Joshua Bennett
India is officially a secular country, but it is one of the most publicly religious countries in the world. Hinduism is the dominant religion, with nearly 80% of the population practicing it. However, India's large population of 1.2 billion people means that even small percentages of religious minorities can equate to large numbers of adherents. As of 2009, Catholics made up 1.6% of the population, or 17.6 million people. By 2011, the percentage of Christians in India had risen to 2.3%, or about 28 million people. This growth has continued, and by 2018 India had 174 dioceses, indicating the continued expansion of Catholicism in the country.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Catholics in India | 1.6% (2009) or 2.3% (2011) |
| Number of Catholics in India | 17.6 million (2009) or 28 million (2011) |
| Number of Catholics in India (2022 estimate) | 20 million |
| Number of Catholic Dioceses in India (as of 2018) | 174 |
| Number of Latin Rite Dioceses | 132 |
| Number of Syro-Malabar Rite Dioceses | 31 |
| Number of Syro-Malankara Rite Dioceses | 11 |
| Percentage of Syro-Malabar Rite Catholics | 19.7% |
| Percentage of Syro-Malankara Rite Catholics | 2% |
| Percentage of Dalits among Indian Catholics | 60-75% |
| Percentage of Christians in Arunachal Pradesh | 30% |
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What You'll Learn
India's Catholic population
India is officially a secular country, but it is one of the most publicly religious countries in the world. Nearly 80% of the population is Hindu, but India is extremely pluralistic, and religious vibrancy is put on public view. Christianity is India's third-largest religion, with about 28 million adherents, making up 2.3% of the population as of the 2011 census. However, other sources state that Christians make up 1.6% of the population, or around 20 million people. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of India's Christians are found in South India, Goa and Bombay (Mumbai). Christianity is the largest religion in parts of Northeast India, specifically in Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya. It is also a significant religion in Arunachal, where about 30% of the state is Christian.
Catholicism has ancient and deep roots in the southern Indian state of Kerala, where Saint Thomas Christians or Syrian Christians are believed to have built the first Christian church in India, circa 52 AD. The Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Catholic Church at Muziris is believed to be the first Christian church built in India. Thomas the Apostle is credited with introducing Christianity, and believers who trace their ancestry to him are known as "Thomas Christians". The Diocese of Quilon, headquartered at Kollam, is the first Roman Catholic diocese in India, erected in 1329.
The Catholic Church in India is divided into three rites: Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, and the Latin rite. The Syro-Malabar rite has an estimated four million adherents, the Syro-Malankara about 500,000, and the rest belong to the Latin Rite. The Syro-Malabar Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches, makes up around 19.7% of Indian Catholics, while the Syro-Malankara Church accounts for approximately 2.0%. These figures reflect the diverse liturgical traditions within Indian Catholicism, with Eastern Catholic communities primarily based in the Malabar region (present-day state of Kerala).
The Catholic Church in India is growing at a rate ahead of overall population growth, and by 2050 there could be almost 30 million Catholics. Outside its traditional base in the south, Catholicism is also expanding in the northeast. In the state of Arunachal Pradesh, there are today 180,000 Catholics out of a total population of 800,000. Catholicism enjoys wide respect for its network of schools, hospitals and social service centres.
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The history of Catholicism in India
Catholicism in India has a long and complex history, with the religion believed to have been introduced to the country as early as 52 AD by St. Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. Tradition holds that Thomas built seven churches in southern India and was martyred in a place called Mylapore (now Chennai) in 72 AD, where his tomb is located.
Isolated Christian communities are known to have existed in India as early as the year 345, and by the 6th century, a Christian community following Eastern Christian practices had firmly established itself in the Malabar region (present-day Kerala). This community, known as the St. Thomas Christians or Syrian Christians, was under the jurisdiction of the Church of the East and used the East Syriac Rite of worship.
In the 13th and 14th centuries, several European missionaries, including Franciscan monks and Dominican friars, travelled to India and made contact with these established Christian communities. Father Jordanus Catalanus, a French Dominican missionary, is considered the first Catholic European missionary to arrive in India in 1321-22. He reported that he had given Christian burial to four martyred monks and wrote the "Mirabilia", a detailed account of Indian regions, people, customs, and nature. In 1329, the Diocese of Quilon in Kerala was erected as the first Roman Catholic diocese in India.
The arrival of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in the 15th century marked a significant turning point for Catholicism in India. Portuguese missionaries introduced the Latin Catholic Church to the country, particularly in the colonies of Goa, Tranquebar, Bombay, Madras, and Pondicherry. The Portuguese Padroado's efforts to bring St. Thomas Christians into the Latin Catholic Church led to several rifts in the community, culminating in the Synod of Diamper, which formally subjugated them to the Archdiocese of Goa.
During the 16th century, under Portuguese rule, waves of European missionaries continued to shape the dynamics of Indian Catholicism. Portuguese Catholicism strongly influenced Catholic life in Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Karnataka. The Indian Church today comprises three individual Churches: Latin, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara.
