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Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
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The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, is the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Kerala, India. It is part of the Syriac Orthodox Church, with the Patriarch of Antioch, Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, as its supreme head. The local head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church in Malankara is the Catholicos, Baselios Thomas I, ordained by and accountable to the Patriarch of Antioch. Some estimate that the church has about 2.5 million members globally.
The Church has dioceses in most parts of India as well as in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Western Europe, and the Persian Gulf nations.
Malankara is one of the churches that are part of Saint Thomas Christians, tracing their origins to St. Thomas the Apostle who, according to tradition, came to India in AD 52.
Name of the Church
Although the church is officially named, Jacobite Syrian Christian Church[1] it is commonly called the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church. Other names that are in common use are Syrian Orthodox Church in India, Syriac Orthodox Church in India, and Malankara Jacobite Church. The Church is sometimes referred as Patriarchal faction or Bava faction, because of the disputes with the Methran Faction. The members of the church are referred to as Yakoba or Jacobites.
In 2000, a Holy Synod ruled that the name of the church in English should be the "'Syriac Orthodox Church". It had been, and often still is today, called the "Syrian Orthodox Church". The church in India uses the term "Jacobite" as a way to distinguish themselves from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church or Methran Faction.
In Kerala, the church members follow a complicated social modality intermingling traditions of Syrian, Catholic and Hindu traditions. Many of the customs and traditions of this group are borrowed from traditional practices of upper caste Hindus including specific rituals involving marriage, death and caste-related observations in relation to other Christians and lower-caste Hindus.
With respect to the concept of time, Jewish-Syriac concept of time is used to mark the observations of fasting and prayer and the preparation for the Eucharist. However, Malayalam Calendar is used to make the more recent religious events such establishment dates of churches, houses and gravestones. This practice is increasingly superseded by the standard Western calendar recently. The Malayalam era follows Christian Era by 825 years.
Dioceses of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
- Malabar
- Kozhikode
- Thrissur
- Angamali
- Kochi
- Kandanad
- Kottayam
- Idukki
- Knanaya Archdiocese
- Niranam
- Thumpamon
- Kollam
- Outside Kerala Diocese
- Middle East
- Europe
- Australia & New Zealand
- Simhasana Churches
- EAE Churches
- Malankara Archdiocese of North America
Bishops of the Church
The church has 23 Indian bishops:
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List of Metropolitans of Jacobite Syrian Christian Church |
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Autonomous dioceses
The North American, Europe Archdiocese, Knanaya Archdiocese, Simhasana, Evangelical Association are under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch. Of these, the last two had been formed as autonomous bodies in the early 20th century, to escape from the onslaught of civil court cases arisen from disputes with the rival Orthodox Church of India(Malankara Orthodox Church).
Knanaya Archdiocese
The Knanaya diocese (today an archdiocese) was formed in 1910. Its jurisdiction extends to all Knanaya Jacobite people throughout the world. The diocese was formed in recognition of the endogamous character of the Knanaya people. It was also intended to recognize the leadership and sacrifice of the Knanaya people in establishing and maintaining since 345 A.D. the (Antiochan) orthodox faith in Malankara. The Knanaya Archbishop is a member of the Synod of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, but is part of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church.
See also
References
- ^ (1)Content of The Patriarchal Boola No E 149/02 dated July 5, 2002, issued by the Patriarch of Antioch, Ignatious Zakka I was about the formation of Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
External links
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