Indian Christianity
Apostle Thomas took with him the message and authority of Jesus and reached India, landing at the Malabar Coast in AD 52.
Thomas preached the word of God, baptized both native people and Jewish immigrants, and thus gave birth to Christianity in India. Thomas also set up several churches across Kerala. Thomas was martyred at Mylapore near Madras (Chennai) in AD 72.
India is thus blessed to have received the Christian thought much before most other countries did. Indian Christians have since then grown in number as well as in achievements, the latter far exceeding the former.
Today, there are about 28 million (2.8 crore) Christians in India, which is less than 3% of the country's population. Of this, Catholics number nearly 18 million. Others include Jacobites, Marthomites, Protestants, Pentacostals, Anglicans, CSI, etc.
India is blessed with three Catholic Churches: The Latin Church, the Syro-Malabar Church, and the Syro-Malankara Church
The Syro-Malabar Church and the Syro-Malankara Church are called Oriental Catholic Churches or Eastern Rite Catholic Churches. They are in full communion with the Church of Rome, and join 19 other Oriental Churches worldwide and the Latin Church, to form the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, a communion of 22 Churches.
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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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