List of basilicas in India
This is the complete list of all the Basilicas in India. With 35 Indian churches officially designated as basilicas by the Holy See of the Catholic Church, India is the country with the most basilicas in Asia.
- Yellow dots indicate the Latin-rite Roman Catholic basilicas
- Red dots are the Syro-Malabar Catholic basilicas
- Black dot is the Syro-Malankara Catholic basilica
The Basilica is a title given to certain Catholic churches. By canon law of the church, no church can be honoured with the title unless by an apostolic grant or from immemorial custom.[1] The title is bestowed upon churches that are considered culturally significant, functioning as an important place of pilgrimage or for a specific devotion, such as to a saint or a Marian apparition. Basilicas in this canonical sense are divided into major ("greater") and minor basilicas. Today, only four churches, all in Rome, are classified as major basilicas: St. John Lateran, St. Peter, St, Paul outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major. The other canonical basilicas, including all the 35 basilicas in India, are minor basilicas.
The Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa is the first church in India to be designated as a basilica, decreed by Pope Pius XII in 1946. Every pope since then has raised at least one Indian church to the status of a basilica, except Pope John Paul I, owing to his brief reign.
All of India's basilicas are located in South India, except six. Twenty-nine basilicas belong to the Latin Church, five to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, and one to the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Amongst the states of India, Kerala hosts the highest number of basilicas at 12, containing all of the six non-Latin basilicas, while Tamil Nadu ranks second with 10 basilicas, followed by Karnataka with four and the union territory of Pondicherry with two. All the remaining basilicas are the only ones in their respective states or union territories. Amongst the districts of India, Kerala's Ernakulam district has the most basilicas (6); Kerala's Alappuzha district, and Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi and Chennai districts all rank second with two basilicas each. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly and the Syro Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly are the only catholic jurisdictions of India to host multiple basilicas (2 each).
Twenty-four of the basilicas are dedicated to Saint Mary. Three basilicas are dedicated to the Marian title Our Lady of Good Health,[note 1] followed by Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Snows, Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel[note 2], Our Lady of Graces and Assumption of Mary, all of which have two basilicas each. Our Lady of Dolours, Our Lady of Ransom, Our Lady of Peace, and Divine Motherhood have one basilica each.[note 3] [note 4] Saint Thomas the Apostle is the patron of two basilicas, both in Chennai—one being the place of his martyrdom and the other his burial. Saints Joseph, Andrew the Apostle [note 5], Lawrence, George, Anthony of Padua, Teresa of Avila, and John de Britto each have one basilica. Pondicherry's Sacred Heart Basilica is the only basilica in Asia dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
List
See also
- List of cathedrals in India
- Roman Catholicism in India
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses in India
- List of Catholic bishops of India
- List of Catholic Churches in India
Footnotes
- ^ Beside the Velankanni and Harihar basilicas, Our Lady of Good Health is also the patron of St. Mary's Basilica, Bengaluru.
- ^ The Varapuzha Basilica has co-patronage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Joseph.
- ^ Basilica of the Holy Redeemer in Tiruchirapalli is a major shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
- ^ National Shrine Basilica of St. Thomas Mount is a major shrine of Our Lady of Expectations.
- ^ Basilica of St. Andrew in Arthunkal is a major shrine of Saint Sebastain.
References
External links
- List of Indian basilicas from GCatholic.org
- List of all Basilicas in India from Notes on India