The term Catholicos of India doesn’t refer to one person-it refers to two. And that’s where the confusion begins.
If you’ve ever heard someone in Kerala talk about their Catholicos, you need to ask: which one? Because there are two separate churches, both claiming ancient roots in India, both led by a bishop called Catholicos, and both deeply connected to the story of St. Thomas the Apostle. One answers to the Patriarch of Antioch. The other answers to no one but its own synod. And for over 50 years, they’ve been locked in a quiet but fierce struggle over authority, identity, and heritage.
Two Churches, One Title
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church both use the title Catholicos of India-but they’re not the same. The difference isn’t just administrative. It’s theological, historical, and deeply personal for millions of Indian Christians.
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) calls its leader the Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan. That’s Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, the 9th person to hold this title. He’s based in Kottayam, Kerala, and leads a church that declared full independence from Antioch in 1975. He consecrates bishops, runs the Holy Synod, manages church properties, and even prepares the Holy Mooron-the sacred oil used in baptisms and ordinations. He doesn’t need approval from anyone outside his own church.
The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (JSCC), on the other hand, has a Catholicos too-Baselios Joseph, ordained in March 2025. But his role is different. He’s the head of the JSCC, but he’s still under the authority of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch. His title is Catholicos of India (sometimes called Maphrian), and while he leads the church in India, major decisions require backing from Antioch. His seat is in Puthencruz, Kerala, at Mar Athanasius Cathedral.
So one Catholicos is sovereign. The other is subordinate. Both are called Catholicos. Both are real. Both have been around for over a century.
Where Did This Come From?
This split didn’t happen overnight. It started with the arrival of St. Thomas in India around 52 CE. For centuries, Indian Christians were led by Archdeacons-local leaders who traced their authority back to the apostle. Then, in the 17th century, the Portuguese tried to bring them under Rome. That sparked resistance. In 1653, Archdeacon Thomas was ordained as Mar Thoma I, marking the start of an independent Indian episcopacy.
By the 19th century, the church was under the spiritual care of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch. In 1912, the first Catholicos of India, Baselios Paulose I, was ordained in Niranam, Kerala. It was meant to give Indian Christians more autonomy-but still within the Syriac Orthodox fold.
But tensions grew. Indian leaders wanted full control over their own affairs. In 1958, the Supreme Court of India ruled in favor of the Malankara Church’s right to manage its own properties and choose its own head. Then, in 1975, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church formally broke away. They said the Patriarch of Antioch had no authority over them. The Syriac Orthodox Church responded by excommunicating their Catholicos. That’s when the split became permanent.
Today, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church sees itself as the true heir of the ancient St. Thomas Christians. The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church sees itself as the faithful continuation of the Syriac Orthodox tradition in India.
Who Are the Leaders Today?
Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, is the head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. He’s the 22nd Malankara Metropolitan and the 9th Catholicos of the East. He leads a church with over 1,500 parishes in India and 40 dioceses worldwide. His annual visit to a parish is a major event for families in the diaspora-from Toronto to London to Dubai.
His counterpart, Baselios Joseph, became Catholicos of India for the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church on March 25, 2025. He succeeded Baselios Thomas I, who passed away in early 2025. He leads a church with about 1,200 parishes, all under the spiritual oversight of Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II in Damascus. His role is powerful, but not absolute. He can’t consecrate bishops without Patriarchal approval. He can’t change church doctrine unilaterally. He’s a leader, but not a sovereign.
Both men wear similar vestments. Both use the same Syriac liturgy. Both lead churches that run hospitals, schools, and orphanages. But their chains of command are worlds apart.
Why Does It Matter?
For many, the Catholicos isn’t just a bishop. He’s a living link to St. Thomas. He’s the symbol of a faith that survived colonization, foreign domination, and internal conflict. For Malankara Orthodox Christians, the Catholicos represents independence-the right to govern themselves without outside interference. For Jacobites, the Catholicos represents continuity-the preservation of ancient Syriac traditions tied to Antioch.
Dr. V.C. Samuel, a theologian who taught at the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kottayam, once wrote that the Catholicate system was “an indigenous expression of apostolic succession that predates European ecclesiastical models in India by centuries.” That’s not just history-it’s identity.
That’s why reconciliation talks keep failing. In 2017, both sides tried to come together. But the Malankara Orthodox Church refused to accept that their Catholicos should be subordinate to Antioch. The Jacobites refused to break ties with the Patriarch. Neither side budged.
According to a 2022 survey by the National Council of Churches in India, 68% of Saint Thomas Christians believe the Catholicos institution is essential to preserving their unique identity. But 22% say the division between the two Catholicos offices is a wound that still hurts the community.
What Do They Do Every Day?
Both Catholicos offices are massive administrative engines.
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church runs 150 schools and 25 hospitals. Its annual budget is around ₹120 crore (about $14.5 million). It has dioceses in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, and the Gulf. It’s building a new Catholicate Centre in New York, set to open in 2026, with a $25 million budget.
The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church manages 120 schools and 20 hospitals. Its annual budget is ₹85 crore ($10.3 million). It’s digitizing its 500-year-old archives-letters, liturgical texts, land deeds-using modern technology, with a ₹50 crore ($6 million) project that will finish in 2027.
Both churches are growing-not because of conversions, but because of the Indian diaspora. Pew Research says Indian Orthodox churches are growing at 3.2% per year, mostly through families moving abroad and starting new parishes.
What’s Next?
The future of the Catholicos of India won’t be decided in courtrooms or synods. It’ll be decided in homes, in churches, and in the hearts of young Indian Christians.
Some will choose the Malankara Orthodox path because they value self-rule. Others will choose the Jacobite path because they value ancient ties. Many won’t even know the difference until they’re asked.
But one thing is certain: the Catholicos of India isn’t just a title. It’s a story. A story of faith that came from the East, survived the West, and now stands as a living bridge between two worlds-India and the ancient Christian world of Syria.
And as long as there are Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala, in Toronto, in Dubai, or in Wellington, that story will keep being written.
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