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CHAPTER 3
THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY AND ITS TRADITIONS
IN THE CULTURAL MILIEU OF
THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KOTTAYAM

Introduction
This chapter studies the Christian family and its rich cultural and
moral traditions in the social and cultural background of the Archdiocese of
Kottayam, an ancient diocese in the Syro-Malabar Church in India. The aim
of this chapter is to find in these traditions and customs implications of the
teaching of Pope John Paul II on the Domestic Church as the Sanctuary of
Life. These traditions and customs are mainly related to family and marriage
celebrations. These rituals symbolise life as a gift, family as a community of
persons, marriage as open to life. In the oriental point of view, marriage is
not only a communion of two persons, but also a new communion for two
different families. There are special duties and obligations assigned to each
member of the family in the celebration of a marriage.

For this study, the sources are mainly historical, liturgical and social.
These traditions and practices are closely connected to various factors, such
as the social, cultural and liturgical backgrounds of the Indian - especially
Kerala - society. These are very ancient traditions. Some aspects that are not
relevant to this analysis will inevitably surface, but every effort has been
made to limit this study to those aspects that represent the moral and
pastoral implications of the family as a Sanctuary of Life. The methodology
used in this chapter is mainly historical, narrative and theological analysis.

Most of the customs and practices studied here are seen only in the
families of the Archdiocese of Kottayam, while some of them are common
to the Syro-Malabar Church as a whole. Before addressing the family
traditions and customs in part two of this chapter, a brief overview of the
Syro-Malabar Church in India - its early history, its socio-religious
background, and the general characteristics of the East Syrian heritage will
be provided as a context for a clearer understanding of the Syro-Malabar
Church and its theological-liturgical and spiritual traditions.

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