 St Thomas Christians |  In AD 52, Apostle Thomas landed at Kodungallur on the Malabar Coast. He is believed to have established seven-and-half Christian communities. Thomas then moved to the Coromandel Coast, and was martyred at St Thomas Mount at Mylapore near Madras in AD 72. The apostle's body was buried there.
This rich tradition is associated with places, families, and celebrations. From the 16th century on, the native people as well as several European missionaries have documented this tradition. The Portuguese on their arrival to India in the 16th century explored, excavated, and found out the tomb of St Thomas. For the last 20 centuries, this tradition is lived by a community called St Thomas Christians.
St Thomas Christians are the Christians rooted on Indian soil, and the Church is the church born on Indian soil.
They trace their origins to St Thomas the Apostle and their tradition is as old as the very beginning of Christianity.
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Roman Catholic Church |
The Roman Catholic Church is the Church with its headquarters at Rome in Italy. The Roman Catholic Church is commonly referred to by the name Catholic Church.
Every Catholic person anywhere in the world - everyone who is a member of a Catholic Church that has allegiance to the Church of Rome and thus to the Pope - belongs to the Roman Catholic Church and is therefore Roman Catholic.
The Catholic Church is the communion of 22 individual or sui juris Churches. There is one Latin Church, and there are 21 Oriental (Eastern Rite) Churches. All these Churches are in full communion with the Church of Rome, forming the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
Each of these 21 Oriental churches (rites) has its own hierarchy, traditions, and practices. There are six major rites in the Catholic Church. These are: Roman (Latin), Alexandrian, Armenian, Antiochene (Antiochian), Byzantine, and Chaldean. Excepting the Roman (Latin) Church, all other churches are called Oriental Churches or Eastern Churches. Each of these five major Eastern rite (Oriental) churches has sister churches, taking the total number of Oriental or Eastern Churches to 21.
The Syro-Malabar Church, an Oriental (Eastern Rite) Church and the second largest of the 21 Oriental Churches, is a sister church of the Chaldean church, and follows the Chaldean (East Syrian) tradition, the liturgy of the Chaldean Church having been derived from the Antiochean tradition.
The Syro-Malankara Church is also an Oriental (Eastern Rite) Church. It is a sister church of the Antiochene (Antiochian) Church, and follows the Antiochean (West Syrian) tradition.
The most significant point, however, is that the Catholic Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic and is known as the "Roman Catholic Church".
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|  | |  | | Terms & Meanings |
Catholic = universal
Apostolic = conforming to the teachings of the apostles, related to the succession of spiritual authority from the apostles
Aommunion = unity, fellowship, rapport
Sui juris = autonomous,self-governing,
capable of managing one's own affairs.
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| | | | One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church |
The Catholic Church is apostolic in the succession of the Pope and Bishops, and owns the authority that Jesus gave the apostles.
The Catholic Church is One because all the churches are in communion with the Pope who is the Bishop of Rome.
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