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List of leaders of the Syro-Malabar Church

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Major Archbishop of
the Syro-Malabar Church

ܪܒܝ ܡܝܛܪܵܦܘܿܠܝܼܛܵܐܹ ܕܥܸܕܬܵܐ ܕܣܘܼܕܝܵܝܹܐ ܡܲܠܲܒܵܪܵܝܹܐ
Incumbent:
Raphael Thattil
11 January 2024
StyleMar
Location
CountryIndia
HeadquartersMount Saint Thomas, Kakkanad
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchSyro-Malabar Church
RiteEast Syriac
ArchdioceseErnakulam-Angamaly
CathedralSt. Mary's Syro-Malabar Cathedral Basilica, Ernakulam
Co-cathedralMar Hormizd Syro-Malabar Cathedral, Angamaly
Website
syromalabarchurch.in

The Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic Church within the Catholic Church, is led by the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly in Kerala, India.

Cardinals of Syro-Malabar Church

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Sl.No Name Term Date and Place of Birth Age at start/end of Term Notes
1 Mar Joseph Cardinal Parecattil 1969 - 1987 1 Apr 1912 Kidangoor, Kingdom of Cochin 57/75 (†75) Created Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Regina Pacis a Monte Verde by Pope St. Paul VI on 30 April 1969. Took part in Conclaves of August 1978 and October 1978. First Cardinal from the Syro Malabar Church. Became President of the Pontifical Commission for the Revision of the Code of Oriental Canon Law from 1972 to 1987.
2 Mar Antony Cardinal Padiyara 1988 - 2000 11 February 1921 Manimala, Kingdom of Travancore 64 / 79 (†79) Created Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Regina Pacis a Monte Verde by Pope St. John Paul II on 28 June 1988. Became the first Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church.
3 Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil 2001 - 2011 29 May 1927 North Parur, Kingdom of Travancore 70 / 83 (†83) Created Cardinal-Priest of San Bernardo alle Terme by Pope St. John Paul II on 21 Feb 2001. Took part in Conclave of 2005.
4 Mar George Cardinal Alencherry 2012- present 19 April 1945 (age 79) Thuruthy, Kingdom of Travancore 67/ Created Cardinal-Priest of San Bernardo alle Terme by Pope Benedict XVI on 18 Feb 2012. Took part in the Conclave of 2013.
5 Mar George Cardinal Koovakad 2024 - present 11 Aug 1973 Chethipuzha, Kottayam 51/ Created Cardinal-Deacon of Sant Antonio di Padova a Circonvallazione Appia by Pope Francis on 7 December 2024. Became Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

Major Archbishops of Ernakulam-Angamaly

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No. Term Name Date and Place of Birth Age at start/end of Term Notes
1 16 December 1992
–
11 November 1996
Cardinal Antony Padiyara
 11 February 1921 Manimala, Travancore 64 / 75 (†79) First Major Archbishop of the Syro Malabar Church. Established the Syro Malabar Synod of Bishops.
2
6 January 1997
–
1 April 2011
Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil
 29 May 1927 North Parur, Travancore 70 / 83 (†83) Appointed by Pope John Paul II as the Apostolic Administrator before becoming the Full Time Major Archbishop in 1999. Helped Established the Eparchy of St. Thomas of Chicago along with other dioceses.
3 24 May 2011

_

7 December 2023

Cardinal George Alencherry
 (1945-04-19) 19 April 1945 (age 80) Thuruthy, Travancore 67 / 78 First Major Archbishop elected by the Synod of Bishops. Established All India Jurisdiction by the establishment of Eparchy of Shamshabad and Eparchy of Hosur. Also established the Eparchy of Mississauga,Eparchy of Melbourne, Eparchy of Great Britain, along with the Apostolic Visitation to Europe.
4 9 January 2024

_

Present

Raphael Thattil
 (1956-04-21) 21 April 1956 (age 69)

Trichur, Kerala

67 Thattil had previously served as the apostolic visitor of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church for Syro-Malabar resident "outside their proper territory" in India and as bishop of the Eparchy of Shamshabad since 2017.[1]

Curia Bishops

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Sl.No Name Designation Year of appointment Last Year of appointment
1 Bosco Puthur Curia Bishop 2010 2014
2 Sebastian Vaniyapurackal Curia Bishop 2017 present

Brief History

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The first Vicariates for the Syro-Malabar Church were established in 1887. The Syro-Malabar's current hierarchical structure was established in 1923, when Ernakulam was elevated as a Metropolitan See. In 1993, when the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was raised to major archiepiscopal church, Ernakulam became the seat of the major archbishop.

