Professor David Taylor talks about the Apostolic Origin of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church

Professor David Taylor talks about the Apostolic Origin of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church @ Conclusion of the Year of Children, Birmingham, UK
Official KZbin Channel of the Catholic Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain
Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain was erected by our Holy Father Pope Francis in 28 July, 2016 to serve the pastoral needs of the Syro Malabar Faithful in England, Scotland and Wales, with its see in Preston at St Alphonsa Cathedral (formerly St Ignatius Church, Preston). Among the 32 Eparchies of the Syro-Malabar Church, Eparchy of Great Britain for the Syro-Malabars is the third outside of India. The Syro-Malabar Church is grateful to the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and Scotland for the support to the new Eparchy.
There are 173 Mass centres for the new the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain to serve nearly 38,000 Syro-Malabar Catholics in Great Britain. Currently, there are 54 priests working for the community in England, Wales and Scotland. The new eparchy is rich in terms of the human resources and the active liturgical and spiritual life of the faithful. Our main attention will be to facilitate the growth of the communities to achieve even greater heights. We are in the process of setting up key ministries for the co-ordination of people and resources.

[@user-tc8nm4ru8r]

We need to come back to our old tradition Currently we are following the Portuguese latin tradition

[@skarmat]

Among the 24 Sui Iuris Churches within the Catholic Church, the Latin Church and the Syro Malabar Catholic Church (from the state of Kerala, India) are the only two Sui Iuris Churches which have a continuous Church history from the first century until today. The Syro Malabar Catholic Church, along with the other Sui Iuris church which originated from India- the Syro- Malankara Catholic Church forms a thriving Christian community in Kerala, India. While the Syro Malabar Catholic Church follows the East Syriac liturgy the Syro Malankara Catholic Church follows the west Syriac liturgy (based on the most ancient liturgy of St.James, the first bishop of Jerusalem who was related to Jesus). Hymns of St. Ephrem (4th century), a beloved saint from Syria describes the martyrdom of Apostle Thomas in India. The reason for the Apostle Thomas to arrive in India was because of a Jewish community that lived on the Malabar coast. Coins recovered from Kerala strongly support the idea of a flourishing Indian trade in spices with Arabia, Rome, China and other East Asian countries in the first century. It is reasonable to assume that Thomas started his ministry with the proclamation of the Messianic kingdom to Jews and then the natives. Early Christian writings of the third and fourth century about the missionary work in south eastern coast of India lend credence to the traditions that India had a strong Christian presence since the first century. Eusebius of Caesaria (4th century), a church historian and Bishop, wrote in his book Ecclesiastical history that Pantaneus visited India in 180 AD and says that he found a Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew, left with the Christians there by St. Bartholomew. St. Jerome in his writings mentions a deputation sent from India to Alexandria. This deputation requested Demetrius (127-232 AD), the bishop of Alexandria (Egypt), to send Clement of Alexandria (150 AD- 215 AD) to India. These writings point to a Christian community existing in the first and second centuries in Kerala (India). As per the traditions of the St. Thomas Christians, Thomas established seven churches in south India. Today there are above 4 million St. Thomas Christians belonging to various denominations (Syro-Malabar Catholic, Syro-Malankara Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Jacobite, Mar Thoma Church etc) in South India. Cosmas the Monk was a Greek merchant from Alexandria of Egypt who wrote in his travelogue (Cosmas Indicopleustes ) about his travel to India in the 6th-century during the reign of emperor Justinian. In 522 AD, he visited the Malabar Coast (South India) and was the first traveller to mention Suriyani Christians in present-day Kerala in India. He wrote, "In the Island of Taprobane (Ceylon), there is a church of the Christians, and clerks and faithful. Likewise at Malé where the pepper grows; and in the town of Kalliana (Maharashtra). The present Day Kalyan where Comas used to rule, there is also a bishop consecrated in Persia."

[@Sleevaachan]

Great...

[@skarmat]

The apocryphal Acts of Judas Thomas narrate Thomas, the Apostle, travelling to the court of Gondophares I, the Indo-Parthian ruler. From archeological findings in Taxila (Pakistan) Gondophares ruled from 19 to 46 AD. In the excavated Palace of Gondophores, the guide at the place point out, that in addition to Jain and Buddhist worship places in the area there is also a baptismal font which Thomas would have used for his conversions. This suggests the route Thomas would have taken from Jerusalem to Persia and finally into India through Taxila (Pakistan).

[@joythomasvallianeth6013]

How is that the syro-malabar church is claiming syriac antiquity when they have left their ancient tradition and went and joined with the Roman Latin Pope after the arrival of the portugese. It is high time that they should have a relook at this forced conversion of the community so that they maintain their unique syriac tradition. They were not under the Latin foreign yoke till the 16th century !

[@jacobraji2442]

Clear lack of historical understanding is prevalent in your comment. Let me catch you in your own ignorance, who was the last bishops from the church of the east who came to minister to the St Thomas Christians in india?

