SYRO-MALABARESE CHURCH

SYRO-MALABARESE CHURCH. The larger of the two, Uniate Indian Churches existing in the former territories of the Mar Thoma Church (q.v.), and heavily Latinized by the legacy of the Portugueserun Synod of Diamper (1599), it is the largest of the natively Christian communities in India-though smaller than the Latin rite (q.v.) Catholic communities in the country. They retain the basics of their original eastern Syrian liturgy, and in recent years have been striving to reacquaint themselves with the writings and thought of the ancient Syriac Church (q.v.). In 1988 they pressed for and obtained from Pope Joh n Paul II the right to appoint their own bishops, parallel to the Latin rite hierarchy, throughout all India. Up until that date, they had remained without the right to exercise episcopal supervision over their co-ritualists in areas of India outside their traditional territories.