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Catholic Church in India

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The Roman Catholic Church in India is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. All the bishops in India, both Western and Eastern, form the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, which was founded in 1944.

There are over 17.3 million Catholics in India,[1] which represents 1.5% of the total population. There are 157 ecclesiastical units in India comprising 29 archdioceses and 128 dioceses. Of these, 127 are Latin Rite, 25 Syro-Malabar Rite and 5 Syro-Malankara Rite.

The Holy See's representative to the government of India and to the Church in India is the Apostolic Nuncio to India. The diplomatic mission was established as the Apostolic Delegation to the East Indies in 1881. It was raised to an Internunciature by Pope Pius XII in 1948, and to a full Apostolic Nunciature by Pope Paul VI in 1967.

History of Roman Catholicism in India

Pre-Catholic Christianity

Christianity in India is reputed to have been introduced by Thomas the Apostle in 52 AD.[2] These Saint Thomas Christians were Nestorians atleast by 530 AD.[3]

Arival of the Portuguese

Introduction of the Catholicism in India started with arival of Vasco da Gama, seeking pre-existing Christian nations.[4] When the Portuguese came into India, they set themselves to the task of removing this Nestorianism and bringing the community into union with the Catholic Church.[5]


Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Provinces

The bishops of the Latin Church form the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, which has its own president, vice presidents, and secretary independent of those elected to the CBCI. This episcopal conference was established by Pope John Paul II in 1987.

Province of Agra

Metropolitan: Agra is currently a vacant see; the Archbishop, Oswald Gracias, was transferred to Bombay to replace Cardinal Ivan Dias, who was appointed by the Pope as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Province of Bangalore

Metropolitan: Archbishop Bernard Moras

Province of Bhopal

Metropolitan: Archbishop Pascal Topno, SJ

Province of Bombay

Metropolitan: Archbishop Oswald Gracias

Province of Calcutta

Metropolitan: Archbishop Lucas Sirkar, SDB

Province of Cuttack - Bhubaneswar

Metropolitan: Archbishop Raphael Cheenath, SVD

Province of Delhi

Metropolitan: Archbishop Vincent Michael Concessao

Province of Gandhinagar

Metropolitan: Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes

Province of Goa - Daman

Metropolitan: Patriarch Filipe Neri Ferrao

Province of Guwahati

Metropolitan: Archbishop Thomas Menaparampil, SDB

Province of Hyderabad

Metropolitan: Archbishop Marampudi Joji

Province of Imphal

Metropolitan: Archbishop Joseph Mittathany

Province of Madras - Mylapore

Metropolitan: Archbishop Malayappan Chinnappa, SDB

Province of Madurai

Metropolitan: Bishop Peter Fernando

Province of Nagpur

Metropolitan: Archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara

Province of Patna

Metropolitan: Archbishop Benedict John Osta, SJ

Province of Pondicherry - Cuddalore

Metropolitan: Archbishop Anthony Anandarayor

Province of Raipur

Metropolitan: Archbishop Joseph Augustine Charanakunnel

Province of Ranchi

Metropolitan: Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Cardinal Toppo, President of the CBCI

Province of Shillong

Metropolitan: Archbishop Dominic Jala, SDB

Latin Province of Trivandrum

Metropolitan: Archbishop Calist Soosa Pakiam

Province of Verapoly

Metropolitan: Archbishop Daniel Acharuparambil, OCD

Province of Visakhapatnam

Metropolitan: Archbishop Kagithapu Mariadas, MSFS

Syro-Malabar Ecclesiastical Provinces

The Syro-Malabar Church is governed by the Major Archbishop of Erankulam-Angamaly and the synod of all bishops of the sui iuris Church, both within and outside of India.

Province of Eranakulam - Angamaly

Province of Changanassery

Province of Tellicherry

Province of Thrissur

Province of Kottayam

Syro-Malabar Mission Dioceses Outside of Kerela

Syro-Malankara Ecclesiastical Provinces

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is also a major archiepiscopal sui iuris Church. It is governed by the Major Archbishop of Trivandrum and its synod of bishops.

Malankara Province of Trivandrum

Metropolitan: Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, Major Archbishop

Province of Tiruvalla

Metropolitan: His Grace Most Rev. Archbishop Thomas Mar Koorilos

Statistics

Statistics for 2003 Total number of diocesan priests: 14,000; Religious Priests: 13,500; Religious Brothers: 4,300; Religious Sisters: 90,000; Total no. of Religious Congregations: 300 (Men, 70; Women, 230)

Educational Institutions: Kindergartens/Nursery Schools: 3,785; Primary Schools: 7,319; Secondary Schools: 3,765; Colleges: 240; Medical/Nursing Schools/Colleges: 28; Engineering Colleges: 5

Social Welfare Activities: Technical Training Schools/Polytechnics: 1,524; Hostels/Boarding Houses: 1,765; Orphanages: 1,085; Creches: 228; Hospitals: 704; Dispensaries/Health Centres: 1,792; Leprosaria: 111; Rehabilitation Centres: 102; Homes for Aged, Destitutes & Physically challenged: 455

References

  1. ^ Factfile: Roman Catholics around the world on BBC news.
  2. ^ Stephen Andrew Missick.Mar Thoma: The Apostolic Foundation of the Assyrian Church and the Christians of St. Thomas in India. Journal of Assyrian Academic studies.
  3. ^ Were these Christians infected with Nestorianism before 1599? on Catholic Encylopedia entry on St.Thomas Christians.
  4. ^ Vasco da Gama collection on University of Michigan
  5. ^ India on Catholic Encylopedia.
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