119-672: Kanai may refer to: the Kanai , an ethnic group of Jews who settled the Kerala region in India. Kanai (Judaism) , a zealot in the scriptures Kanai (surname) , a Japanese surname Kanai Anzen , an amulet Nirai Kanai , an Okinawan myth Nirai Kanai (MAX song) , song by MAX based on the Okinawan myth Kainai Nation Kanai, Nigeria Kurnai language Kanai of Kamen Rider Blade , human guise of
238-402: A black or a red robe with a red belt. They should not wear a red robe in the presence of the patriarch, who wears a red robe. Bishops visiting a diocese outside their jurisdiction also wear black robes in deference to the bishop of the diocese, who alone wears red robes. They carry a crosier stylised with serpents representing the staff of Moses during sacraments. Corepiscopos wear a black or
357-512: A missionary in Kerala wrote that the stories associated with the two-wives legend were the “lie of the land”. In 1611, Archbishop Francisco Ros, a Latin Catholic clergymen in Kerala, called the two-wives legend a "fable" and instead accounts the division to some Christians descending from the missionary work of St. Thomas the Apostle and others from Knai Thoma. Syrian Christian scholars generally view
476-494: A period of economic and intellectual flourishing lasted for Syriac Orthodox communities from 950 to 1020. The Syriac Patriarch John Sarigta and his two successors lived at the monastery of Bārid close to Melitene, one of the many newly founded monasteries at the time, and Syriac Orthodox Christians were granted access to imperial positions. The wealth and influence of the Syriac Orthodox communities then sparked conflicts with
595-431: A purple robe with a purple belt. Bishops and corepiscopos have hand-held crosses. A priest also wears a phiro , or a cap, which he must wear for the public prayers. Monks also wear masnapso , a hood. Priests also have ceremonial shoes which are called msone . Without wearing these shoes, a priest cannot distribute Eucharist to the faithful. Then there is a white robe called kutino symbolizing purity. Hamniko or stole
714-646: A unified grant. Knanaya tradition states that the Syriac Christian migrants who arrived with Thomas of Cana were Jewish-Christians. Community scholars express the historicity of this tradition by noting that Jewish-Christian tribes in Mesopotamia were a major component of the early Church of the East . Dr. Jacob Kollaparambil notes specifically that the Jewish-Christians of southern Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) were
833-477: A unique name has long been used to distinguish the church from the polity of Syria . In Arabic (the official language of Syria), the church is known as the "Kenissa Suryaniya" as the term " Suryani " identifies the Syriac language and people. Chalcedonians referred to the church as "Jacobite" (after Jacob Baradaeus ) since the schism that followed the 451 Council of Chalcedon . English-speaking historians identified
952-562: Is attested in Antioch in the first half of the 12th century, which led Dorothea Weltecke to conclude that the Syriac Orthodox population was very low in this period in Antioch and its surroundings. This changed during the 12th century when the Crusader states were established. Scholars agree generally that relations between the Syriac Orthodox and Latins in Outremer were good. The Syriac population in
1071-544: Is credited for ordaining most of the miaphysite hierarchy while facing heavy persecution in the sixth century. In 544, Jacob Baradeus ordained Sergius of Tella continuing the non-Chalcedonian succession of patriarchs of the Church of Antioch . That was done in opposition to the government-backed Patriarchate of Antioch held by the pro-Chalcedonian believers leading to the Syriac Orthodox Church being known popularly as
1190-549: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Knanaya Liturgical and Traditional: Syriac The K'nānāya listen , (from Syriac : K'nā'nāya (Canaanite)) also known as the Southists or Tekkumbhagar , are an endogamous ethnic group found among the Saint Thomas Christian community of Kerala , India. They are differentiated from another part of
1309-540: Is in reference to the historically significant geographical division between them and other Saint Thomas Christians, who are known as Vadakumbhagar or Northists in this context. Historically the Knanaya held the title of being the "protectors of seventeen castes", an authority given to them by the Cheraman Perumal according to folk tradition. This title which was reflective of the historical high socio-economic status of
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#17328692265601428-564: Is rarely awarded. Syriac Orthodox churches use the Peshitta (Syriac: simple, common) as its Bible. The New Testament books of this Bible are estimated to have been translated from Greek to Syriac between the late first century to the early third century AD. The Old Testament of the Peshitta was translated from Hebrew , probably in the second century. The New Testament of the Peshitta , which originally excluded certain disputed books, had become
1547-561: Is that Christ is "in two natures, full humanity and full divinity". This is the doctrinal difference that separated the Oriental Orthodox from the rest of Christendom. The church believes in the mystery of Incarnation and venerate Virgin Mary as Theotokos or Yoldath Aloho (Meaning: 'Bearer of God'). The Fathers of the Syriac Orthodox Church gave a theological interpretation to the primacy of Saint Peter . They were fully convinced of
1666-543: Is the highest rank a married man can be elevated to in the Syriac Orthodox Church. The ranks above the Corepiscopos are unmarried. In the Syriac Orthodox tradition, different ranks among the deacons are specifically assigned with particular duties. The six ranks of the diaconate are: Only a full deacon can take the censer during the Divine Liturgy to assist the priest. In Jacobite Syrian Christian Church , because of
1785-682: Is the one the Portuguese now have." - Francisco Dionisio (1578), Amario Jesuitico, cod. 28, ff.34-38 A few decades later, Francisco Ros, a Catholic bishop in Kerala, noted in 1604 that he had read in an old Chaldean (Syriac) text that there existed in Kodungallur three churches built by Knai Thoma: ..."I found written at the end how the said book was made and written at Cranganore, where it says there were three churches, one of St. Thomas, another of Our Lady, and another of St. Cyriac" - Francisco Ros (1604), MS. ADD. 9853. British Museum Library Zacharias