[@joythomasvallianeth6013]

@@jacobraji2442 Now you are beating around the bush. Can you list the Eastern catholic bishops or the church of the East (Chaldean) bishops in Kerala from at least the 9th century onwards. Which century did this eastern bishops come to Kerala? Do you know that the west syriac tradition or syriac orthodox church bishops were in Kerala from 823 AD onwards (The kollam migration and the Tharissappally chepeds are well documented in history) and built several churches from kollam to kunnamkulam. Your Syro- malabar church is silent on this part of the church history to spread a different narrative .

[@jacobraji2442]

@@joythomasvallianeth6013 Show me your sources. Here is the documented historical timeline of St Thomas Christians. The church was a group of St Thomas Christians without strict hierarchy or leadership apart from the Apostle Thomas(just like the early Christian community in the book of Acts), then we came under the leadership of the church of the East when at 250-325AD Bishops Mar David and Mar Yohannan became metropolitan of India. This carried on, and there was a division within the church of the East in 1553 and the Chaldean Catholic Bishop Shimun VIII Yohannan Sulaqa united the church with Rome. The successor of this bishop, Abdisho IV Maron, sends Mar Joseph Sulaqa in 1555 as the bishop of all St Thomas Christians in Kerela. Bsp. Abdisho also sends Bsp. Abraham of Angamaly(1564) for the St Thomas Christians of India. By this stage, the St Thomas Christians are led by Chaldean Catholic Bishops of the Church of the East, who are in full communion with the church in Rome. The St Thomas Christians are all identified by being:1)East Syriac in liturgy and 2)Under the guidance Chaldean Catholic bishops in communion with Rome. After this comes the troubles of the Latins meddling with the church and causing the Synod of Diamper. Some St Thomas Christians resisted the Latin rule, which is commendable, but they decided to start a new church by coming into communion with the Syriac Orthodox (West Syriac church) adopting a new Liturgy and new guidance. This is then fractured several times by infighting and evangelization by Protestant sects. The other St Thomas Christians, stay under Latin Rule and have their East Syriac Liturgy Latinised. However, they slowly remove Latinisation from their church and now have the full support of Rome in restoring what was modified. Additionally, the Malankara Catholic church returns into communion with Rome. The Anaphora of Mar Addai and Mar Mari is still said at every Qurbana, the Anaphora of Mar Nestorius is allowed, and the Latin church realises it's mistake and helps the St Thomas Christians to undo the damage caused by the synod of Diamper. I am part of the choir that sing the ancient East Syriac hymns of "Lakhu Mara" and "Qadisha Alaha" in our Qurbana. The Syro Malabar Church and the Chaldean Catholic church keep their East Syriac liturgy, strengthening each other to restore any lost practices, and keep their connection as part of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. References: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syro-Malabar_Catholic_Church en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Sulaqa en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_of_Angamaly en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimun_VIII_Yohannan_Sulaqa en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdisho_IV_Maron en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Syro-Malabar_Catholic_Church en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_East en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_Church_of_the_East en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaldean_Catholic_Church en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liturgy_of_Addai_and_Mari www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/syro-malabar-liturgy www.academia.edu/39105539/Restoration_and_Reform_of_Syro_Malabar_Missal_Important_Documents_from_1954_to_1969

[@joythomasvallianeth6013]

@@jacobraji2442 You have not replied to my questions. Instead you have relied on some wikipedia pages and trying to beat around the Bush. You can only quote history after the arrival of the portugese. That is what your priests and bishops teach you Syro- malabarians and they do not want to go before that period. I have given historical records about the presence of west syriac Christians at least from 823 AD. The kollam migration from Nineveh and the Tharissappally cheppeds are well documented. Please ask your bishop Pamplani who takes church history classes on shalom TV why he is silent about the above history ? Sometimes the truth is bitter. But a Christian has to be honest and that is what is lacking in the Kerala syriac catholic bishops and priests who teach church history to their flock.

[@jacobraji2442]

@@joythomasvallianeth6013 these are secular sources and documents from the side of the assyrian church as well. What the heck are you talking about ? Link the sources to which you are referring.

[@mathewchacko3755]

This is a group of Malayalee SM expatriates migrated to Great Britain having own Eparchy, listening to an English man telling their origin of church faith and history! The British empire left India leaving behind a dying nation with bloody communal revolt and division which resulted in Partition! The Marthoma Christians now under the control of Vatican rule and oversight has changed its name to SM Church! It is a disgrace that an english man has to explain to these expatriates their own tradition of faith and its history! We continue to like saluting the great english men and obey their orders! Faithfully, your "humble servant"!!

[@lightbringerswordinthedark6667]

Dr David Taylor is a professor of Aramaic and Syriac at Oxford University, I'm sure he knows more about the Syriac tradition than you. Also, we don't judge people by their skin color.

[@thresiammapoulose5374]

Our church was known as malankara suriani Sabha and now it is known as syro Malabar church which is foreign to our tradition and should get back our ancient name.