The Eastern Christian Churches – A Brief Survey - --The Thomas Christians

Tuesday, 12 December 2006 10:56

The Thomas Christians
 

	The faithful attend  Good Friday service at St. Mary Church in Valliapally Kaduthuruthy, Kerala. (photo: Sean Sprague)
The faithful attend Good Friday service at St. Mary Church in Valliapally Kaduthuruthy, Kerala. (photo: Sean Sprague)

A Christian community known as “The Thomas Christians” has existed on the southwest coast of India since ancient times, attested to in documented sources dating back to the fourth century. The Thomas Christians claim with considerable credibility to have been founded by the Apostle Thomas, who had evangelized India following the death and resurrection of Christ. Located in what is now the state of Kerala, they were a distinct religious community fully integrated into Indian society. They were also in full communion with the Assyrian Church of the East, which in early centuries had regularly sent bishops to India to ordain deacons and priests. The head of the Thomas Christian Church, which had considerable autonomy, was a Metropolitan of the Assyrian Church of the East from at least the 8th century, and occupied the tenth place in the Assyrian hierarchy with the title, “Metropolitan and Gate of All India.” But because the Metropolitans generally did not speak the local language, real jurisdiction was placed in the hands of an Indian priest with the title “Archdeacon of All India.” He was effectively the civil and religious superior of the entire community until the arrival of the Portuguese in Kerala at the end of the 15th century.

A traditional Margamkali dance unfolds near Kottayam, Kerala. (photo: Sean Sprague)

Portuguese colonization was the beginning of a sad history of forced latinization that caused unrest and schisms among the Thomas Christians. Today their descendants, who number about 8,000,000, are divided into five oriental churches, including about 15,000 who still belong to the Assyrian Church of the East. For the others see the Syrian Orthodox Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.

Another interesting feature of the Thomas Christians is the existence of a distinct ethnic community known as the “Southists,” or “Knanaya.” According to tradition, their origins can be traced to a group of 72 Jewish Christian families who immigrated to India from Mesopotamia in the year 345 AD. There is historical evidence to support this claim. The descendants of these ancient immigrants, who do not intermarry with those outside the community and now number about 300,000, are divided into two ethnic dioceses in Kerala, one belonging to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and the other to the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate. A Syrian Orthodox Knanaya Diocese was established for North America in 1982 that now has 15 worshiping communities. Rev. Fr. C.A. Thomas Chirathalackal of St. Joseph Church in Long Island, NY, is currently the administrator. In addition, there are ten Knanaya Catholic missions in the United States and six additional communities with a total of about 2,000 families. Rev. Fr. Abraham Mutholath, Vicar General of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago, is responsible for the Catholic Knanaya faithful in the United States.