Syro-Malabar Catholic Church question

[AnthonyJ]

Is their an Orthodox counterpart to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church? I know the Maronites don’t have an Orthodox counterpart and I was curious about the SMCC as well. Thank you.

 

[dzheremi]

The Syro-Malabar came out of communion with the Church of the East (Nestorians), so I wouldn’t think so. The Orthodox Indians (Malankara Orthodox) are all West Syriac, though there has been a Syro-Malankara Catholic Church since the 1930s, so those particular Christians would have an Orthodox equivalent (they’re the one of the smallest of all the Syriac churches in India, however, at 500K total membership).

 

[AnthonyJ]

Thank you, Dzheremi!

 

[chaldobyzantine]

The Syro-Malabar came out of communion with the Church of the East (Nestorians), so I wouldn’t think so. The Orthodox Indians (Malankara Orthodox) are all West Syriac, though there has been a Syro-Malankara Catholic Church since the 1930s, so those particular Christians would have an Orthodox equivalent (they’re the one of the smallest of all the Syriac churches in India, however, at 500K total membership).

The “Orthodox” equivalent to the Syro-Malabar church would be the “Chaldean Syrian Church,” the archeparchy in communion with the Assyrian Church of the East. Why they contain the names Chaldean and Syrian instead of Assyrian in their name, I don’t know, seeing as they’re not in communion with any church with those titles. According to one source, there are around 15,000 members of the Church of the East in India. Far, far less than the claimed 4.6 million by the Syro-Malabar church.

God Bless

 

[dzheremi]

I understand why you would argue as such, Chaldobyzantine, but the Assyrian Church of the East is not Orthodox, so that reply doesn’t make sense. I suppose AnthonyJ will answer if I am wrong, but I kind of doubt he meant the ACoE in the OP, otherwise his question wouldn’t make sense (since the Syro-Malabar are already descendant from the ACoE, so if the ACoE were considered Orthodox the question wouldn’t need to be asked).

 

[chaldobyzantine]

I understand why you would argue as such, Chaldobyzantine, but the Assyrian Church of the East is not Orthodox, so that reply doesn’t make sense. I suppose AnthonyJ will answer if I am wrong, but I kind of doubt he meant the ACoE in the OP, otherwise his question wouldn’t make sense (since the Syro-Malabar are already descendant from the ACoE, so if the ACoE were considered Orthodox the question wouldn’t need to be asked).

Hence why I put Orthodox in quotes. I should have said that I know they are not either Eastern or Oriental Orthodox, but for some reason around here in Michigan, both Assyrians and Chaldeans incorrectly refer to members of the ACoE as “Orthodox”. Whenever I find myself mentioning the word, people immediately think of the ACoE first in my community.

I assumed the OP didn’t know of a counterpart existing to the Syro-Malabar church by mentioning the Maronite church. My mistake.

God Bless

 

[SyroMalankara]

The Assyrians consider themselves Catholic in essence and Orthodox in faith, although in practice they were supported by the Anglicans in the 1920-50s when Brits were in the Middle East. The name issue is a divisive issue in this community as well as the Syriac Churches (less so in India). Apparently in the 1930s there was a shift in recognizing the name of the people from Syriac to Assyrian in one portion of the community (Mainly in Iraq), which was opposed by those of Aramaen heritage, as well as Syro-Phonecian – note: all these areas overlap geographically, so technically they are all correct names. The problem is that certain faction were supported by various foreign powers and now each name carries baggage. The title “Chaldea” is now used exclusively by Catholics, and the Church of the East’s parishes in India (Chaldean-Syrian); referring to the Biblical reference.
The Indian portion of this Church is a breakaway from the Syro-Malabar from when the protestant British were in India. They influenced some Syro-Malabar priest (then called Syrian, Nasrani and Nestorian by Portuguese oppressive clergy and politicians) to breakaway in an attempt to create some kind of Assyrian Anglican church.