Metropolitan and Gate of India (Chaldean)

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–1597)[2]

Bishop of Angamaly

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Through the Synod of Diamper, the Latin Catholic Padroado rule under Jesuit missionaries abolished the All India jurisdiction. They erected the Diocese of Angamaly, suffragan to the Padroado Primatal See of Goa, in place of the Metropolitanate of All India.[3]

Archbishops of Cranganore

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Was promoted as an Archdiocese in 1608 and renamed the Archdiocese of Cranganore in 1610.

Parallel Rule of Daroado and Propaganda

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Garcia was overthrown through the Coonan Cross Oath in 1653. However, he remained Archbishop of Cranganore for a small minority of Latin Christians until he died in 1659. Following his death, two parallel rules governed the church. The Padroado Rule of the Latin Bishops of Cranganore, who were Jesuits, and the Propaganda Rule of the Vicars Apostolic of Malabar who were Carmelites until 1887.

Administrators in Italics or not numbered are known to the Church, but lack proper sources.[4]

Sl.No Duration Padroado Rule Duration Propaganda Rule
8. 1659-1663 Joseph Sebastiani OCD
9. 1663-1687 Palliveettil Chandy (Mar Alexander Parambil)[5]
10. 1687-1694 Raphael Figuerdo Salgado
11. 1700-1712 Angelus Francis OCD
12. 1701-1716 John Riberio SJ
13. 1714-1750 John Baptist Moltedi OCD
14. 1716-1752 Antonio Pimental SJ
15. 1750-1773 Florence of Jesus OCD
16. 1753-1756 John Concellos SJ
17. 1756-1777 Salvador Reis SJ
18. 1775-1779 Francis Sales OCD
Unknown Carolo of St. Conrad OCD
John of St. Margaret OCD
John Mary of St. Thomas OCD
Carolo of St. Conrad OCD
19. 1782-1786 Mar Joseph Kariattil - (Never took office)
20. 1784-1802 Aloysius Mary OCD
21. 1786-1799 Paremakkal Thoma Kathanar - never been consecrated as bishop, but appointed as Gobernador (Administrator)
1799-1800 Ribamar
1800-1801 Sankurikal George
1810 Dominicus
Unknown Joachim Bohlho
22. 1808-1816 Raymond of St. Joseph OCD
1816-1821 Peter Alcantara OCD
23. 1821-1827 Prendergast Miles OCD
24. 1821-1823 Aquinas Thomas OP
1823-1825 Joachim
1826-1838 Paiseioto Doforto J
1864-1866 Antony Paul Pinto Joseph
1866 Joseph Ayres deSilveria Mascarenhas
1867-1869 Antony Correa dos Reis Coehlo
1870 Antony Vincent Lisboa
1875 Valentine constant Fernandes
1876 Francis Barbosa
1877-1884 Benedict R. Gomes & Casmir Nazareth
1885 Narcise (Pro-Administrator)
1885-1886 Cajetan JM Abreu
25. 1827-1831 Stabilini Maurilius OCD
26. 1831-1844 Francis Xavier of St. Anna OCD
27. 1844-1855 Ludovicus OCD
1844-1853 Bernardine of St. Agnes OCD
1853-1859 Bernardine Baccinelli of St. Therese OCD
28. 1859-1868 Bernardine Baccinelli of St. Therese OCD
29. 1868-1887 Leonard Louis Mellano OCD
30. 1877-1887 Marceline Berardi of St. Therese OCD - (Coadjucator-Separate Jurisdiction for the Syrians)


  • Hierarchs associated with the church during the Parallel Rule, who had an impact on church governance, but with partial recognition.
    • Shemon of Ada (1700 – 1720) - sent by Patriarch Eliah IX Yohannan Augen. He was arrested by Latin missionaries. Hoping to get freed, he consecrated Angelus Francis OCD, the Vicar Apostolic of Malabar in 1701. But he was imprisoned in Pondicherry, where he was found dead in a well.
    • Gabriel of Azerbaijan (1705–1730)- sent by Patriarch Eliah X Augen, he maintained considerable support among both factions of Saint Thomas Christians.
    • Abraham Paulose Pandari (1796–1799) - consecrated by Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Yohannan VIII Hormizd, briefly recognised by Dionysius I and Paremmakkal Thoma in 1799, but never recognised by the Pope.
    • Thoma Rokkos - consecrated by Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Joseph VI Audo, achieved limited recognition from a section of Saint Thomas Christians of both factions, received by the Jacobite Metropolitan in Angamaly, however, was excommunicated by the Pope.[6]
    • Yohannan Elia Mellus (1874 – 1882) - sent by Patriarch Joseph VI Audo, consolidated strong support among the Catholic Saint Thomas Christians, but was excommunicated by the pope. He led the movement which led to the formation of the Chaldean Syrian Church and the erection of a separate Syro-Malabar hierarchy.[3][7][8][9][6]

