St. Mary’s Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral Basilica: Cathedral of the Syro-Malabar Church in Kochi
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History
Origins and rebuilding
St. Mary’s Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral Basilica is a Catholic cathedral in Kochi, Kerala, India, founded in 1112 and belonging to the Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic church that follows the East Syriac liturgical tradition. Dedicated to Mary, it is also known as Nasrani Palli, Anchikaimal Palli, and Thekke Palli. Its earlier denominational history is associated with the Church of the East, a historic eastern Christian communion linked to the East Syriac tradition.
The present church building was constructed in the early twentieth century under the direction of Bishop Mar Aloysius Pazheparambil. The cathedral serves as the headquarters of the Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, an Eastern Catholic jurisdiction equivalent to an archdiocese and the principal episcopal seat of the Syro-Malabar Church. It is also an important Marian pilgrimage destination in India.
Basilica status and papal visits
On 20 March 1974, Pope Paul VI granted the church the honorary title of minor basilica. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at its main altar during his visit to India on 7 February 1986.
The liturgical dispute
A dispute over the form of Mass became a major conflict within the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese. The Syro-Malabar Synod, an assembly of church leaders, directed dioceses to adopt a uniform form of the liturgy. The Holy See, the Catholic Church’s central governing authority, approved its implementation by Easter 2022. At that time, Ernakulam-Angamaly was the only one of the church’s five archdioceses that had refused the directive. Pope Francis’s directions were communicated in April 2022.
Mar Antony Kariyil, the archdiocese’s metropolitan vicar, a senior official entrusted with delegated authority, had local support over the Vatican’s choice, Major Archbishop Mar George Alencherry. Kariyil resigned on 26 July 2022 under Vatican pressure. Alencherry faced criticism over land transactions alleged to have caused substantial financial losses to the archdiocese, and resigned on 7 December 2023.
On 28 November 2022, Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath was prevented from entering the cathedral to celebrate Mass in the uniform form. Supporters of Kariyil, including the Athirupatha Samrakshana Samithi, an archdiocesan protection group, and the Almaya Munnetta Samithi, a local church organization, locked the gate. Thazhath left without celebrating, after which the cathedral’s vicar held Mass in the older form. Police temporarily closed the building. Kariyil and priests had previously agreed to adopt the uniform form before 25 December.
A plan to reopen the cathedral in June 2023 stalled when its vicar and trustees withdrew their agreement to celebrate only in the uniform form, despite conditional approval from the Special Synod. Archbishop Cyril Vasil reopened the church on 16 August amid protests and heavy police protection. The following day, Vasil directed all parishes to use the uniform form and warned that failure to comply could lead to excommunication. Opponents protested, including by burning the order. At that point, 2,902 of the Syro-Malabar Church’s 3,224 parishes across Kerala’s 35 dioceses and five archdioceses had adopted the form.
On 18 August 2023, the Almaya Munnetta Samithi petitioned President Droupadi Murmu to seek Vasil’s deportation, alleging interference in local church affairs, and made representations to other national officials. In a video message on 7 December, Pope Francis urged the Ernakulam-Angamaly community to resolve the dispute by Christmas, restore communion, and avoid sectarianism. As of March 2026, the cathedral remained closed under police protection amid conflict between opposition factions in the archdiocese and the Syro-Malabar hierarchy. Non-Mass prayers could be held only with special court permission.
Remains
The church is a large, spacious building with two towers at the front and a separate bell tower. Each front tower rises 68 feet, with a statue of Saint Peter atop one and Saint Paul atop the other. The separate bell tower is 88 feet tall and carries a statue of Saint Thomas at its summit. The main altar depicts the birth, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, while another image in the church shows Jesus appearing to Thomas.