1904-477: Is the seventh rank and is the one duly appointed to administer the sacraments . Unlike in the Catholic Church , Syriac deacons may marry before ordained as priests; they cannot marry after ordained as priests. There is an honorary rank among the priests that are Corepiscopos who has the privileges of "first among the priests" and is given a chain with a cross and specific vestment decorations. Corepiscopos
2023-434: Is the successor to Saint Peter on whom primacy was conferred by Jesus Christ . The church accepted first three synods held at Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), and Ephesus (431), shaping the formulation and early interpretation of Christian doctrines . The Syriac Orthodox Church is part of Oriental Orthodoxy , a distinct communion of churches claiming to continue the patristic and apostolic Christology before
2142-505: Is venerated as the first bishop of Antioch in c. 37 AD after the Incident at Antioch . Saint Evodius was Bishop of Antioch until 66 AD and was succeeded by Saint Ignatius of Antioch . The earliest recorded use of the term "Christianity" (Greek: Χριστιανισμός ) was by Ignatius of Antioch , in around 100 AD. In A.D 169, Theophilus of Antioch wrote three apologetic tracts to Autolycus. Patriarch Babylas of Antioch
2261-403: Is worn over this white robe. Then he wears a girdle called zenoro , and zende , meaning sleeves. If the celebrant is a bishop, he wears a veil-mitre over the masnapso, . A cope called phayno is worn over these vestments. Batrashil , or pallium , is worn over the phayno by bishops and corepiscopas wear a half cope over the phayno, like hamnikho worn by priests. The priest's usual dress
2380-724: The Armenian and Syriac Orthodox communities when an estimated 105,000 Christians were killed. By the end of the 19th century, 200,000 Syriac Orthodox Christians remained in the Middle East, most concentrated around Saffron Monastery , the Patriarchal Seat. In 1870, there were 22 Syriac Orthodox settlements in the vicinity of Diyarbakır . In the 1870–71 Diyarbakır salnames , there were 1,434 Orthodox Syriacs in that city. On 10 December 1876, Ignatius Peter IV consecrated Geevarghese Gregorios of Parumala as metropolitan. Rivalry within
2499-867: The Assyrian Empire and Aramean kingdoms. Church traditions crystallized into ethnogenesis through the preservation of their stories and customs by the 12th century. Since the 1910s, the identity of Syriac Orthodoxy in the Ottoman Empire was principally religious and linguistic. In recent works, Assyrian-American historian Sargon Donabed has pointed out that parishes in the US were originally using Assyrian designations in their official English names, also noting that in some cases those designations were later changed to Syrian , and then to Syriac , while several other parishes still continue to use Assyrian designations. The church claims apostolic succession through
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#17328692265602618-462: The Chalcedonians and Miaphysites (Syriac Orthodox). The longer hagiography shows that the Syriac Orthodox (called "Syriac Jacobites" in the work: suryoye yaquboye ) self-identified with Jacob's story more than those of other saints. Coptic historian and miaphysite bishop Severus ibn al-Muqaffa (ca. 897) speaks of Jacobite origins, and on the veneration of Jacob Baradaeus. He claimed that unlike
2737-652: The Cochin Jews of India, suggesting historic cultural relations between the two communities. Some colonial era authors also associated the division of Northist and Southist to the two wives of Thomas of Cana. These versions generally present the Southern wife as a Syriac woman and the Northern as a native St. Thomas Christian woman. Additionally they portray one wife as superior and the other inferior and their children as legitimate or illegitimate. In 1579, Fr. Antonio Monserratte,
2856-687: The Giraffe Stag Undead Canae , an ancient city in the Arginusae See also [ edit ] Kanhai (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Kanai . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kanai&oldid=1113846515 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2975-608: The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch (part of the wider Eastern Orthodox Church ) and the Maronite church (an Eastern Catholic church). In 1662, the vacant Syriac Patriarchate of Antioch was filled by individuals who aligned themselves with the Catholic Church . Andrew Akijan was elected in that year, and was succeeded by another Catholic in Gregory Peter VI Shahbaddin . The non-Catholic Syriac party elected
3094-548: The Jesuit missionary Alvaro Penteado mentions a conflict between the children of Thomas of Cana, hinting at a rift in the community in contemporary times. In 1525, Mar Jacob , a Chaldean bishop in India, recorded a battle the year before between the Kingdom of Cochin and the Zamorin of Calicut that destroyed Cranganore and many Knanaya homes and churches. Mar Jacob addresses his letter to
3213-587: The Liturgy of Saint James , associated with James the Just . Classical Syriac is the official and liturgical language of the church. The church gained its hierarchical distinctiveness in 512, when pro- Chalcedonian patriarch Flavian II of Antioch was deposed by Byzantine emperor Anastasius I Dicorus , and a synod was held at Laodicea in Syria in order to choose his successor, a prominent Miaphysite theologian Severus
3332-544: The Malabar Syrian Christians . In the 19th century, the various Syriac Christian denominations did not view themselves as part of one ethnic group. During the Tanzimat reforms (1839–78), the Syriac Orthodox was granted independent status by gaining recognition as their own millet in 1873, apart from Armenians and Greeks. In the late 19th century, the Syriac Orthodox community of the Middle East, primarily from
3451-612: The Persian Crosses which are till this day exhibited at Kottayam Valiya Palli. In 1579, Fr. Antonio Monseratte, a missionary in Kerala wrote a report on the St. Thomas Christians. On the ethnic division of the Christians, Monseratte notes that all Christians claim descent from St. Thomas the Apostle while others descend from Mar Thoma the Syrian (Thomas of Cana): “My chief occupation has been with
3570-504: The Principality of Antioch grew, also due to the influx of refugees, which also manifested itself in the construction of two further churches. During that time, several Syriac Orthodox Patriarchs visited Antioch, with some even establishing temporary residences there, and the Syriac Orthodox hierarchy in Antioch was prepared to accept Latin supervision. Nevertheless, they stayed officially independent although they also engaged in talks with
