The Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly was established a Vicariate by the Bull ?Quae Rei Sacrae? of Pope Leo XIII on 28 July 1896. Mar Aloysius Pazheparambil was appointed as the first Vicar Apostolic, who assumed charge on 5th November 1896. City of Ernakulam was chosen to be the location for the Bishop?s House which was completed and blessed on 24 April 1900. As the Syro-Malabar Hierarchy was established on 21 December 1923, by the Bull ?Romani Pontifices? of Pope Pius XI, Ernakulam was raised to the status of an archdiocese and was made the centre of the Syro-Malabar Church. On 20 July 1956, Mar Joseph Parecattil became the Archbishop of Ernakulam. Mar Antony Padiyara was appointed as the Archbishop of Ernakulam on 18 May 1985 and he took charge on 3 July 1985. A greater landmark in the history of the St Thomas Christians and especially in the history of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam was on 16th December 1992 when the Syro-Malabar Church was declared a Major Archiepiscopal Church ?Sui Iuris? with the title of Ernakulam-Angamaly, by Pope John Paul II. The Holy See thus recognized the legitimate right of the Syro-Malabar Church. It also took into account the pre-eminence of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam by making it the See of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church. Thereby the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church is also the Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

Mar Varkey Vithayathil C.Ss.R. was nominated titular Bishop of ?Antinoe? and the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese and was Consecrated Archbishop by Holy Father Pope John Paul II on 6th January 1997. His Grace Archbishop Varkey Vithayathil assumed charge of the archdiocese the Apostolic Administrator. On 23rd December 1999 Holy Father Pope John Paul II appointed Mar Varkey Vithayathil the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church and as the Archbishop of Ernakulam - Angamaly.

His enthronement as the Major Archbishop took place at St Mary?s Basilica, Ernakulam on 26th January 2000. His Beatitude Mar George Alencherry was elected the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church and the Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly during the synod convened on 23-26 May 2011.