The Chaldean Syrian Church of India (Classical Syriac: ܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ ܕܐܬܘܖ̈ܝܐ; Malayalam: കൽദായ സുറിയാനി സഭ / Kaldaya Suriyani Sabha) is an Eastern Christian denomination, based in Thrissur, in India. It is organized as a metropolitan province of the Assyrian Church of the East, and represents traditional Christian communities of the East Syriac Rite (hence the name) along the Malabar Coast of India. It is headed by Mar Awgin Kuriakose.

The Church uses the East Syriac Rite, and employs the Divine Liturgy of Saints Addai and Mari.[5] Its members constitute a traditional community among Saint Thomas Christians (also known as Nasrani), who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. They are based mostly in the state of Kerala, numbering some 15,000 members in the region.

The Chaldean Syrian Church is a modern-day continuation of the historical ecclesiastical province of India, that was active in continuity until the 16th century, as part of the ancient Church of the East.[7] After the long period of internal schisms and struggles, that lasted from the end of the 16th to the beginning of the 20th century, the Church was consolidated during the tenure of Mar Abimalek Timotheus (d. 1945), who is revered as a saint.

 

Mar Aprem Mooken (born George Mooken) is the Metropolitan of the Assyrian Church of the East (Classical Syriac: ܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ ܕܐܬܘܖ̈ܝܐ) in India (Chaldean Syrian Church).

Early life

George Mooken was born on 13 June 1940 in Thrissur, Kingdom of Cochin, British India. Educated in India, England, and America, he specialized in Church History. He served as President of the Church History Association of India between 1976 and 1982. He studied at Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur for B.D.

George Mooken gained master's degrees in Church History from both the United Theological College, Bangalore (1966) and the Union Theological Seminary, New York (1967). He was ordained a deacon on 25 June 1961, and a priest four years later on 13 June 1965. He was consecrated Bishop on 21 September 1968, by Mar Thoma Darmo, Catholicos Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East, taking the name Mar Aprem Mooken, and promoted as a Metropolitan of the Ancient Church of the East eight days later in Baghdad.Then later, in 1999, Mooken rejoined the Assyrian Church of the East. He was instrumental in healing the rift that had developed in the church over the question of hereditary appointments since the 1960s.

Publications

Mar Aprem is the author of 65 books on topics which include church history, theology, social issues, and humour.