3689-517: The Syriac tradition, an ecclesiastical day starts at sunset and the Canonical hours are based on West Syriac Rite : The seven Holy Sacraments of the church are: The clergy of the Syriac Orthodox Church has unique liturgical vestments with their order in the priesthood: the deacons , the priests, the chorbishops , the bishops, and the patriarch each have different vestments. Bishops usually wear
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3808-968: The Syriac Catholic Church ). Mor Hananyo Monastery was the headquarters of the church from c. 1160 until 1932. The patriarchate was transferred to Homs due to the Sayfo genocide and the effects of World War I . The current see of the church is the Cathedral of Saint George , Bab Tuma , Damascus , Syria, since 1959. Since 2014, Ignatius Aphrem II has served as the Patriarch of Antioch . The church has an autonomous Maphrianate in India , along with archdioceses and patriarchal vicariates in countries covering six continents . Syriac -speaking Christians have referred to themselves as " Ārāmāyē/Āṯūrāyē/Sūryāyē " in native Aramaic terms based on their ethnic identity. In most languages besides English,
3927-675: The Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East , and informally as the Jacobite Church , is an Oriental Orthodox church that branched from the Church of Antioch . The bishop of Antioch , known as the patriarch , heads the church and possesses apostolic succession through Saint Peter ( Classical Syriac : ܫܡܥܘܢ ܟܐܦܐ , romanized: Šemʿōn Kēp̄ā ), according to sacred tradition . The church upholds Miaphysite doctrine in Christology , and employs
4046-477: The Syriac genocide . In 1959, the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Church was transferred to Damascus in Syria. In the mid-1970s, the estimate of Syriac Orthodox living in Syria was 82,000. In 1977, the number of Syriac Orthodox followers in diaspora dioceses was: 9,700 in the Diocese of Middle Europe; 10,750 in the Diocese of Sweden and surrounding countries. On 20 October 1987, Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala
4165-706: The Syro-Malabar Church ( Kottayam Archeparchy ) and the Syrian Orthodox Church ( Knanaya Archdiocese ). Many Knanaya migrated away during the 20th and 21st centuries, largely westward, forming communities in non-Malayalam speaking areas, with a large expatriate community currently living in Houston , Texas, and Chicago , Illinois, in the United States. The term K'nānāya derives from the name K'nāi Thoma ( anglicized as Thomas of Cana), an important figure in
4284-537: The Thomas of Cana copper plates awarded to his followers by a local Hindu ruler. These plates granted Thomas' followers 72 social, economic, and religious rights from Cheraman Perumal , the Chera king. The plates were present in Kerala during the time of the Portuguese colonization in the early 17th century, but were lost during Portuguese rule. Archbishop Francis Ros notes in his 1604 account M.S. ADD 9853 that
4403-623: The liturgical music of the Syriac Orthodox Church. In his liner notes for the UNESCO Anthology of Traditional Music, he described the liturgical music of communities in Antioch , Tur ‘Abdin , Urfa , Mardin in modern Turkey , as well as in Aleppo and Qamishli in modern Syria. Syriac Orthodox clergy and laity follow a regimen of seven prayers a day that are said at fixed prayer times , in accordance with Psalm 119 (cf. Shehimo ). According to
4522-526: The schism following the Council of Chalcedon in 451. In terms of Christology , the Oriental Orthodox (Non-Chalcedonian) understanding is that Christ is "One Nature—the Logos Incarnate, of the full humanity and full divinity". Just as humans are of their mothers and fathers and not in their mothers and fathers, so too is the nature of Christ according to Oriental Orthodoxy. The Chalcedonian understanding
4641-689: The "Cana" form is a corruption formalized by European scholars in the 18th century based on the Malayalam form Knāi found in the literature and common parlance of the people of Malabar. This may be a reference to the Christian community of Kynai, in Bét Aramayé in Persia, a historical center of Syriac Christianity. The Knanaya are also known as Tekkumbhagar in Malayalam; this is generally translated into English as "Southist", or sometimes "Southerner" or "Suddhist". This
4760-647: The "Jacobite" Church, while the Chalcedonian believers were known popularly as Melkites —c oming from the Syriac word for king (malka), an implication of the Chalcedonian Church's relationship to the Roman Emperor (later emphasised by the Melkite Greek Catholic Church ). Because of many historical upheavals and consequent hardships that the Syriac Orthodox Church had to undergo, the patriarchate
4879-471: The "father of fathers", he must be an ordained bishop. He is the general administrator to Holy Synod and supervises the spiritual, administrative, and financial matters of the church. He governs external relations with other churches and signs agreements, treaties, contracts, pastoral encyclicals (bulls), pastoral letters related to the affairs of the church. After the Patriarch, the second highest Rank in
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4998-486: The 17th century. Many of the historical songs allude to the migrants being of Jewish descent such as the song Nallor Orosilam (The Good Jerusalem) which states the migrants prayed at the tomb of the Jewish Prophet Ezra before departing to India. A number of scholars such as Dr. P.M. Jussay, Dr. Nathan Katz, Dr. Shalva Weil, and Dr. Ophira Gamliel have noted that the Knanaya maintain striking cultural similarities to
5117-455: The Apostle , Saint Kuriakose , and Saint Mary in the southern portion of the Chera Empire's capital city of Cranganore. According to 16th and 17th century Portuguese records, the three churches were built by Thomas of Cana when the community arrived to India. Fr. Francisco Dionisio, a Catholic missionary in Kerala, noted in 1578 that the church of St. Thomas built by Knai Thoma in Kodungallur
5236-575: The Apostolic Commissary, November 6th, 1658) The earliest extensive written evidence for the division of the Christian community of India dates to the 16th century. The St. Thomas Christian tradition defines the division as being both geographical and ethnic, expressing that the Native St. Thomas Christians initially resided on the north side of the Chera Empire's capital city of Cranganore while
