Christianity in India
Full Reports on the Bible & Theology Course - 2004
CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA: A Historical Perspective
Dr (Fr) Francis Thonippara CMI, Dharmaram, BangaloreDr (Fr) Francis Thonippara CMI had been serving as Parish Priest, Holy Family Church, Hongasandra parish, Bangalore. Fr Francis is an expert in church history. He has published several writings and books.
Fr Francis Thonippara's class forms the source for this write-up on Indian Christianity.
Origin of Christianity in India
According to tradition, St Thomas landed at Kodungallur (Cranganore) on the Malabar Coast in AD 52, and established many Christian communities. Then he moved to the Coromandel Coast. He was martyred at St Thomas Mount at Mylapore near Madras in AD 72, and was buried there.
This tradition is associated with places, families, and celebrations. From the 16th century on, this tradition was written down by the natives and European missionaries. When the Portuguese arrived in India in the 16th century, they first wanted to know where Apostle Thomas was buried. They explored, excavated, and found out the tomb of St Thomas.
For the last 20 centuries, this tradition is lived by a community called St Thomas Christians.
Over time, these Christians came in contact with the Persian Church. There were two Persian migrations: one in 345 under the leadership of Thomas of Cana, and the other in the second half of 9th century under the leadership of two church leaders namely Mar Sapor and Mar Prot. The descendents of Thomas of Cana are called Southists and the descendents of those who were baptized by Apostle Thomas are called Northists.
Thomas of Cana settled in the southern part of Kodungallur with 72 families and a bishop. They are known as Knanaya Catholics, and they form the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Kottayam.
Although these Christians were ruled by Persian bishops, the effective administration of the church was in the hands of the native priests called 'Archdeacons'. The title of the Archdeacon was Archdeacon of All India. The title of the Metropolitan was Metropolitan of All India. This church was very much rooted in the Indian soil. Hence the famous dictum: Hindu in culture, Christian in religion, and Oriental in worship.
Portuguese sea captain and explorer Vasco da Gama landed in Calicut (Kozhikkode) in 1498.
Tension began with the arrival of Western missionaries. They accused St Thomas Christians of Nestorianism and with the Synod of Diamper (Synod of Udayamperoor or Udayamperoor Sunahados) in 1599, they were brought under the Portuguese Padroado jurisdiction or the Latin jurisdiction.
Christians were made under a Latin bishop (Jesuit bishop).
On January 3, 1653, Christians, under the leadership of Thomas Parambil, assembled at Our Lady of Life church, Mattanchery, and pledged that "we will no longer be under the Jesuits." This event is known as the Coonan Cross Oath.
On 22 May, 1653, Thomas Parambil was declared the bishop (Mar Thoma I) at Alangad, paving the way to schism or division in the Church.
Those who accepted the bishop left the Catholic Church, later forming the Jacobite sect. Those who continued to be under the Latin jurisdiction remained in the Catholic Church.
1663: Carmelites in India. Chandy Parambil was made the bishop until 1687.
In 1665, Bishop Gregory came to India from Antioch and propagated the Jacobite rite leading to the beginning of Jacobites in India. The name 'Jacobite' comes from Jacob Baradeus who, in the 16th century, spread the Jacobite doctrines.
When the Dutch, who were anti-Catholic, settled in Cochin, they asked the Carmelites to leave India.
1698: The Amsterdam Agreement between the Vatican and the Dutch allowed the Carmelites to return to India.
1831: Congregation of Mother Immaculate (CMI) founded.
In the year 1887, Pope Leo XIII erected two Vicariates Apostolic namely Kottayam (areas of today's Changanasserry diocese AND today's Kottayam diocese) and Trichur (areas of today's Trichur diocese AND today's Ernakulam diocese) exclusively for St Thomas Christians, who shortly came to be known as Syro-Malabarese or Syro-Malabar Catholics.
This marked the beginning of the Syro-Malabar Church.
1896: Pope Leo XIII ordained three bishops for India: Louis Pazheparambil (Ernakulam), Mathew Makil (Kottayam, now Changanasserry), and John Menachery (Trichur). This meant a near autonomy for St Thomas Christians. However, the territory was limited.
In 1923, the Syro-Malabar Church hierarchy was founded. The papal legate Zaleiki used the word "Syro-Malabar", referring to the East Syrian (Chaldean) tradition the Syro-Malabar Catholics followed and the Malabar Coast where Apostle Thomas landed.
Several Syro-Malabar dioceses were established and bishops appointed.
In 1930, a group of Jacobites reunited with the Catholic Church under Mar Ivanios. They are known as Syro-Malankara Catholics, and the church is called the Syro-Malankara Church.
The Syro-Malankara Church is an Oriental (Eastern rite) Church in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
Syro-Malankara Catholics follow West Syrian tradition or Antiochian tradition, and are Oriental (Eastern rite) in worship. There are five dioceses in the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church: Archdiocese of Trivandrum, diocese of Thiruvalla, diocese of Bethery, diocese of Muvattupuzha, and diocese of Marthandam in Tamilnadu.
The three Major Archiepiscopal Churches are the Ukrainian Church with a following of over 4.5 million believers, the Syro-Malabar Church in India with a strength of nearly 4 million believers, and the Syro-Malankara Church in India with a population of about 3,25,000.
Other Christian Churches in India
- Marthoma Church (1876) Breakaway from the Anglican Church
- Assyrian Church of the East in India (1874): Trichur area; about 30,000
- Malabar Independent Syrian Church (1772): Thozhiyoor (Trichur); about 20,000
- Church of South India (CSI) in India
Protestant churches (except Jacobite and Marthoma) in India wanted an identity of their own. The Church of South India (CSI) was formed in 1947. - Anglican / CSI Church in Kerala
Mainly concentrated around Melukavumattom in Kottayam district, Kerala. They are St Thomas Christians and Latin Christians who came under the influence of the Anglican Church and accepted that faith. - Protestants
1706: First Lutheran mission comes to a place near Velankanni. - Church of North India (CNI) (1970): Protestant Churches
- 1834: Basel Mission in India (Mangalore)
Dr Hermann Gundert was a Basel Missionary.
General Church History (Worldwide): Timeline
Ancient period: AD 313 - AD 692
Medieval period: AD 692 - AD 1517
Modern period: AD 1517 - 1870 (Including the 30-year long fight between Catholics and Protestants during 1618 - 1648)
Contemporary period: 1870 onwards
Indian Christianity: Statistics
Population in India
(Approximate figures)- Total Christian population - 25 million
- Latin Catholics - 12 million
- Oriental Catholics - 4 million
- Other Oriental Christians - 4 million
- Protestants and Pentecostals - 5 million
- Among Oriental Catholics, the strength of the Syro-Malabar Church is over 38 lakhs (3.8 million) and the Syro-Malankara Catholics number about 3.5 lakhs.
Dioceses and Archdioceses in India
- Latin : 118 (22 Archdioceses)
- Syro-Malabar : 26 (5 Archdioceses)
- Syro-Malankara : 5 (1 Archdiocese)
- Syrian Orthodox & Jacobite Churches : 35
- Dioceses and administrative units for Protestant Churches: 60
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Church History |
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Indian Christianity |
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Christianity in India |
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Anglo-Indians |
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St Thomas Christians |
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Syro-Malabar Church |
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Catholic Church |
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