Knanaya Catholic Church of Syro Malabar

[georgewithfaith]

The Knanaya Catholics are a group of people who have married within their culture group since early times. This means they came to India in 350 A.D. and continued endogamy even through these times. They are Syro Malabar Catholics. In or about 1910 or 1911 Pope Pius X granted the Knanaya people their own Bishop and diocese. There are many Knanaya Catholic Churches in India. Now Knanaya Churches are growing in the United States. Here is the rub, the unique difference from other Catholics. To be a member of a Knanaya Catholic Church you have to be a full Knanaya. This means your parents must both be Knanaya. A non-Knananite can attend Mass but cannot become a member of the Parish. Additionally, the Bishop for the Knanaya Churches in the United States is a non Knananite. He has jurisdiction of all Syro Malabar Catholics in the United States.

 

[Vico]

The Knanaya Catholics are a group of people who have married within their culture group since early times. This means they came to India in 350 A.D. and continued endogamy even through these times. They are Syro Malabar Catholics. In or about 1910 or 1911 Pope Pius X granted the Knanaya people their own Bishop and diocese. There are many Knanaya Catholic Churches in India. Now Knanaya Churches are growing in the United States. Here is the rub, the unique difference from other Catholics. To be a member of a Knanaya Catholic Church you have to be a full Knanaya. This means your parents must both be Knanaya. A non-Knananite can attend Mass but cannot become a member of the Parish. Additionally, the Bishop for the Knanaya Churches in the United States is a non Knananite. He has jurisdiction of all Syro Malabar Catholics in the United States.

So the Knanaya Catholics are within then Syro-Malabar Catholic Metropolitan Archeparchy of Kottayam (Archbishop Mathew Moolakkattu) which is part of the Major Archeparchy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil).

So the Knanaya faithful in the USA must feel like a diaspora in the care of the Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Chicago (Bishop Jacob Angadiath).

So do the Knanaya have their own particular law then?

 

[georgewithfaith]

So the Knanaya Catholics are within then Syro-Malabar Catholic Metropolitan Archeparchy of Kottayam (Archbishop Mathew Moolakkattu) which is part of the Major Archeparchy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil).

So the Knanaya faithful in the USA must feel like a diaspora in the care of the Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Chicago (Bishop Jacob Angadiath).

So do the Knanaya have their own particular law then?

Yes, we are under Bishop Angadiath. I am not sure exactly what the letter of the arrangement that put the Knanaya people in the United States are under Bishop Angadiath. However, I know there is an approved arrangement. I am not sure if I am answering your question.

Speculation is that the Vicar General, a Knanaya who is under Bishop Angadiath may one day become a Bishop specifically for Knanaya people in the United States.

Currently, they are acquiring church land and buildings and converting Missions into Parishes. At some point I suspect they will have enough parishes to justify naming a Knanaya Bishop in the United States. However, we will still have one Bishop with a flock spread out over several thousand miles.