Catholicose

        (Greek Katholikos, universal). Catholicose (plural Catholicoi) is a title used by the head bishop of any of certain Eastern churches. It is derived from the Greek Καθολικος, meaning universal or general.

        The title seems to have arisen sometime after the establishment of five patriarchs (of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem). The title first seems to have been applied to a deputy of the Patriarch of Antioch who administered the churches east of the Roman Empire, under Persian control. This Catholicose of the East was known as Maphryānā (translated as Maphrian or Fructifier) in Syriac. Likewise, the heads of major churches outside of the Roman Empire bore the title Catholicose.

        The title is used in the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is one of the Oriental Orthodox churches. His Holiness, the Catholicose of All Armenians presides over the Supreme Spiritual Council (the Armenian Church's governing college of bishops), and is the head of the world's 7 million Armenian Apostolic Christians. It is also used in the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church, whose head carries the title Catholicose-Patriarch of All Georgia. Historically, the title was also used by the chief bishop of Caucasian Albania.

        Catholicose of the East is title borne by a number of church leaders in India. The head of the Indian Orthodox Church and the leader of the Indian portion of the Syrian Orthodox Church both use this title. The latter, however, acknowledges the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch as his superior. Now the head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is often styled Catholicose, but is now legally a major archbishop.

Catholicose of the East

        The Catholicose of the East is the title of the autonomous Primate of the East whose succession is that of St.Thomas the apostle, and who has a spiritual primacy of honor over all churches of the east. He is the supreme head of the Indian Orthodox Church. He is called the Catholicose of the East and Malankara Metropolitan. Two titles with separate responsibilities for a single individual.

        Seal of the Catholicate of the East The Catholicose of the East consecrates Bishops for the Orthodox Church of the East, presides over the Episcopal Synod, declares its decisions and implements them, conducts administration as the representative of the Synod and consecrates the Holy Mooron (Oil).

        The Malankara Metropolitan is the head of the Malankara Archdiocese, the President of the Malankara Syrian Christian Association and the Managing Committee. The Prime Jurisdiction regarding the temporal ecclesiastical and spiritual administration of the Malankara Church is vested in the Malankara Metropolitan subject to the provisions of the Church constitution.

        Catholicate of the East was re-located from Persia, and established in India by H.H. Abdul Messiah, the Patriarch of Antioch in 1912, when H.H. Baselious Paulose I was ordained as the first Catholicose of the Indian Orthodox Church, at St. Mary's Orthodox Syrian Church, Niranam (Niranam Valiyapally).

        The present Catholicose is His Holiness Catholicose Baselios Mar Thoma Didymos I Catholicose of the East and Malankara Metropolitan.

NESTORIANS

        During the first five centuries Seleucia in Mesopotamia, subsequently the see of the Nestorian catholicos, was under the Patriarchate of Antioch. In the fifth century, as can be seen in the "Synodicon Orientale" (ed. Chabot), almost all the bishops of Seleucia-Ctesiphon bore the title of catholicos, without, however, severing their relations with Antioch; hence, originally, the word catholicos was not synonymous with patriarch. Owing to the political separation of the East from the West and to theological disputes, several attempts were made during the fifth century to secure religious independence. In the synod held at Seleucia under Dadjesus in 424 (cf. Synodicon, 51, text and 296. tr.) it was forbidden to appeal from the Catholicos of Seleucia to the Patriarch of Antioch. The breach, however, became complete and permanent under the Nestorian Mar Babai. The synod held under him (497 or 499) renewed the decree of independence from Antioch, and henceforth Seleucia became the centre of Nestorianism. The list of the Nestorian catholicoi is given by Bar Hebraeus (Chronicon ed. Abbeloos, and Lamy, III passim), the list is supplemented by the editors, III, 566 sqq. In the middle of the sixteenth century, in opposition to the Catholicos Mar Mama, several bishops met, elected Sullaka, and sent him to Rome for consecration. Since then there has been a Catholic patriarch whose residence is now at Mosul. A list of the catholicoi united with Rome is given by Abbeloos and Lamy, op. cit., 570 sqq. (See NESTORIANS)

ARMENIANS

        Among the Armenians also catholicos was originally a simple title for the principal bishop of the country; he was subordinate to the See of Caesarea in Cappadocia. The bishops of Albania and Georgia, although dependent on the Catholicos of Armenia bore the same title. Under King Pap and the Catholicos lousik Armenia asserted its independence of Caesarea. In the fifth century the Armenians adopted Monophysitism and anathematized the Council of Chalcedon, 491. Many of the catholicoi, however, especially after the Crusades, professed the orthodox Catholic Faith. The see of the Armenian catholicos, originally Achtichat, has varied considerably. Besides many schisms have taken place, and today there are no less than five Armenian catholicoi. One of them, the successor of the old catholicos, is at Sis in Cilicia, with jurisdiction over the Turkish provinces of Asia. His power in ecclesiastical matters, supreme in theory, is considerably curtailed in practice by the appointment of a catholicoi with additional powers in Constantinople. Since 1113 there is also an Armenian catholicos at Aghtamar with jurisdiction over the island of that name and the villages surrounding Lake Van. Another catholicos resides in Jerusalem, but with greatly reduced powers. In 1441 another schism occurred, and a catholicos was elected in Etchmiadzin in Greater Armenia. Today he bears the title of "Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians" and at least theoretically, is considered the principal catholicos by all non-Catholic Armanians. Since 1740 there has also been a Catholic catholicos in Constantinople with the title of Patriarch of Cilicia. He is recognized by the Porte as having jurisdiction over all Catholic Armenians in the Turkish possessions.