Catholicism in India is a minority religion but is quite visible in many cities due to its network of schools, hospitals, and social service centers. It is growing at a rate ahead of the overall population growth, and by 2050, the country is expected to have nearly 30 million Catholics. Indian Catholicism is highly clericalized, with a large and influential population of priests, sisters, and brothers who run these Catholic institutions.
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The Catholic Church in India
The former have been numerous and socially influential, especially in the south, whereas the latter were only numerous in certain areas and considered themselves part of a larger Roman Catholic community rather than a local or national one. This conflict has led to several unfortunate consequences, including the suppression of the liturgy and the destruction of liturgical books of the Eastern rites after the Synod of Diamper in 1599, and the repression of the Syro-Malabars, which resulted in their revolt against Latin domination and the eventual schism of the Malabar Church.
The origins of the church in India can be traced back to the first century. According to tradition, St. Thomas the Apostle reached Cranganore in 52 AD and preached the Gospel throughout southern India. He was martyred twenty years later in Chinnamalai, Madras. The Mar Thoma Syro-Malabar Catholic Church at Muziris is believed to be the first Christian church built in India, circa 52 AD. The Diocese of Quilon headquartered at Kollam is the first Roman Catholic diocese in India, first erected in 1329.
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Catholic demographics in India
Catholicism in India has a long history, with the tradition crediting the apostle Thomas with introducing Christianity to the region in 52 AD. The Saint Thomas Christians or Syrian Christians are believed to have formed the first Christian community in India, with a presence firmly established in the Malabar region by 600 AD at the latest. This early community followed Eastern Christian practices and was under the jurisdiction of the Church of the East.
The arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century marked the introduction of Western Christianity to India. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India, and Portuguese missionaries brought the Latin Catholic Church to the region. They made contact with the Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala, who were following Eastern Christian practices at the time. The Portuguese efforts to bring the Saint Thomas Christians into the Latin Catholic Church led to several rifts in the community, with the Synod of Diamper formally subjugating them to the Archdiocese of Goa.
Today, Catholicism continues to have a significant presence in India, with an estimated 1.6% of the population identifying as Catholic, which equates to approximately 17.6 million people. The Catholic Church in India is divided into three rites: Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, and the Latin rite. The Syro-Malabar Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches, makes up around 19.7% of Indian Catholics, while the Syro-Malankara Church accounts for approximately 2.0%. The majority, about 78.3%, belong to the Latin Church.
The Catholic population in India is diverse, with a disproportionate share of Dalits, or untouchables, making up an estimated 60% to 75% of Indian Catholics. Catholicism is the third-largest religion in India, with a significant presence in the southern states of Kerala, Goa, and Bombay (Mumbai), as well as in the northeastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh. The wide respect Catholicism enjoys in India is attributed to its network of schools, hospitals, and social service centers.
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Catholicism's influence on India
Indian Christians commonly trace their origins to the Apostle Thomas, who is said to have built seven churches in southern India and was martyred in a place called Mylapore near Madras (now Chennai) in 72 AD. The existence of Early Christians in India is further substantiated by the records of Severus of Vienne, a 5th-century missionary of Indian origin who evangelised in France. The Saint Thomas Christians or Syrian Christians are believed to have formed the first Christian church in India, circa 52 AD.
The history of the Catholic Church in India is very extensive. Waves of European missionaries, beginning under Portuguese rule in the 16th century, shaped the dynamics of Indian Catholicism today. Portuguese Catholicism particularly influenced Catholic life in Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Karnataka. The Diocese of Quilon headquartered at Kollam is the first Roman Catholic diocese in India, erected in 1329. In the 14th century, the Church of the East declined due to persecution, and in the 16th century, the Portuguese Padroado movement aimed to bring St Thomas Christians into the Latin Catholic Church. This led to the Synod of Diamper, which formally subjugated them and their Archdiocese of Angamaly as a suffragan see to the Archdiocese of Goa.
The majority of Indian Catholics, about 78.3%, belong to the Latin Church, while the rest are Syrian Catholic Christians. The Syro-Malabar Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches, makes up around 19.7% of Indian Catholics, and the Syro-Malankara Church accounts for approximately 2%. These communities are primarily based in the Malabar region (present-day Kerala).
Christianity is India's third-most followed religion, with about 24 to 28 million adherents, constituting around 2.3% of the population as of the 2011 census. It is the largest religion in parts of Northeast India, such as Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya, and is also significant in Arunachal, where about 30% are Christian. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Indian Christians are found in South India, Goa, and Bombay (Mumbai).
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Frequently asked questions
As of 2009, Catholics make up approximately 1.6% of India's population, which equates to around 17.6 million people.
It is predicted that by 2050, there could be almost 30 million Catholics in India.
It is estimated that between 60% and 75% of Indian Catholics are Dalits.
As of 2011, Christians made up 2.3% of India's population, with 28 million adherents. The exact number of Catholics within this group is unclear, but one source states that there are around 20 million Catholic Indians. Therefore, it can be estimated that Indian Catholics make up somewhere between 60% to 70% of Indian Christians.
