Christians constitute 2.4 per cent of the Indian population. They still constitute a good perentage of population of Punjab even after years of militancy Their origin may be traced back to the arrival of St.Thomas the Apostle on the Malabar coast in India in the 1st century AD. Today India is home to many sects of Christians with their respective churches, concentrated in the north-east of India, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Cochin and Kolkata.

The Indian Christian community has made enormous contributions in the field of education and health care. Christians believe in the Immaculate Conception of Jesus Christ born to the Virgin Mother Mary.Christianity is informed by the spirit of sacrifice and service in the name of Christ, believed to be the Son of God, who incarnated as a human being to redeem mankind of its sins by the sacrifice of his life on the cross.The Cross is the enduring symbol of Christianity.

After the crucifixion, Jesus is believed to have risen from the dead three days after being interred. This Resurrection is celebrated as Easter all over the world. Jesus had twelve disciples with whom he wandered, preaching the Power of Divine Love. The life and teachings of Christ is contained in the four available gospels of the New Testament: those of St. John, St. Matthew, St.Luke and St.Mark.

The earliest Christians belong to the Syro-Malabar church which is in communion with the Church of Rome and recognizes the Pope as the highest authority in the church. Though it comes under the larger umbrella of the Roman Catholic Church, it has different rites from those of the Roman Catholics: the Latin rites, the Syro-Malabar rites, and the Syro-Malankara rites. The orthodox liturgy, theology and discipline here is differentiated by local culture, and without changing the essence of the sacraments, popular elements from the cultural background have been added to them.

The influence of other religions, specially of Hinduism, is evident in the practices of the Syro-Malabar sacraments, like deepapradhana and aarti, which bear witness to the level of influence. This is also seen in the use of ritualistic objects like the traditional Kerala lamp, which has a cross on top.

There are seven sacraments in the life of a Christian of the Syro-Malabar church. They are baptism, confirmation, confession, mass, marriage, ordination and anointment of the sick. The sacraments with the exception of the confession are community-oriented. Participation of the community in the prayer and ritual is an important part of Christianity. The role of the church and the priest are also important in facilitating this community-based worship of God. Sacraments are performed in the presence of a priest.

Ordination

A priest is normally ordained by a Bishop to administer the sacraments and preach the word of God, and to cater to the spiritual needs of the people. A priest is anointed as a representative of Christ. Only then, can he conduct the Mass.

BAPTISM

A child is admitted to the church congregation as a Christian member through baptism. According to Christian belief, a child is born tainted with the Original Sin of Disobedience, committed by the first parents, Adam and Eve who ate the forbidden fruit, fell from Divine Grace and were expelled from Eden. At baptism the child is relieved of these sins and he becomes a child of God and member of the church. Baptism can be done within 8 days of the child being born, or as early as possible.