Hyderabad: The Kerala-based Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian grouping in India, on Sunday inaugurated its biggest diocese, in Shamshabad here, with pan-India jurisdiction excluding that of the existing 30 dioceses, regaining powers it lost in 1886 to the Latin Church.

The Syro-Malabar Catholics, also known as St Thomas Christians, lost their administrative powers to the Latin Church after the Portuguese missionaries wrested control over them in 1886. Since then, the Syro-Malabar Catholics had been limited to just two territories - Thrissur and Kottayam - in present-day Kerala.

Before 1886, Kodungallur was the headquarters of these Christians. In 1955, the Vatican extended the territory of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church to the whole of Kerala and a few districts of neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

With over 5 million followers, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is the second-largest Christian grouping in the country.

The Syro-Malabar Church is one of the oldest churches in the world and is believed to have been founded by Apostle Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus, who arrived at Kodungallur in the central part of present-day Kerala in 52AD.

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is also the third largest under the Vatican.

Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry, the head of the Church, formally dedicated the Diocese of Shamshabad to the Vatican with the installation of Raphael Thattil as its first bishop.

The enthronement ceremony was attended by two cardinals - including Baselios Cleemis, the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India - senior Vatican representative Archbishop Cyril Vasil and Hyderabad Archbishop Thumma Bala, along with over a dozen archbishops and more than 40 bishops from across India.

The Syro-Malabar Church's members are financially, politically and numerically powerful in Kerala. PTI