        In the beginning of the fourth Century Albania and Georgia (Iberia) were converted to Christianity by Armenian missionaries, and the principal bishop of each of these countries bore the title of catholicos, although neither of them was autocephalous. They followed the Armenians in rejecting the Council of Chalcedon. At the end of the sixth, or beginning of the seventh, century the Georgian catholicos asserted his independence and came back to orthodoxy. Henceforward the Georgian Church underwent the same evolutions as the Greek. In 1783 Georgia abolished the office of its catholicos, and placed itself under the Holy Synod of Russia, to which country it was united politically in 1801. The Albanian catholicos remained loyal to the Armenian Church, with the exception of a brief schism towards the end of the sixth century. Shortly afterwards Albania was assimilated partly with Armenia and partly with Georgia. There is no mention of any catholicos in Albania after the seventh century. It is asserted by some that the head of the Abyssinian Church, the Abuna, also bears the title of catholicos, but, although this name may have been applied to him by analogy, there is, to our knowledge, no authority for asserting that this title is used by the Abyssinian Church itself.

Apostolic Period

        The Syrian church includes two major churches - the Syrian church of the West and the Church of the East. The Syrian Church of the East was founded by the Apostles of Christ. It was established and strengthened by Apostles St. Thomas, St. Thaddaeus among the twelve and other Apostles among the seventy. The 'Chair of succession' in the East is mentioned in ancient documents of the Church.

Apostle St.. Thomas. Founder of the Eastern Church. After establishing the Church in Persia, moved to India. Suffered Martyrdom in India. According to Canonical documents, such as Coptic Synaxarium, writings of early fathers, liturgical hymns of Orthodox Churches and local tradition of the Indian Church, St. Thomas established churches and ordained Bishops and presbyters for them. "Thoma Parvom", a traditional Indian work describes the works of Apostle Thomas in India.

AD 72: Martyrdom of St. Thomas in India

Apostle St. Thaddeus. Mar Thomas Sleeha appointed St. Thaddeus in Persian regions and proceeded to India.

66-87

 88-120

5. Mar Abres

6. Mar Abraham I of Kashkar

 159-171

172-190

Alexandrian father Pantaenus visits India and records about Christians and existence of Gospel in India.

190-220

220-240

240-317

But bishops existed. In AD 300, Bishop David of Basra visited India. 
In AD 311 Emperor Constantine accepted Christian faith.
 

317-329

A famous Catholicos of the East. In AD 314 Persian Synod of Seleucia deposes Papa after he proposes that the bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon should have primacy over the other Eastern bishops. In AD 315 Emperor Constantine sends a letter to Shapur II urging him to protect Christians in his realm. Mar Papa restored as bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon with the title "Catholicos of the East".
 

AD 325: First Ecumenical Council of Nicea. James of Nisibis and a Persian bishop from "India" recorded as attending the council.

329-341

341-345

Suffered Martyrdom in 344.
Knayi Thoma and immigrants lead by him arrived Indian coast in AD 345.

345-346

Suffered Martyrdom in 346

350-363

Bishops existed. In AD 354, Mar Theophilos visited India and Maldives.

363-371

372-399

AD 381: Ecumenical Council of Constantinople.
In 390, Mar Abdyeshu builds monastery on the island of Bahrain

399-410

410-415

AD 410: First General Synod of the Persian Church (Synod of Isaac) confirms the primacy of the bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon as "Catholicos of all the Orient" and the equality of Seleucia-Ctesiphon with the sees of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria and Rome, adopts the Nicene Creed and establishes metropolitans for Jundishapur, Nisibis, Basra, Arbela, and Kirkuk

415-420

420

AD 420: Second General Synod of the Persian Church (Synod of Yaballaha I)

420-421

421-456

AD 424: Third General Synod of the Persian Church (Synod of Dadyeshu) confirms Catholicos of the Church of the East as "Patriarch of the East" and asserts him as equal to all other patriarch.
AD 431: Ecumenical Council of Ephesus

457-484

AD 484: Persian Church Council in Jundishapur honors memory of Theodore of Mopsuestia and adopts a Nestorian confession of faith under influence of Barsauma, Metropolitan of Nisibis.

 485-496

497-503

503-523

524-539 

539-540

540-552

552-566

566-581