Catholicos of India: Who They Are and Why They Matter in Religious and Cultural History

When you hear Catholicos of India, the supreme head of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church in India, responsible for spiritual leadership and administrative oversight of one of Asia’s oldest Christian communities. Also known as Malankara Catholicos, this title isn’t just ceremonial—it carries centuries of tradition, resistance, and community building. Unlike bishops in other churches, the Catholicos of India operates with near-autonomy under the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch, managing churches, seminaries, and social services across Kerala and beyond.

This role isn’t just about theology. It’s deeply tied to identity, especially for the Malayalee Christian community, a group of Syrian Christians from Kerala who migrated across India for work, education, and safety. Also known as Saint Thomas Christians, they carried their language, liturgy, and leadership structure with them. Figures like Mor Polycarpus Geevarghese, a bishop who protected migrant families in Karnataka through schools and quiet advocacy didn’t just serve congregations—they built safe spaces for people who felt invisible. His work wasn’t flashy, but it kept families together, kept kids in school, and kept faith alive outside the heartland of Kerala.

The Catholicos of India doesn’t just oversee worship. He’s a guardian of language, culture, and survival. In places like Honnavar, where Malayalee migrants faced discrimination, church leadership meant legal aid, job networks, and cultural preservation. The church didn’t wait for government help—it acted. That’s why so many posts in this collection mention names like Mor Polycarpus: they’re not just religious figures, they’re community architects.

What you’ll find here aren’t abstract sermons or historical footnotes. These are real stories—of bishops who fought for dignity, of communities that held on through faith, and of a leadership structure that still matters today. Whether you’re tracing family roots, studying minority religions in India, or just curious about how faith shapes daily life, these posts give you the unfiltered truth behind the title.