5355-560: The Bishopric as one of main regional primacies in Christendom, with jurisdiction over the administrative Diocese of the Orient , thus laying the foundation for the creation of the "Patriarchate of Antioch and All of the East". Because of the significance attributed to Ignatius of Antioch in the church, most of the Syriac Orthodox patriarchs since 1293 have used the name of Ignatius in the title of
5474-520: The Brahmins. The historical rationale for the division between the majority St. Thomas Christians and minority Knanaya traces the divide to the figure of Thomas of Cana, a Syrian merchant who led a group of 72 Jewish-Christian immigrant families, a bishop named Uraha Mar Yausef, and clergymen from Mesopotamia to settle in Cranganore , India in the fourth century (some sources place these events as late as
5593-694: The Byzantine church, which begun to persecute Syriac Orthodox Christians, forcing Patriarch Dionysius IV to move the seat to the Arabic Amida . Before the advent of the Crusades in the 11th century, the Syriacs occupied most of the hill country of Jazirah ( Upper Mesopotamia ). In Antioch, after the 11th-century persecutions by the Byzantines, the Syriac Orthodox population was almost extinguished. Only one Jacobite church
5712-408: The Byzantines and Latins about church union. In 1293, the patriarchal seat was transferred from the Mor Bar Sauma Monastery , where the patriarchs had resided since 1166, to the Mor Hananyo Monastery (Deir al. Zaʿfarān) in southeastern Anatolia near Mardin where it would remain until 1933, when it was re-established in Homs , Syria, due to the adverse political situation in Turkey. Among
5831-408: The Catholic and Orthodox Syriacs. Around 1665, many Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala , India, committed themselves in allegiance to the Syriac Orthodox Church, which established the Malankara Syrian Church . The Malankara Church consolidated under Mar Thoma I welcomed Gregorios Abdal Jaleel , who regularised the canonical ordination of Mar Thoma I as a native democratically elected Bishop of
5950-404: The Chalcedonian Christians (who were labeled as "Melkites"), Miaphysite Jacobites never traded their Orthodoxy to win the favor of the Byzantine emperors, as the Melkites had done ( malko is derived from "ruler, king, emperor"). In the 10th century, after the Byzantine reconquest of Cappadocia, Cilicia and Syria, the Byzantine emperor encouraged Syriac settlement of these new frontier lands and
6069-405: The Christian Church states the following about the division: "In time, Jewish Christians of the most exclusive communities descended from settlers who accompanied Knayil Thomma (Kanayi) became known as ‘Southists’ (Tekkumbha ̄gar)...They distinguished between themselves and ‘Northists’ (Vatakkumbha ̄gar). The ‘Northists’, on the other hand, claimed direct descent from the very oldest Christians of
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#17328692265606188-581: The Christians of Sierra, who commonly call themselve of St. Thomas. As regards the origin of these Christians, there are two opinions: one is that all are descended from the disciples of the Apostle St. Thomas: others say only from one Mar Thoma the Syrian. This word Mar is in Chaldean design of honour, and means the same as don and Saint in Spanish, and the Syrians use this word Mar in both meanings: for they call St. Thomas Mar Thoma and [they use it] for any honourable and noble person, Mar Jacob, Don Diego. In 1602 Portuguese priest Fr. Antonio de Gouvea notes that
6307-405: The Great (d. 538). His later deposition (in 518) was not recognized by the Miaphisite party, and thus a distinctive ( autocephalous ) Miaphysite patriarchate was established, headed by Severus and his successors. During the sixth century, Miaphysite hierarchical structure in the region was further straightened by Jacob Baradaeus (d. 578), while the pro-Chalcedonian faction would form to become
6426-451: The Holy Synod ruled that the church be named as "Syriac Orthodox Church" after the Syriac language , the official liturgical language of the church. The church is not ethnically exclusive, but two main ethnic groups in the community contest their ethnic identification as " Assyrians " and " Arameans ". "Suryoye" is the term used to identify the Syriacs in the diaspora. The Syriac Orthodox identity included auxiliary cultural traditions of
6545-418: The IV century colonization is the origin of those called the Southists " - Dr. Placid J Podipara (1971) Directional divisions within communities are common in Kerala, including among Hindu groups. A similar north–south division is found among the Nairs , and it historically appears to have been in place in the early Brahmin settlements in the area. The Saint Thomas Christians may have taken this trait from
6664-513: The King of Portugal as a request of aid to help the Christians of India: "This, Lord, is the service, which I have done thee in these parts with the intention to move thee to help me to increase this people through this India in the faith of Jesus Christ Our Redeemer. The Moors have robbed and killed me many people and also burnt our houses and churches, by which we are much distressed and disgraced... - Mar Jacob Abuna (Rego in Documentacao India II, 1525) The destruction of their entire township and
6783-418: The Knanaya held in other churches they co-owned with the Northist St. Thomas Christians, usually in areas where not many Knanaya lived. An example of the "Ancharapallikal" of the Knanaya is exhibited in the works of Fr. Hyacinth Magistris in 1658. Magistris notes that by the 17th century the Knanaya had built a sixth church in Uzhavoor (St. Stephens Church). Besides their own churches, Magistris expresses that
6902-466: The Knanaya resided - evidenced by the names such as Kinanparambu and Kinankunnu. The ultimate derivation of Thoma's epithet is not clear. It may refer to the land of Canaan or more specifically the town of Cana . Alternatively it may be a corruption of the Syriac term for merchant ( Knāyil in Malayalam). Thomas is popularly known in the traditions of Kerala as Knāi Thoma and its derivatives Kinān and Kynāi. Scholar Dr. Jacob Kollaparambil argues that
7021-431: The Knanaya, is to this day exhibited during Knanaya marriage ceremonies when individuals taking part in the rituals ask permission before fulfilling their designated role. A prominent example of this is seen during the "Chandam Charthal" or grooms beautification ceremony, in which the barber petitions the assembly three times with the following request: "I ask the gentlemen here who have superiority over 17 castes, may I shave
