of the Oriental Orthodox communion.
- Malabar Independent Syrian Church - Oriental Orthodox church in good ecumenical relations with the Anglican Communion, but not in communion with other Oriental orthodox churches.[8]
Assyrian Church of the East - (East Syriac Rite)
Catholic churches
- Latin Catholic Church - (Latin or Roman Rite)
- Syro-Malabar Catholic Church[9] - (East Syriac Rite)
- Malankara Syrian Catholic Church - (West Syriac Rite)
Reformed Oriental Churches
- Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church[10] - Reformed West Syriac Rite Church. In communion with the Anglican Communion and Malabar Independent Syrian Church.
- St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India - Evangelical Oriental Church.
United and Uniting (Anglican)
- Church of South India (CSI) - The Church of South India (CSI) is the successor to the Anglican and several Protestant denominations in India, including the Church of England, the Methodist Church and the Church of Scotland, after Indian Independence. This Church is part of the Anglican Communion.
Other Protestantism|Protestant denominations
- The Pentecostal Mission (TPM)
- Assemblies of God
- Church of God (Full Gospel) in India
- The Indian Pentecostal Church of God
- Baptist
- Local Churches
- Ceylon Pentecostal Mission / The Pentecostal Mission
- St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India
- Salvation Army
- Seventh-day Adventists
- Sharon Fellowship Church
- Yuyomaya Sabha
- Heavenly Feast
- Kerala Brethren
Pilgrimage sites
- Mar Thoma Pontifical Shrine, Azhikode, Kodungalloor, Thrissur- first of the Ezharappallikal and contains St. Thomas' right arm's bone.
- St. Mary's Church, Niranam, Pathanamthitta- one of the oldest churches in India and founded by St. Thomas.
- Church Of God Chapel, Payipad Reformation Church, Pampa shore| District Alappuzha, one of the oldest Reformation churches in Kerala.
- St.Peter's Church Of God Chapel Koippuram Arattupuzha District Pathanamthitta The Church totally Built with Rock. One of the oldest Reformation Church in Kerala
- St. Mary's Cathedral, Kundara, Kollam- contains a Holy Girdle believed to be dropped from the sky by the Virgin Mary to St. Thomas.
- St. George Orthodox Church, Puthuppally, Kottayam- commonly called the 'Puthuppally Valiyappally' and contains a shrine declared as the 'Georgian Pilgrim Centre of the East'. Relics of Saint George are also present at Puthuppally Pally.
- Our Lady of Dolours Basilica, Thrissur, Thrissur- commonly known as 'Puthanpally' ('new church') and the third-tallest church in Asia.
- St. Antony's Forane Church, Ollur, Thrissur- a well-known church, site of the famous 'Malakhayude Perunnal'.
- St Mary's Forane Church, Koratty, Thrissur- site of the famous Korattymuthy and burial site of Christian warrior Kavalakkadan Kochuvareeth.
- St. Joseph's Parish Shrine, Pavaratty - contains Holy Relic of Holy Cross (Thiruseshippu) and Holy Relic of St.Joseph (Thiruseshippu).
- St. Peter and St.Paul's Church, Parumala, Pathanamthitta- important to Malankara Orthodox Christians as the burial site of St. Geevarghese Mar Gregorios.
- St. Mary's Soonoro Cathedral Angamaly, first church in Angamaly and seat of power of Syrian Christians till 16th century.
- Basilica of St. George, Angamaly, Ernakulam- largest of its kind in India and the second church in Angamaly, which was a former "Kurishu Palli" of St Mary's Jacobite church, Angamaly.
- Potta Ashram, Potta, Thrissur- a famous Catholic charismatic renewal centre in Kerala.
- Holy Cross Syro- Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Cherpunkal, Pala, Kottayam District, Kerala. It's believed that the church has originated from a holy cross which was set by St Thomas. Even though a picture of crucified Jesus (origin unknown) is the point of worship, the attraction is an idol of Infant Jesus (ഉണ്ണീശോ) where millions visits.
- St. George's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Erattupetta, Kottayam- first church built in the Pala Eparchy and has a cross laid down by St. Thomas.
- St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral, Manarcad, Kottayam- contains part of the Holy Girdle and was the site of the Jacobite ritual of the Holy Mooron in 1982 by the Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas.
- Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor, Thrissur- a famous retreat centre with a rehabilitation centre, retirement home and other centres.
- Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam- first seminary in Kerala for the old Malankara Church and currently owned by the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
- St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, Kumbazha, Pathanamthitta- foundation laid by St. Geevarghese Mar Gregorios and the site of the 'Marthoma Pilgrimage Site'.
- St. Thomas Church, Malayattoor, Ernakulam- an international shrine and the site of St. Thomas' footprints and knee-prints, along with other historical sites.
- Manjinikkara Dayara, Omallur, Pathanamthitta- Syriac Orthodox monastery and contains the tombs of St. Ignatius Elias III and Mor Yulios Elias Qoro.
- Martha Mariam Orthodox Syrian Church, Thevalakkara, Kollam- one of the leading churches in the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the burial site of Mar Sabor and Mar Proth.
- St. George Church, Edappally, Ernakulam- foundation laid by Pope John Paul II and the site of the 'offering of fowls' during the Feast of St. George.
