As the population in the dioceses of Ernakulam, Changanacherry and Thrissur increased, there was a need to divide them. Thus dioceses of Palai and Kanjirappally took origin from Changanacherry while the diocese of Kothamangalam was carved out of Ernakulam. Palakkad and Irinjalakuda were erected by bifurcation of Thrissur. Tellicherry was divided into Mananthavady and Thamarassery. The Archbishop of Kottayam has jurisdiction over the Southists in all dioceses.

With the establishment of new dioceses there was also an increase in the activities of the Church in various fields. The Church began to establish educational institutions, houses for the aged, for the handicapped, for mentally retarded, rehabilitation centers for the distressed, centers for the alcoholics, orphans and non-formal education centers etc. Printing presses and publishing houses also were established. In the field of health more and more hospitals, clinics and dispensaries were started. It is beyond doubt that the better health and educational standard in Kerala now are among the major contributions of the Catholic institutions.

The number of religious Congregations (Institutes of consecrated life) also increased. At present there are more than 40 Congregations for men and 130 for women in the Syro Malabar Church. The majority of these congregations are of Latin origin, founded in European countries. However, membership in Congregations of Latin origin is far ahead of other. Many of the Congregations of the Latin origin got established in the Syro Malabar Church because of the particular history of this Church. Many other came to the Syro Malabar Church in search of candidates, as the membership in these congregations in the European countries dwindled. In that process many have established their houses in the Syro Malabar dioceses. A few of them established Syro Malabar provinces. There are a couple of them who were in Kerala for decades but remained as Latin Congregations with a large number of Syro Malabarians as members. In the spirit of Vatican II they too are to establish Syro Malabar provinces.

Even though the Syro Malabar Church grew in leaps and bounds, quantitatively and qualitatively, it was canonically in an anomaly. As far as the tradition of the Oriental Churches goes they should have a common head immediately after the Pope, normally with the title of Patriarch or Major Archbishop. The Oriental Code was promulgated in October 1990. As the Code came into force the Syro Malabar Church found itself in a difficult situation because it was not a Sui juris Church in the sense of the Code.

A Pontifical Commission was appointed in September 1992 with Archbishop Thomas White, Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand, as Chairman and Prof. Robert Taft SJ and Fr. Michel Angelo Batiz OCD as members. The commission held extensive consultation in Kerala, visiting all the eparchies in the provinces of Ernakulam and Changanacherry. In the following December, the Pope decided to raise the Syro Malabar Church to a Major Archiepiscopal Sui juris Church and the Metropolitan of Ernakulam was appointed Major Archbishop, presumably in the light of the report of the Commission.

Since a new canonical situation was coming into existence, the necessary structures were to be created with the powers of the Major Archbishop envisaged in CCEO. Therefore, a special delegate of the Pope was appointed in the person of Archbishop Abraham Kattumana with special powers. Archbishop Kattumana was until then the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Ghana , Togo and Benin in the African continent. All the powers of the Major Archbishop were exercised by the Delegate while Cardinal An tony Padiyara, the Major Archbishop, retained only the precedence of honour and the right to be commemorated in liturgy.

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