Christianity in Kerala

Christianity In Kerala

Christianity is the third-most practiced religion in Kerala with 19% of the population according to the Indian census. Although a minority, Christians represent a much larger percentage of the population of Kerala than of India considered as a whole. It's a significant minority within Christianity in India, but has contributed a lot towards the progress and development of the nation in the fields of education, healthcare, social uplift etc. Christianity is believed to have reached the shores of Kerala in 52 CE with the arrival of St Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Saint Thomas Christians (also known as Syrian Christians or Nasrani) include Syro-Malabar Catholic, Syro-Malankara Catholic, Malankara Orthodox, Jacobite, Marthoma, and a few members of the Church of South India. Latin Rite Christians were converted by the Portuguese in the 16th and 19th centuries mainly along the coastal areas of Kerala.