7140-465: The Liturgy is performed according to with specific parts chanted by the presider, the lectors, the choir, and the congregated faithful, at certain times in unison. Apart from certain readings, prayers are sung in the form of chants and melodies . Hundreds of melodies remain preserved in the book known as Beth Gazo , the key reference to Syriac Orthodox church music . In 1983, the French ethnomusicologist Christian Poché produced audio recordings of
7259-474: The Middle Eastern migrant Knanaya arrived and settled on the south side, which subsequently led to the designations Northist and Southist. Celebrated St. Thomas Christian scholar Dr. Placid J. Podipara wrote the following about the division: "The Thomas Christians hail the Apostle St. Thomas as the founder of their Church...The first converts of St. Thomas were reinforced by local conversions and by Christian colonizations (migrations) from abroad. Connected with
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#17328692265607378-402: The Patriarch of the newly founded Syriac Catholic Church . The Propaganda Fide and foreign diplomats pushed for Akhijan to be recognized as the Jacobite Patriarch, and the Porte then consented and warned the Syriac Orthodox that they would be considered an enemy if they did not recognize him. Despite the warning and gifts to priests, frequent conflicts and violent arguments continued between
7497-446: The Patriarch preceding their own Patriarchal name. Christological controversies that followed the Council of Chalcedon (451) resulted in a long struggle for the Patriarchate between those who accepted and those who rejected the council. In 512, pro-Chalcedonian patriarch Flavian II of Antioch was deposed by Emperor Anastasius I (d. 518), and new patriarch Severus of Antioch (d. 538) was chosen to succeed him. On 6 November 512, at
7616-429: The Saint Thomas Christian tradition. The term is derived from Thomas' Syriac adjectival epithet K'nā'nāya in reference to the land of Canaan , meaning Canaanite. A translation of the epithet in reference to the community is found as “ Parcialidad de Thome Cananeo ” or “Thomas Canaanite Party” in Archbishop Franciso Ros' text MS. ADD. 9853 in 1603. The earliest written record of the Syriac form used in reference to
7735-423: The Southists were also found in many Northist churches as well: "...Those Christians of Thecumbagam, besides having their own churches in places such as Diamper, Kaduthuruthy, Kottayam, Thodupuza, Uzhavoor, Kallucheri, have also other churches in which they are the major or a great part like in Chembe, Piravom, Palai, Tripunithura, Cherpunkal, Kanjirappally, and other places." - Fr. Hyacinth Magistris (Letters to
7854-408: The Syriac Orthodox Church in Tur Abdin resulted in many conversions to the Syriac Catholic Church (the Uniate branch). The Ottoman authorities killed and deported Orthodox Syriacs, then looted and appropriated their properties. During 1915–16, the number of Orthodox Syriacs in the Diyarbakır province was reduced by 72%, and in the Mardin province by 58%. In 1924, the patriarchate of the church
7973-405: The Syriac Orthodox Church is that of the Maphrian or the Catholicos of India. He is important functionary in guiding the church when the patriarchate falls vacant after the death of a Patriarch, overseeing the election of the next Patriarch and leading the ceremony for the ordination of the Patriarch. The Maphrian's see is India and is the head of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church and is subject to
8092-470: The Thomas of Cana copper plate grant which had been kept safe at the Portuguese factory of Cochin was by this point lost due to the "carelessness" of the Portuguese themselves. De Gouvea states that the loss of the plates had angered the Knanaya who had no other written record of their history and rights to defend themselves from local kings who by this point were infringing on their position. A 1603 letter by Portuguese official J. M. Campori further discusses
8211-423: The ancient Syriac tradition. The church uses both Julian calendar and Gregorian calendar based on their regions and traditions they adapted. The liturgical service is called Holy Qurobo in the Syriac language meaning " Eucharist ". Liturgy of Saint James is celebrated on Sundays and special occasions. The Holy Eucharist consists of Gospel reading, Bible readings , prayers, and songs. The recitation of
8330-411: The arrival of Knai Thoma. It is believed that this was a notation of the previous rights bestowed upon the Christians by Cheraman Perumal. The contemporary fourth plate, however, does not mention this paragraph and is believed to be a later copy. Scholar of Early Christian history Istavan Percvel theorizes that at one time the Kollam Syrian plates and the Thomas of Cana plates were re-engraved together as
8449-479: The authority of the Patriarch. In joint councils the Maphrian is seated on the right side of the Patriarch and heads the church's regional synod in India with the Patriarch's sanction. The title bishop comes from the Greek word episkopos, meaning "the one who oversees". A bishop is a spiritual ruler of the church who has different ranks. Then there are metropolitan bishops or archbishops , and under them, there are auxiliary bishops . The priest ( Kasheesho )
8568-515: The bridegroom?". The Knanaya were also known as Ancharapallikar or the "Owners of Five and a Half churches" a title reflective of the five churches owned by the Southist Community before the Synod of Diamper in 1599. The churches are listed as the following: Udayamperoor, Kaduthuruthy, Kottayam, Chunkom (Thodupuzha), and Kallissery. The "half church" is a reference to the half privilege and share
8687-518: The burning of their churches caused the Knanaya to disperse from the city to other settlements. The event is also noted in the Knanaya folk song "Innu Nee Njangale Kaivitto Marane" or "Have You Forgotten Us Today Oh Lord?". After the battle, a portion of the community migrated to the interior of Kerala to the foothills of the Western Ghats and founded the settlement of Chunkom in Thodupuzha . Chunkom
8806-599: The care and protection of the Northist St. Thomas Christians who remained there. During this same altercation with the Kingdom of Vadakkumkoor in 1550, a portion of the Knanaya from Kaduthuruthy were invited to the city of Kottayam by its chieftain in the Kingdom of Thekkumkur . The community was granted permission to build a church which they consecrated as Kottayam St. Mary's Knanaya Valiya Palli. These Knanaya had brought with them ancient relics from Kaduthuruthy Church known as
