In a land area of 1,500 square kilometers, the archdiocesan territory covers the entire civil district of Ernakulam and portions of Trichur, Kottayam and Alappuzha in Kerala state, with 94,807 Catholic families.
In the archdiocese, the population was 4,785,000 at end of 2016. Most residents are Hindus, followed by Muslims. Syro-Malabar Catholics constitute only 10.84 percent.
Malayalam and English are used.
The Syro-Malabar Church was known as the Church of the St. Thomas Christians until the 18th century as it was founded by St Thomas, one of the apostles of Christ. St. Thomas came to India in 52 A.D. He died as a martyr in Mylapore near the present town of Chennai (Madras).
As it existed outside the Roman Empire, the Church of the St. Thomas Christians had little contact with Roman or the other Churches within the empire. Its communion with the Church of Rome was through the Church in the Persian Empire, which later came to be known as the East Syrian or Chaldean or Babylonian Church. It is believed that Christianity in the Persian Empire was introduced by the disciples of St. Thomas. It seems that Christians in India had contact with these Christians of the Persian Empire from very early times. Given the commercial relations of India in those days, such a contact was possible.
For some unknown reasons, at least from the 8th century until the end of the 16th century, the bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church were sent from the East Syrian Church, appointed by the patriarch of the East Syrian Church. There is a tradition which says that there were Indian bishops in the beginning, but there is little proof.
Because of the Portuguese colonization of parts of India in the early 16th century and consequent ecclesiastical arrangements, from 1600 onward, European bishops from the Latin-rite Church reached India.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) heads the current government in Kerala state. Congress Party and pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party are also active.
The archdiocese has road, rail and air links. Cochin International Airport is only 30 kilometers north of the archbishop's house.
In a land area of 1,500 square kilometers, the archdiocesan territory covers the entire civil district of Ernakulam and portions of Trichur, Kottayam and Alappuzha in Kerala state, with 94,807 Catholic families.
Ernakulam is the business hub of Kerala. IT, fertilizer and tyre industries several SMEs are housed in the diocese.
There are well developed telecommunication networks in the archdiocese. Four television channels broadcast from Ernakulam.
The literacy rate in the territory is almost 100 percent.
