Holy See of the East the Church of the East after the Coonan Cross Oath and joined the Church of Antioch also claims the title of the Holy See of the East, since St. Thomas is also the founder of this churches. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church which evolved out of the Malankara Church as a part of the Oriental Orthodox Churches claims the title of the Catholicos of the East and the Holy Apostolic See of St. Thomas. The Malankara Syrian Catholic Church which evolved from the Malankara Church as a part of the Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See
Legal status of the Holy See personality akin to that of states, has led professor Ian Brownlie to define it as a ""sui generis" entity". Moreover, the Holy See itself, while claiming international legal personality, does not claim to be a State. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, former Secretary for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, has underlined that we must avoid the temptation of assimilating the Holy See and its international action with that of a State, with their thirst for power. For him, the Holy See is unquestionably a sovereign subject of international law but of a predominantly religious nature.