8925-426: The children who are under the age of five. She can read scriptures, Holy Gospel in a public gathering. The name of deaconess can also be given to a choirgirl. Deaconess is not ordained as chanter before reaching fifteen years of age. The ministry of the deaconess assists the priest and deacon outside the altar including in the service of baptizing women and anointing them with holy chrism . While this rank exists, it
9044-491: The church as the "Syrian Church". The English term "Syrian" was used to describe the community of Syriacs in ancient Syria . In the 15th century, the term " Orthodox " (from Greek : " orthodoxía "; "correct opinion") was used to identify churches that practiced the set of doctrines believed by the early Christians. Since 1922, the term "Syrian" started being used for things named after the Syrian Federation . Hence, in 2000,
9163-638: The church split due to his being deposed for Homoiousian leanings—which became known as the Meletian Schism and saw several groups and several claimants to the See of Antioch. Given the antiquity of the Bishopric of Antioch and the importance of the Christian community in the city of Antioch, a commercially significant city in the eastern parts of the Roman Empire , the First Council of Nicaea (325) recognized
9282-679: The cities of Adana and Harput , began the process of creating the Syriac diaspora , with the United States being one of their first destinations in the 1890s. Later, in Worcester, Massachusetts , the first Syriac Orthodox Church in the United States was built. Also in the late 1800s, the reformation faction of the Saint Thomas Christians in India left to form the Mar Thoma Syrian Church . The 1895–96 massacres in Turkey affected
9401-604: The community dates to the 1800s. Members of the Knanaya Community are also generally called Knāi or Knā, in reference to Thomas. Many Knanaya families, especially those of the Kaduthuruthy region maintain the surname Kinān, a derivative of Thomas' epithet. Woman of these families preserve gendered forms of the term, examples of this being Kināti Anna, Kināti Mariam, etc. Additionally in the town of Udayamperoor and surrounding regions, there still exists former plots of land where
9520-578: The community in order to settle their debts. The Knanaya converted them to Christianity and built them a separate church known as St. Augustines. Besides collecting duties, the Knanaya in Chunkom were also known to mold "famous pottery". In the year 1550, the Portuguese commander Francesco Silveira de Menesis aided the King of Cochin's army in a victorious battle against the Kingdom of Vadakkumkur (Kaduthuruthy), subsequently killing its king Veera Manikatachen. After
9639-527: The community, known in this context as the Northists ( Vaddakkumbhagar ). There are about 300,000 Knanaya in India and elsewhere. The origins of the Knanaya community is traced back to the arrival of the Syriac merchant Thomas of Cana (Knāi Thoma) who led a migration of Jewish-Christians (early Syriac Christians ) from the Mesopotamian province of Sassanian Persia to the city of Kodungallur , India in
9758-530: The country, those who had been won to Christ by the Apostle Thomas himself. They had already long inhabited northern parts of Kodungallur. They had been there even before various waves of newcomers had arrived from the Babylonian or Mesopotamian provinces of Sassanian Persia." - Historian of South Asian Studies Dr. Robert E. Frykenberg (2008) Elements of Thomas of Cana's arrival feature in ancient songs as well as
9877-596: The death of their king, soldiers of the Kingdom of Vadakkumkur formed themselves into chaver (suicide) squads and sought revenge against the Syrian Christians in the region who they viewed as co-religionist of the Portuguese. The Knanaya Tharakan (minister) Kunchacko of the Kunnassery Family was a member of the Vadakkumkoor Royal Court and an advisor to the slain king. In order to save his people from
9996-497: The descendants of Thomas of Cana are a minority that reside in the churches of Udiamperoor, Kaduthuruthy, Kottayam, and Turigore (Chunkom). Ros calls the Knanaya St. Thomas Christians as well but makes the distinction of calling them the "Thomas Cananeo Party": "Whence there arose between the St. Thomas Christians and the others great discord, and there were anciently among them great disputes : wherefore at Carturte and Cotete it
10115-495: The director of the entire holy church of Christian India" - Deacon Zacharias (1301) In the year 1456 the Knanaya Community approached the Kingdom of Vadakkumkoor to rebuild Kaduthuruthy St. Mary's Valiya Palli (Great Church) . In audience with the King of Vadakkumkoor, the Knanaya presented him ponpannam (gold/gifts given to monarchs). After receiving permission to reconstruct the church, masons were called who during this time extended
10234-448: The division of the Christians he states the following: "So that, already long before the coming of Thomas Cananeo, there were St. Thomas Christians in this Malavar, who had come from Mailapur, the town of St. Thomas. And the chief families are four in number: Cotur, Catanal, Onamturte, Narimaten, which are known among all these Christians, who became multiplied and extended through the whole of this Malavar, also adding to themselves some of
10353-485: The division of the community, which had by that point become intermittently violent; he states that the majority of Christians in Malabar are those baptized by St. Thomas the Apostle while a minority descend from Thomas of Cana. In 1603-1604 Portuguese Archbishop Francis Ros notes the tradition that before the coming of Thomas of Cana and his party, there existed in Malabar the native St. Thomas Christians. When describing
10472-541: The entire Christian community, including non-Syriac Orthodox communities, such as Greek Orthodox Syrians. The Emir demanded translations of the Gospels into Arabic to confirm John's beliefs, which according to the Chronicle of Michael the Syrian was the first translation of the Gospels into Arabic. The 8th century hagiography Life of Jacob Baradaeus is evidence of a definite denominational and social differentiation between
10591-511: The fables they have in this matter. The St. Thomas Christians descending from Thomas Caneneo are few. They are at Udiamper, and at the great Church of Carturte and at the great Church of Cotete, and at Turigure. " - Archbishop Francisco Ros (M.S. Add. 9853, 1604) In 1611, chronicler and historian of Portuguese India Diogo de Couto mentions the tradition that a contingent of families had accompanied Thomas of Cana and notes that these Christians are "without doubt Armenians by caste; and their sons too
