Holy See of the East
Holy See of the East is an honorary name of the sees of a number of Christian churches in the Middle East and India.
The Head & Father of the Marthoma Nazrani Church and the Gate of All India is commonly known as the successor to the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas.[1] The Seat of the Patriarchs of the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Nestorian Catholicos-Patriarchs which emerged from the Ancient Church of the East is also a part of the Holy See of the East.
The group of Saint Thomas Christians who left the Church of the East after the Coonan Cross Oath and joined the Church of Antioch also claims the title of the Holy See of the East, since St. Thomas is also the founder of this churches. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church which evolved out of the Malankara Church as a part of the Oriental Orthodox Churches claims the title of the Catholicos of the East and the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas.[2] The Malankara Syrian Catholic Church which evolved from the Malankara Church as a part of the Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome also claims the title of the Catholicos and the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas.[3]
East Syrian Rite Churches
Ancient Church of the East
His Holiness the Patriarch Mar Addai II, is the Catholicos of the Ancient Church of the East.
The current Seat of the Catholicos of Ancient Church of the East is in Baghdad, Iraq.
Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
The official title of the Head & Father of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is the successor to the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas and the Gate of All India. The church is headed by the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Cardinal Maran Mar George Alencherry.
The current Seat of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia is in Mount St. Thomas near Kakkanad, Kerala, India.[4]
Assyrian Church of the East
The Patriarchal Seat of the Assyrian Church of the East is currently vacant due to the passing of His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV on March 26, 2015. His Beatitude Mar Aprem Mooken, Senior Metropolitan of India will be acting as the vicar until the election of the new Catholicos-Patriarch.
Mar Dinkha IV was the most recent Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East.
The current Seat of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Assyrian Church of the East is in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
West Syrian Rite Churches
Indian Orthodox Church
The official title of the supreme head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church also known as Indian Orthodox Church is the Catholicos of the East on the Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas. The present Catholicos is Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II, who was enthroned on 1 November 2010 at Parumala, Kerala. The Indian Orthodox Church (also known as the Malankara Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church of the East, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Orthodox Syrian Church of the East) is a prominent member of the Oriental Orthodox Church family.
The current Seat of the Indian Orthodox Catholicos of the East is in Kottayam, Kerala, India.
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
The official title of the Head & Father of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is the successor to the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas in India and Malankara Metropolitan. The church is headed by the Major Archbishop of Trivandrum, Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos.
The current Seat of the Major Archiepiscopal Curia is in Catholicate Centre, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.[5]
Chaldean Catholic Church
The Chaldean Catholic Church is apart of the Eastern Rite Churches under the patronage of His Holiness, Pope Francis of Rome and under the leadership of the Patriarch, Louis Raphael I Sako.