List of major archbishops of the Syro-Malabar Church

The Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church is the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church within the Catholic Church, and the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamalay in Kerala, India.

Major Archbishop of
the Syro-Malabar Church

ܪܒܝ ܡܝܛܪܵܦܘܿܠܝܼܛܵܐܹ ܕܥܸܕܬܵܐ ܕܣܘܼܕܝܵܝܹܐ ܡܲܠܲܒܵܪܵܝܹܐ
Bishopric
Incumbent:
George Alencherry
29 May 2011
StyleMar
Location
CountryIndia
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

Major Archbishops of Ernakulam-Angamaly

Brief History

The Vicariate was established in 1896, when the first archbishop was appointed. The Syro-Malabar's current hierarchical structure was establish in 1923, and Ernakulam elevated as an archdiocese. In 1993, when Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was raised to major archiepiscopal church, Ernakulam became the seat of the major archbishop.

Bishop of Angamaly

Through the Synod of Diamper, the Latin Catholic Padroado missionaries abolished the All India jurisdiction and 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
  • Francisco Ros (1610-1624)
  • Stephen Brito, S.J. (18 Feb 1624 - 2 Dec 1641 Died)
  • Francisco Garcia Mendes, S.J. (2 Dec 1641 - 3 Jan 1653) Garcia was overthrown through the Coonan Cross Oath. However he remained archbishop of Cranganore for a small minority of Latin Christians until his death in 1659.
    • Joseph Maria Sebastiani (1656–1663) - intrusus as the Vicar apostolic of Malabar
  • Palliveettil Chandy (Alexander Parampil) (1663-1687)[4]
    • Shemon of Ada (1700 – 1720) - sent by Patriarch Eliah IX Yohannan Augen, he was arrested by Latin missionaries. Hoping to get freed, he consecrated Angelo Francisco, the Carmelite Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly in 1701. But 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.
  • Kariattil Iousep (1783– 1787)
    • Paremakkal Thoma (1787–1799) - never been consecrated as bishop, but appointed as Gobernador (Administrator)
    • 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 excommunicated by the Pope.[5]
    • Yohannan Elia Mellus (1874 – 1882) - sent by Patriarch Joseph VI Audo, consolidated strong support among the Catholic Saint Thomas Christians, but excommunicated by the pope. He led the movement which led to the formation of the Chaldean Syrian Church and the erection of separate Syro-Malabar hierarchy.[3][6][7][8][5]

Vicar Apostolics of Kottayam, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Southists

Following the schism, the pope having abandoned the latinisation policy, separated St. Thomas Christians in 1887 from the Vicariate of Verapoly, the local Latin Catholic hierarchy.[5] 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. I

Archbishop of Ernakulam

Archbishops of Ernakulam and Changanacherry

References
  1. Official website of Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church
  2. Major Archbishop - Official website of the Syro-Malabar Church
  3. Eugène Tisserant: Eastern Christianity in India. Longmans, Green and Co., London 1957, 112-119
  4. "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.
  5. 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.
  6. Georg Graf: History of Christian Arabic literature. 4th Bd Apost Bibl. Vaticana, Città del Vaticano 1951, 112f
  7. Joseph Habbi: Les Chaldéens et les Malabar au 19e siècle.In: Oriens Christianus 64 (1980) 82-107.
  8. Wilmshurst, David (2000). The Ecclesiastical Organisation of the Church of the East, 1318–1913. Louvain: Peeters Publishers. ISBN 9789042908765.
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