10710-479: The following citation presented at the International Congress of Orientalist (Oxford): "My Lord Christ, have mercy upon Afras son of Chahar-bukht, the Syrian who cut this" The first written evidence of a Knanaya individual dates to the year 1301, with the writings of Zacharias the deacon of St. Kuriakose Church, Cranganore. Historically the Knanaya had a township and three churches namely of Saint Thomas
10829-462: The following quote: "This holy book was written in the royal, renowned and famous city of Chingala (Cranganore) in Malabar in the time of the great captain and director of the holy catholic church of the East.. our blessed and holy Father Mar Yahd Alaha V and in the time of bishop Mar Jacob, Metropolitan and director of the holy see of the Apostle Mar Thoma, that is to say, our great captain and
10948-467: The gentios who would convert themselves. However, the descendants of Thomas Cananeo always remained above them without wishing to marry or to mix with these other Christians." - Archbishop Francisco Ros (M.S. Add. 9853, 1604) Ros further notes that discord arose between the Knanaya and Northist St. Thomas Christians to the point where it became necessary to build separate churches in the regions of Carturte (Kaduthuruthy) and Cotete (Kottayam). He states that
11067-452: The ire of the chaver squads, Kunchacko Tharakan gathered the Knanaya from their parish of Kaduthuruthy St. Mary's Valiya Palli (Great Church) , as well as all other Syrian Christians he could find within the vicinity of Vadakkumkoor and fled to the region of Mulanthuruthy where he eventually built Mulanthuruthy Church . The Knanaya were later called back to Kaduthurthy by the descendants of Veera Manikatachan and left Mulanthuruthy Church in
11186-544: The kingdom of Batimena; in the kingdom of Travancor; in the kingdom of Diamper; in the kingdom of Pepper (Kaduthuruthy); in the kingdom of Tecancutes; in the kingdom of Parur; and finally in the kingdom of Kottayam." - Historian Diogo Do Couto ( Decadas da Asia. Decada XII , 1611) Syriac Orthodox Church The Syriac Orthodox Church ( Classical Syriac : ܥܺܕܬܳܐ ܣܽܘܪܝܳܝܬܳܐ ܬܪܺܝܨܰܬ݂ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ , romanized: ʿIdto Sūryoyto Trīṣath Shubḥo ), also known as West Syriac Church or West Syrian Church , officially known as
11305-550: The lack of deacons, altar assistants who do not have a rank of deaconhood may assist the priest. Historically, in the Malankara Church , the local chief was called as Archdeacon , who was the ecclesiastical authority of the Saint Thomas Christians in the Malabar region of India. An ordained deaconess is entitled to enter the sanctuary only for cleaning, lighting the lamps and is limited to give Holy Communion to women and
11424-673: The most vehement in maintaining their Jewish ethnicity, even after conversion to Syriac Christianity. Kollaparambil expresses that the historic endogamous practice of the Knanaya is a continuation of the endogamous nature of the Jewish-Christians in Mesopatamia. Additionally, scholars express that both Jewish and Christian merchants of the region took part in the Arabian Sea trade with Kerala. Community scholars also cite their culture as evidence of their Jewish-Christian heritage, particularly their folk songs first written on palm-leaf manuscripts in
11543-511: The ninth century). This may reflect a historical migration of East Syrian Christians to India around this time, which established the region's relationship with the Church of the East . In the traditional accounts of this history, the Knanaya are the descendants of Thomas of Cana and his followers, while the Northists descend from the local Christian body which had been converted by Thomas the Apostle centuries earlier. The Oxford History of
11662-607: The other” - Sixteenth Century Traditions of St. Thomas Christians (Mundadan, 1970) The Knanaya maintain two stone crosses exhibited at Kottayam Knanaya Valiyapally (St. Mary's Knanaya Church) inscribed in the Pahlavi and Syriac languages. Known as the Persian crosses, these crosses are dated between the eighth and tenth century. Translations of the crosses were made by the archeological director of India Arthur Coke Burnell in 1876 and Assyriologist C.P.T Winkworth in 1928. Winkworth produced
11781-603: The plates were taken to Portugal by the Franciscan Order . The Knanaya invoke the plates as evidence of their descent from Thomas of Cana's mission. Translations of the existing Kollam Syrian Plates of the ninth century made by the Syrian Christian priest Ittimani in 1601 as well as the French Indologist Abraham Anquetil Duperron in 1758 both note that the forth plate mentioned a brief of
11900-605: The pre-Chalcedonian Patriarchate of Antioch to the Early Christian communities from Jerusalem led by Saint Barnabas and Saint Paul in Antioch , during the Apostolic era , as described in the Acts of the Apostles ; " The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch " ( New Testament , Acts 11:26 ). Saint Peter was selected by Jesus Christ ( New Testament , Matthew 16:18 ) and
12019-516: The preeminent churchmen of the period, Moses of Mardin (fl. 1549–d. 1592), was a diplomat of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Rome in the 16th century. By the early 1660s, 75% of the 5,000 Syriac Orthodox of Aleppo had converted to Catholicism following the arrival of mendicant missionaries. The Catholic missionaries had sought to place a Catholic Patriarch among the Jacobites and consecrated Andrew Akhijan as
12138-469: The rival Abdulmasih I, Shahbaddin's uncle, as a competing patriarch. Upon Shahbaddin's death in 1702, the Catholic line died out for several decades until the Holy Synod in 1782 elected Michael III Jarweh , who again aligned the Syriacs with the pope. Following a period of violence and intrigue, the non-Catholic party was again recognized with their own patriarch and the Catholic line continued independently as
12257-459: The same, because they had brought their wives". Couto attests that the descendants of Thomas of Cana and his party are a minority that reside in the Southist churches of Diamper (Udayamperoor), Kaduthuruthy, and Kottayam. Do Couto's account: "From the people who had come with him proceed the Christians of Diamper, Kottayam and Kaduthuruthy, who without doubt are Armenians by caste, and their sons too
12376-405: The same, because they had brought their wives; and afterwards those who descended from them married in the land, and in the course of time they all became Malabarians. The kingdoms in which these Christians of St. Thomas are found today are the following: In the kingdom of the Malabar, 26 leagues from the country of Madure; in the kingdom of Turubuli (Thodupuzha) its neighbor; in the kingdom Maota; in
