THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF THE SYRO-MALABAR CHURCH AS A MAJOR ARCHIEPISCOPAL CHURCH

Authors

  • Varghese Koluthara Dharmaram Vidhya Kshetram, Bangalore, India

Keywords:

St. Thomas Christians; heritage, identity, autonomous, patrimony, struggle, coonan cross; Chavara Kuriakose Elias, hierarchy, jurisdiction, territory

Abstract

As the Syro-Malabar Archiepiscopal Church is marching forward, following the footsteps of St. Thomas the apostle, she cannot forget the two millennia long history of search for identity and struggle for autonomy as a Church sui iuris of Catholic communion and Oriental tradition. The autonomous indigenous Church established by Apostle Thomas had an organic growth by sharing the cultural heritage of India, the liturgical patrimony of the East, without losing its own identity. This article is an attempt to sketch the evolution of the St. Thomas Christians of India to a Major Archiepiscopal Church.

Author Biography

Varghese Koluthara, Dharmaram Vidhya Kshetram, Bangalore, India

Varghese Koluthara CMI from the Syro-Malabar Church besides holding a Licentiate in Theology from Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Bengaluru (DVK) and LLB from Bengaluru University, has a Licentiate in Canon Law from Lateran University, Rome, and Doctorate in Oriental Canon Law from the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome. At present he serves as the Director of the Institute of Oriental Canon Law at DVK, Bengaluru, consultor of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts (Vatican) since 2008, Executive Member of the Canon Law Society of India and Judicial Vicar of the eparchial Marriage Tribunal of Mandya functioning at DVK, Bengaluru. He is also a visiting professor at Centre of Canon Law of St. Peter’s Pontifical Institute, Bengaluru and other Ecclesiastical Institutes in India. He has published a book titled “Rightful Autonomy of Religious Institutes” and many articles in national and international journals.

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Published

2020-08-02