West Syrian Worship

Since the 17th century the Malankara Orthodox Church uses the Syrian Orthodox Liturgy, which belongs to the Antiochene liturgical tradition. The East Syrian (Persian), Byzantine, Armenian, Georgian, and Maronite liturgies also belong to the same liturgical family. In the first half of the fifth century the Antiochene Church adopted the anaphora of Jerusalem, known under the name of St. James, the brother of Our Lord. The original form of the St. James liturgy was composed in Greek.

Following the Council of Chalcedon (451), the Eastern Church was divided; both groups continued to use the Greek version of St. James. The Byzantine emperor Justin (518–527) expelled the Non-Chalcedonians from Antioch; they took refuge in Syriac-speaking Mesopotamia. Gradually the Antiochene liturgical rites were translated into Syriac, and new elements such as Syriac hymns were introduced. It was Mar Gregorios of Jerusalem, who came to Malankara in 1665, who introduced Syrian Orthodox liturgical rites in our Church.

The most striking characteristic of the Antiochene liturgy is the large number of anaphoras (Order of the celebration of the Eucharist). About eighty are known and about a dozen are used in India. All of them have been composed following the model of St. James. Our worship is thus rooted in the ancient West Syrian tradition, with Syriac as the primary liturgical language and a structure that includes preparation rites, the Trisagion, Scripture readings, Sedra, Creed, Anaphora, and Holy Communion.