Latin Catholics of Malabar
മലബാർ റോമൻ ലത്തീൻ കത്തോലിക്കർ | |
|---|---|
Depiction of Francis Xavier converting local Paravas in 1542 | |
| Total population | |
| Approx. 1,000,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| India (predominantly in Kerala, significant migrant populations also found in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi and other major cities); UAE (Dubai); Oman; Kuwait; USA (New York metropolitan area, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Tampa, Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area); Europe – UK (London, Birmingham) The Netherlands (Amsterdam) Canada (Toronto, Edmonton, Whitehorse | |
| Languages | |
| Vernacular: Malayalam, Cochin Portuguese Creole Liturgical: Latin, French, Malayalam | |
| Religion | |
| primarily Catholic Church (Latin Church) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Malayalis, Ezhavars, Nadar (caste), Dheevaras, Saint Thomas Christians, Portuguese, Luso-Indian |
The Latin Catholics of Malabar Coast, also known as Malabar Latin Catholics or Latin Christians of Kerala (Malayalam: മലബാർ ലത്തീൻ കത്തോലിക്കർ or മലബാർ ലത്തീൻ ക്രിസ്ത്യാനികൾ) are a multi-ethnic religious group in Kerala adhering to the Roman Rite liturgical practices of the Latin Church, on the Malabar Coast, the southwestern coast of India. Ecclesiastically, they constitute the ecclesiastical provinces of Calicut, Verapoly and Trivandrum. They are predominantly Malayali people and speak the Malayalam language, though a subgroup of Luso-Indians speaks the Cochin Portuguese Creole. They trace their origins to the evangelization of Malabar Coast by the Dominican, Franciscan, Jesuit and Carmelite missionaries, mainly French and Portuguese.