- St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral, Kadampanad, Pathanamthitta- contains the tomb of Mar Thoma III and declared as a 'Marthoman Pilgrim Centre'.
- St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Kolenchery, Ernakulam- contains the tomb of Mar Thoma VII and reopened recently for both Malankara Orthodox Christians and Jacobite Orthodox Christians.
- St. Thomas Church, Kothamangalam, Ernakulam- contains the tomb of St. Baselios Yeldo.
- St. Mary's Jacobite Church, Thamarachal, Ernakulam- pilgrim centre of St. Mary and famous for its 'Ettunombu'.
- St Thomas Jacobite Syrian Church, North Paravur, Ernakulam- established by St. Thomas and the burial site of Mar Gregorios Abdal Jaleel Bawa).
- St. George Orthodox Church, Chadanapally, Pathanamthitta- contained the relics of St. George for a while and site of the well-known 'Chembuduppu' annual ritual.
- St. George Orthodox Church, Cheppad, Alappuzha- contains the tomb of Mar Dionysius IV and a 600-year-old mural.
- St. Francis Church, Fort Kochi, Ernakulam- oldest European church and currently under control of the CSI.
- St. John Nepumsian's Forane Church Parappukkara, Thrissur- a rare pilgrim centre of St. John Nepumsian and contains a granite cross given by St. Francis Xavier.
- St. Jude's Shrine, Koothattukulam, Ernakulam- contains a relic of St. Jude and the world's biggest bronze oil lamp.
- St. Joseph's Church, Mannanam, Kottayam- constructed by St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara and contains his tomb.
- St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Bharananganam, Kottayam - contains the tomb of St. Alphonsa.
- Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam, Ernakulam- a National Pilgrim Centre and contains a privileged altar.
- St. Mary's Forane Church, Thankey, Alappuzha- founded by Jesuits and contains a miraculous life-size statue of Jesus.
- St. George Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Edathua, Alappuzha- contains a famous and miraculous shrine of St. George
- St. Antony's Church, Kaloor, Ernakulam- contains one of the biggest and shrines of St. Antony, which is believed to be miraculous.
- St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Church, Kattachira, Alappuzha- declared as a Global Marian Pilgrim Centre and contains an icon of St. Mary with tears of aromatic oil flowing from the eyes.
- St. Antony and St. Joseph's Latin Catholic Shrine, Kannamaly, Ernakulam- contains a miraculous shrine of St. Antony and St. Joseph.
- Chapel of the Holy Cross, Mattancherry, Ernakulam- site of an improvised cross where the Coonan Cross Oath was held.
- Marth Mariam Forane Church, Arakuzha, Ernakulam- one of the oldest churches in Kerala and where Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly served as a parish priest.
- Major Archiepiscopal Marth Mariam Archdeacon Pilgrim Church, Kuravilangad, Kottayam- site of the famous 'Kuravilangadmuthy' and contains one of the oldest church bells. This church is the Major Archiepiscopal Pilgrim Center of Syro Malabar Catholic Church
- St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Athirampuzha, Kottayam- a world-renowned pilgrim centre of St. Sebastian and one of the oldest churches in Kerala.
- Jerusalem Retreat Center, Thalore, Thrissur- a famous Catholic charismatic renewal centre in Kerala.
References
- "Census of India". Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- "Christianity in India". Members.tripod.com. Retrieved 2013-12-16.
- Compiled by Robert Eric Frykenberg (2005-07-01). "Timeline". Ctlibrary.com. Retrieved 2013-12-16.
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-christianity-came-to-india-kerala-180958117/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20110208073816/http://stthoma.com/
- The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 5 by Erwin Fahlbusch. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing – 2008. p. 285. ISBN 978-0-8028-2417-2.
- "Malankara Orthodox Church - Kottayam Seminary". Malankaraorthodoxchurch.in. Retrieved 2013-12-16.
- Fenwick, John R. K. "Malabar Independent Syrian Church The Thozhiyur Church".
- World Christian Encyclopedia , Second edition, 2001 Volume 1, p. 368-371
- "Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar". Marthoma.in. Retrieved 2013-12-16.
Further reading
- George K.M.,`Christianity in India Through the Centuries`,Authentic Books, Secunderabad,2007,2009.(ISBN 978-81-7362-786-6).
- Benedict Vadakkekara,`Origin of Christianity in India`,Media House, Delhi,2007.ISBN 81-7495-258-6.
- Agur C.M.,`Church History of Travancore`,Madras,1903 Reprint:Asian Educational Services, New Delhi,1990. (ISBN 81-206-0594-2).
- Visvanathan Susan,`The Christians of Kerala`,Oxford University Press, Delhi1993,1999.(ISBN 0195647998)
- George Menachery,`The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India`,SARAS,Ed.Prof. George Menachery, Ollur,Vol.I 1982, Vol.II 1973, Vol. III 2009.
- George Menachery,`Indian Church History Classics`,SARAS,Ed.Prof. George Menachery, Ollur,Vol.I The Nazranies 1998.
- C. I. Issac, The Evolution of Christian Church in India, ISBN 978 81 7255 056 1 2014, Soorygatha Publishers, PB No 3517, Kochi 682 035