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3.3.2 The Double Ancestry of the Tradition

When speaking about the Syro-Malabar Church, one has to mention
its double ancestry. In the early centuries, the Syro-Malabar Church was
guided and nourished by the Syro-Orientals. At the same time, it was on
Indian soil and in Indian culture. Thus, in order to have a clear vision of the
traditions and rites of the Syro-Malabar Church, both of the above-
mentioned elements need to be taken into consideration.

3.3.2.1 The Chaldean (East Syrian) Influence

The Syro-Malabar Church is related to the Chaldean Church. How
did the Syro-Malabar Church come under the influence of the Chaldean
(East Syrian) Church? There are different opinions regarding this. But the
prevailing one accepted generally among the historians is that, by the fourth
century, the Church founded by St. Thomas came under the influence of the
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Chaldean Church of Persia (the present day Iran and Iraq). It is important
to point out that the Church founded in India by St. Thomas the Apostle
was, at that time, languishing without ecclesial ministers and faced a crisis
on account of the need for successors to bishops. The Catholicos of the East
in Seleucia-Ctesiphon came to know about the sad plight of the Indian
Church. Then, as directed by the Catholicos, a merchant whose name was
Thomas Kinayi organized an immigration of seventy-two Christian families
accompanied by Bishop Mar Joseph of Uraha, four priests and a few
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deacons. Thomas presumably founded a city at Cranganore
(Kodungalloor). He united the Christians who were scattered and obtained
many privileges for the Christians from the local ruler. He served as a
liaison between the East-Syrian Church and the St. Thomas Christians in
India. Eventually, the bishops from the East-Syrian Church began to preside
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over the Church in India.

According to another tradition, Thomas Kinayi and the colony of
Persian Christians arrived in Kerala in the fourth century as refugees fleeing

16
Cf. KOLLAPARAMBIL, J., The St. Thomas Christians’ Revolution in 1653, The
Catholic Bishop’s House, Kottayam, 1981, pp. 2-3.
17
Cf. KOLLAPARAMBIL, J., The Babylonian Origin of the Southists Among the St
Thomas Christians, Pont. Institutum Orientalium, Roma, 1992, p. XXIV. These 72
Christian families, while enriching the Malabar Church, remained together as a unique
community. They resided in the southern portion of Cranganore and became known as
“Southists”. Later the Archdiocese of Kottayam was granted to them.
18 Cf. VADEKKEKARA, B., Origin of India’s St. Thomas Christians, Media House, Delhi,
1995, p. 472.

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