12495-605: The see of Antioch. The miaphisite patriarchate was thus forced to move from Antioch with Severus the Great who took refuge in Alexandria . The non-Chalcedonian community was divided between "Severians" (followers of Severus), and aphthartodocetae , and that division remained unresolved until 527. Severians continued to recognize Severus as the legitimate miaphysite Patriarch of Antioch until his death in 538, and then proceeded to follow his successors. Bishop Jacob Baradaeus (died 578)
12614-502: The standard by the early fifth century, replacing two early Syriac versions of the gospels. The Syriac Orthodox Church theology is based on the Nicene Creed . The Syriac Orthodox Church teaches that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission , that its metropolitans are the successors of Christ's Apostles , and that the Patriarch
12733-481: The synod of Laodicea in Syria , a prominent miapyhsite theologian Severus the Great was elected, and consecrated on 16 November at the Great Church of Antioch . In 518, he was exiled from Antioch, by new emperor Justin I (d. 527), who tried to enforce a uniform Chalcedonian orthodoxy throughout the empire. Those who belonged to the pro-Chalcedonian party accepted newly appointed patriarch Paul , who took over
12852-443: The two-wives stories as odious, stating that they emerged due to ethnic and or socio-economic tension between the St. Thomas Christians and the Knanaya. Scholar Dr. Mathias Mundadan expresses the following about the two-wives legend: “Other details of each version and the reciprocal imputations as legitimate and illegitimate children of Thomas Cana might have been invented to express the odium and hatred each community bore against
12971-546: The unique office of Peter in the early Christian community. Ephrem , Aphrahat , and Maruthas unequivocally acknowledged the office of Peter. The different orders of liturgies used for sanctification of church buildings, marriages, ordinations etc., reveal that the primacy of Peter is a part of faith of the church. The church does not believe in Papal Primacy as understood by the Roman See , rather, Petrine Primacy according to
13090-512: The walls of Kaduthuruthy Church and added a gopuram (entrance tower). The historical Knanaya folk song "Alappan Adiyil" written on palm-leaf manuscript records the reconstruction of Kaduthuruthy Church and includes the colophon date 1456. The first known extensive written evidence for a division in the Saint Thomas Christian community dates to the 16th century, when Portuguese colonial officials took notice of it. A 1518 letter by
13209-506: The year AD 345. The communities arrival was recorded on the Thomas of Cana copper plates which were extant in Kerala until the 17th century. The ethnic division between the Knanaya and other St. Thomas Christians was observed during the Portuguese colonization of India in the 16th century and was noted throughout the European colonial era . Today, the majority of Knanaya are members of
13328-401: Was considered the first saint recorded as having had his remains moved or " translated " for religious purposes—a practice that was to become extremely common in later centuries. Eustathius of Antioch supported Athanasius of Alexandria who opposed the followers of the condemned doctrine of Arius ( Arian controversy ) at the First Council of Nicaea . During the time of Meletius of Antioch
13447-541: Was declared a saint by Ignatius Zakka I Iwas , Patriarch permitting additions to the diptychs. The mother church and official seat of the Syriac Orthodox Church are now situated in Bab Tuma , Damascus , capital of Syria. The supreme head of the Syriac Orthodox Church is named Patriarch of Antioch , in reference to his titular pretense to one of the five patriarchates of the Pentarchy of Byzantine Christianity . Considered
13566-525: Was developed into a customs house and by 1579 the community would build a church consecrated as St. Mary's Knanaya Church. The Knanaya of Chunkom grew prosperous and carried out commerce in the region in which they regularly traded with the Kingdom of Travancore and the Tamil Dynasty of Madurai . The local Brahmin chieftains grew indebted to the Knanaya and would offer slaves of the Hill Arrian castes to
13685-489: Was necessary to make different Churches, each party keeping aloof from the other. And those of the Thomas Caneneo party went in one Church, and the others in the other. And last year, 1603, the same was the cause of the quarrels between those of Udiamper and Candanada, each one holding out for his party. And it is wonderful to see the aversion which one party has for the other, without being able to forget their antiquities and
13804-456: Was still standing and was currently in the possession of the Portuguese: "After that came a Christian by name Quinai Thoma, native of Babylon, a merchant, who disembarked at Cranganor and began negotiating his merchandise. Being rich and known in the country, he became a friend of the King of Cranganor who gave him a plot of land of 500 square yards to build a Church in honour of St. Thomas, which
13923-577: Was the 14-year-old deacon of St. Kuriakose Church as well as the scribe and pupil of Mar Yaqob of India , a 14th-century East Syriac bishop of Cranganore. Zacharias is the author of the oldest surviving Syriac manuscript of India archived as Vatican Syrian Codex 22 which details the city of Cranganore, relations between the Church of the East and the St. Thomas Christians, the Patriarch Yahballaha III , and Mar Yaqob of Cranganore whom he describes in
14042-588: Was transferred to Homs after Kemal Atatürk expelled the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch, who took the library of Deir el-Zaferan and settled in Damascus . The Syriac Orthodox villages in Tur Abdin suffered from the 1925–26 Kurdish rebellions and massive flight to Lebanon, northern Iraq and especially Syria ensued. In the early 1920s, the city of Qamishli was built mainly by Syriac Orthodox refugees, escaping
14161-615: Was transferred to different monasteries in Mesopotamia for centuries. John III of the Sedre was elected and consecrated Patriarch after the death of Athanasius I Gammolo in 631 AD, followed by the fall of Roman Syria and the Muslim conquest of the Levant . John and several bishops were summoned before Emir Umayr ibn Sad al-Ansari of Hims to engage in open debate regarding Christianity and represent
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