Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with more than 1.25 billion members worldwide. One of the oldest religious institutions in the world, it has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilisation.Headed by the Bishop of Rome, known as the Pope, its doctrines are summarised in the Nicene Creed. The Catholic Church is also notable within the Western Christian tradition for its celebration of the seven sacraments.

The Catholic Church teaches that it is the one true church founded by Jesus Christ, that its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles, and that the Pope is the successor to Saint Peter. The Church maintains that the doctrine on faith and morals that it declares as definitive is infallible. The Latin Church, the autonomous Eastern Catholic Churches and religious institutes such as the Jesuits, mendicant orders and enclosed monastic orders, reflect a variety of theological emphases in the Church.

Roman Catholic (term)

The term "Roman Catholic" appeared in the English language at the beginning of the 17th century to differentiate members of the Catholic Church (in communion with the Pope) from other Christians who use the term "Catholic"; comparable terms in other languages already existed. Being "catholic" is one of the Four Marks of the Church set out in the Nicene Creed, a statement of belief accepted by many churches even if not in communion with the Pope.

In popular usage, "Roman Catholic Church" is usually understood to mean the same as "Catholic Church". The name has continued to be widely used in the English language ever since, although its usage has changed over the centuries. The church widely known as the "Catholic Church" consists of 24 autonomous churches (all of which are subject to the Pope)— one "Western" and 23 "Eastern" — governed by two sets of codes of canon law. To refer to all 24 autonomous churches together, official church documents often use the term "Catholic Church" or, less frequently, the term "Roman Catholic Church".

Latin Church

The Latin Church is part of the Catholic Church. It is described as an autonomous or sui iuris particular church. There are several such autonomous particular churches within the Catholic Church. Other examples are the Maronite Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. They differ from each other in liturgy (ceremonies, vestments, chants, language), devotional traditions, theology, canon law, and pastors (even if in the same territory as another), but they all hold the same faith, and all see union with the bishop of Rome, the pope, as essential to being a Catholic.

The Latin Church is the largest of these, with a membership far greater than all the others taken together. It arose in Western Europe and North Africa, an area throughout which Latin was once understood and spoken by every formally educated person. It is sometimes called the Western Church. All the other autonomous particular churches, of which there are 23, originated farther east and are, therefore, collectively known as the Eastern Catholic Churches. Because of the facility with which people can nowadays take up residence in a different country, members of all of these autonomous particular churches are no longer confined to their areas of origin and can be found all over the world.

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore/Madras and Myliapor (Latin: Madraspolitan(us) et Meliaporen(sis)) is an archdiocese based in the city of Madras (now Chennai), in India. It took also the name of the ancient diocese of Mylapore, now a suburb of Chennai.

History

Mylapore

Mylapore (Mayilāppūr) is a cultural hub and neighborhood in the southern part of the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. It is also called Thirumayilai.

Mylapore is known for its tree-lined avenues, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Katcheri seasons and Ramakrishna Math among many others. Portuguese invaded and demolished the original Kapaleeshwarar Temple and built San Thome Basilica which houses the tomb of Thomas the Apostle.

Etymology

The word Mylapore is derived from Mayil arparikum oor, which means "Land of the peacock scream". Historically, peacocks have been known to thrive in the area, which is evident from the several statues in the Kapaleeshwarar Temple towers and in the emblem of the San Thome Basilica. Thirugnanasambandar has also mentioned about mayil (peacock) in his songs in Tevaram. Mylapore is also known as Thirumayilai. Thiru means 'holy' or 'sacred' and is traditionally used in front of names in all parts of Tamil Nadu like Thiruneermalai (Lord Ranganatha), Thirunageswaram (Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva), Thirumayam (Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva), Thirumayilai (Lord Adikeshava Perumal and Lord Kapali Eshwaran), Tiruvanamalai (Lord Shiva), Thiruchendur (Lord Muruga), Tiruchirappalli (Lord Sriranganathar), Thiruttani (Lord Muruga), Tiruchengode (Lord Shiva), Thiruchitrambalam (Lord Shiva), Thirumanancheri (Lord Shiva), Thirunallar (Lord Shani Eshwaran), Thiruporur(Lord Muruga), Thirukkadaiyur (Lord Shiva), Tirukalukundram(Lord Vedagiriswarar temple), Thirukarugavur (Lord Garbharakshambigai temple), Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, Tiruvallur and many more.

Mylapore (Corporation zone)

Mylapore is one of the 15 corporation zones of the Corporation of Chennai. It comprises the revenue villages of Bheemannapettai, Thiruvalluvar Nagar, Madha Perumal Puram, Karaneeswarapuram, Santhome, Mylapore, Avvai Nagar North, Raja Annamalaipuram, Avvai Nagar South, Adyar West, Adyar East, Velachery, Thiruvanmiyur West and Thiruvanmiyur East.

Mylapore (State Assembly Constituency)

Mylapore is a legislative assembly constituency in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Mylapore assembly constituency was part of Chennai South (Lok Sabha constituency).

Madras State

Tamil Nadu

References