SYRO-MALANKARA CATHOLIC CHURCH
SYRO-MALANKARA CATHOLIC CHURCH The Indian Church had an apostolic foundation in 52 AD through the evangelisation mission of St. Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. It came in contact with the Syro-Chaldean Church of the Middle East and consequently adopted the East Syrian Liturgy. The Portuguese extended the Padroado agreement in their evangelization programme over India and wanted to bring the Indian Church of the St. Thomas Christians under this jurisdiction. The Portuguese missionaries, ignorant of the Oriental traditions of the Indian Church, had the conviction that anything different from the Western Church was schism and heresy. Hence they wanted to Latinise the Syrian Christians of India. The initial resistance slowly gave way to discontentment, which ended up with the revolt in 1653 known as the Koonan Cross Oath. Thus, the one Church of the St.Thomas Christians was split into two. A large majority of the broken-away-group hesitated to sever ties with Rome and t