Vicariates of Syro-Malabar Church

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Following the schism, Pope Leo XIII having abandoned the latinisation policy, separated St. Thomas Christians in 1887 from the Vicariate of Verapoly, the local Latin Catholic hierarchy.[6] Initially they were organized under two vicariates, Thrissur and Kottayam. Later in 1896, Ernakulam vicariate was formed by bifurcating southern parts of Thrissur and northern parts of Changanacherry. During the same time native prelates were also appointed for all three vicariates. In 1911 a fourth vicariate was established in Kottayam for southists exclusively.

Vicars of the Vicar Apostolics of the Syro-Malabar Church.

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Syro Malabar Hierarchy

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Metropolitan See of Ernakulam

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In 1923, Ernakulam was raised as a Metropolitan Archdiocese, and the other three Vicariates were raised as Suffragan Eparchies, thus establishing the Syro-Malabar hierarchy.

Eparchs before changes to Ecclesiastical Provinces

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Eparchies suffragan to Ernakulam

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Eparchy of Thrissur Eparchy of Kottayam Eparchy of Changanassery Eparchy of Pala Eparchy of Thalassery
Eparchy of Mananthavady Eparchy of Palakkad Eparchy of Irinjalakkuda Eparchy of Thamarassery

Current Metropolitan Sees

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Metropolitan Sees

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Metropolitan of Changanassery Metropolitan of Thrissur Metropolitan of Thalassery Metropolitan of Kottayam

Current Ecclesiastical Provinces - Eparchial See

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Eparchies suffragan to Ernakulam-Angamaly

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Eparchy of Kothamangalam Eparchy of Idukki Eparchy of Faridabad Eparchy of Hosur Eparchy of Shamshabad

Eparchies suffragan to Changanassery

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Eparchy of Pala Eparchy of Kanjirappally Eparchy of Thuckalay

Eparchies suffragan to Thrissur

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Eparchy of Irinjalakkuda Eparchy of Palakkad Eparchy of Ramanathapuram

Eparchies suffragan to Thalassery

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Eparchy of Mananthavady Eparchy of Thamarassery Eparchy of Belthangady Eparchy of Bhadravathi Eparchy of Mandya

Mar Joseph Erumachadath (2007-Present)

References

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  1. ^ "Pope Francis confirms election of head of Syro-Malabar Church". Vatican News. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Syro-Malabar Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ernakulam–Angamaly | India". gcatholic.org.
  3. ^ a b Eugène Tisserant: Eastern Christianity in India. Longmans, Green and Co., London 1957, 112-119
  4. ^ "Prelates of the Church". Syro Malabar Church. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Divisions and Rite of the Churches- Syro Malabar Church, Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syriac Church, Thozhiyur Church, Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Syro Malankara Church, Chaldean Syrian Church". nasrani.net. 14 January 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2022. Bishop Sebastaini, then consecrated Alexander Parampil as the Bishop.
  6. ^ a b c Perczel, István (2013). Peter Bruns; Heinz Otto Luthe (eds.). "Some New Documents on the Struggle of the Saint Thomas Christians to Maintain the Chaldaean Rite and Jurisdiction". Orientalia Christiana: Festschrift für Hubert Kaufhold zum 70. Geburtstag; pp. 415-436. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag.
  7. ^ Georg Graf: History of Christian Arabic literature. 4th Bd Apost Bibl. Vaticana, Città del Vaticano 1951, 112f
  8. ^ Joseph Habbi: Les Chaldéens et les Malabar au 19e siècle.In: Oriens Christianus 64 (1980) 82-107.
  9. ^ Wilmshurst, David (2000). The Ecclesiastical Organisation of the Church of the East, 1318–1913. Louvain: Peeters Publishers. ISBN 9789042908765.
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