Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church

HH Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews III   Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan	HG Zachariah Mar Nicholovos Metropolitan of Northeast American Diocese

 

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, otherwise known as the Indian Orthodox Church is a prominent member of the family of Oriental Orthodox Churches. It traces its origins to the arrival of St. Thomas the Apostle, the Disciple of Jesus Christ. Saint Thomas came to India in AD 52, specifically in a state presently known as Kerala. It is there that the Apostle Thomas established the Christian Church, which grew from hundreds of souls to more than 3.5 million faithful. More than 15,000 of those humble faithful live in the northeast North American continent. The autocephalous Indian Orthodox Church is headed by the Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews III and follows the ancient West Syrian Liturgical Rite.

The faith of the Church is that which was established by the three Ecumenical Councils of Nicea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381) and Ephesus (A.D. 431). The Indian Orthodox Church is in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox Churches namely, Antiochene, Coptic, Armenian, Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches and maintains cordial ecumenical relationships with the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Churches.

Although a majority of the members of the Indian Orthodox Church today reside in the state of Kerala in South West India, there are parishes spread across various parts of the globe. It is due to this international presence that the Church is presently popularly known as the Indian Orthodox Church. For administrative efficiency, the Church is divided into 30 ecclesial units called dioceses, each of which are administratively and spiritually headed by a respective Diocesan Bishop. The Council of bishops, known as the Holy Synod is headed by the Holy Catholicos, who is the supreme spiritual head of the Church.