CNlI AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND RELIGIOUS TRANSFORMATION IN

KERALA In the 19th and 20th CENTURIES

:\ 'fIII1SIS SIJBMITTED FOR TI-IE AWARD OF THE I)E

I hereby declare that the d~sctoral thesis entitled '; CMI AND SOCIO-

ECONOMIC AND RELIGIOUS TRANSFORMATION IN KERALA

IN THE 19"' AND 20"' CENTURIES" submitted to the Mahatlna Gandhi

University , Kottayam , for the award of the Degree of Doctor of

Philosophv is all orignal research work which is carried out under the

supen.isio:; ax! gtildance of Ilr. Josepli Sebastian Thekkedom, Reader,

Department of History , St. Berchman's College, Changanacherry and

that i t has not beer1 submitted for the award of any degree, diploma,

fellowship or any other simllar titles.

Kottayarn

28-1 2-2002 L

Mathukutty, A.A

2

Dr.Joseph Sebastian Thekkedom Reader

Del~art~nent of liistory

St. 13erchman's College Chang;~nachcrrg.

1-111s 1 5 , to certify that the thesis entitled "CMI A N D SOClO -

EC:ONORIIC AND RELIGIOUS TRANSFORMA'MON lh' KERALA IN

T H E 19"' and 20t1' CENTURIES" submitted for the award of the Degree of

Philosophg by hlathukufly !\.A, is a recol-d of bonafide reseal-ch work cairied

out under my supervision anti guidance and itrepresents an original work of the

carldldate

+ P Dr.Joseph Sebastian I'l~ekkedorn

3

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapters

1. Socio-Econom~c and religious Background of Kerala 23-79

on the formation of CMI

2. Early History of %Thomas Christians 80-106

3. Advent and Adventures of Discalced Carmelites ir, Kerala 107-141

4. Rise and Progress of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 142-185

5. Carmelites of Mary Immaculate through the Ages 186-229

Conclusion 230-241

Selected Bibliography 242-26 1

List of Appendices 262-281

4

Preface

'l'he doctoral treatise entitled "CMI and the Socio-Economic and

Religious transfon-nation of Kerala in the 19'" and 20"' Centuries"

concentrates its attention es:;entially on the socio-religious fulcruin on

which the congregation of Carinelites of Mary Immaculate was

founded. In the course of'the last seventeen decades of its existence it

witnessed a saga of varying fortunes. The CMI is a pioneer

indigenous Catholic Congregation of St. Thomas Christians which

emerged fi-omthe vortex of- internal feuds coupled with the foreign

machinations. "Born and brought up in the rich ecclesial experience of

the Apostolic Church of St. Thomas Christians, the CMI identity is

providentially developed in the fruitful blending of Eastern heritage,

Carmelite traditions with Indian inspiration"

Amidst the whirlpool of trials and tribulations the founding

fathers nurtured the infant ~nission inore than their lives. The plethora

of ordeals and oppressions rather emboldened them to undertake more

challenges tbr the welfare ofcoinmunity. The legacy of their progress

5

and prosperity is rather embedded on the theory of challenge and

response put forward by 'Poyonbee, the great historian. At present the

CMI has biossolned into a premier congregation among the

indigenous missions that come under the Papal See. Through their

multi-dimensional and multifaceted services in the realin of

spiritualit\. education, society, econonlic and culture it almost

assunled an unparalleled status in the history of missions.

'1-he present study is largely based on the multitude of

ecclesiastical and seculal. data suppleinented by a variety of

corroborative evidence including the internet sources. I made a

sincere attempt to collect almost all the available data pertaining to the

field ot' 111) topic of research from the libraries and archival centers in

India and abroad. The collected sources were systematically and

scientifically analyzed and designed into five chapters besides the

introduction and the conclusion. More emphasis was given to the

early history of CMI than to the later activities.

6

I t is providential that I could get the enlightened guidance of Rev.

Dr. .loseph Sebastian Thekkedath who himself is an authority on

churc.h history. He always remained a perpetual source of inspiration

in the course 0.f my doctoral research. His comments and corrections

further enhanced the standard of iny doctoral dissertation. 1 record my

immense sense of gratitude to Fr Joseph Sebastian Thekkadath.

I \?;auld like to thank most sincerely to all my teachers and

friends t i ~ r their sincere guidance and help. 1 record my profound

indebtedness to my religious authorities for their trust and confidence

in allowing ine to do niy work. 1 owe nothing but my filial devotion

and loyalty to my religious community. Above all I am absolutely

beholden to the God Almighty for all the blessings which I could get

in the completion of this doctoral thesis.

Mathukutty, A.A.

7

Introduction

Kerala, situated on the soutliwest coast of Peninsular India,

is one of'tlie oldest centers of Christianity in the world. A long

coastline in the west and mountains on the east forming clear

natural boundaries has enabled lcerala to enjoy a measure of

isolatio~l to develop i t : j uwn way of the life and culture unaffected

by major upheavals in the other pasts of the country, at the same

time it was not a factor excluding Kerala from being past of the

general mainstream of' Indian culture. Mountain ranges and

tropical rainforest produce 60-80 humidity in the winter and 80-

100 in the summer. Silin~ner temperature in Kerala would be

between 270 to 35 o C and winter temperature 22 o to 27 o C. The

land supports natural vegetation and is good for cultivation, stock-

raising and Plantation. Kerala is one long stretch of a village

dotted with small citie.3, with not inany heavy industries and

pollutions, with inany rivers and lakes, is a destinahon for tourists

world over.

Religion has played a key role in the unique make-up of

Kerala culture. Tradition, traces the origin of Christianity in Kerala

8

to the missionary enterprises of St. Thomas, an Apostle of Jesus

Christ. Christianity developed in I

discovery of'a sea route from Europe to India by Vasco da Ga~na

in A.1). 1498. Christians today constitute about one-fifth ( 1 9.32%)

of the population of Icerala. According to the 1991 census 57.38%

of the population of [(erala is Hindus, 23.33% Muslirns and

19.32% Christians. Despite division into different denominations,

during the long span of its continuous history, the religion made a

distinctive contribution to the life and culture of the people of this

land.

The congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate

(C.M.1) had its beginning in the first half of the 13'" century. ~271 .~ - two zealous priests, Fr Thornas Palackal and Fr Thomas

I'orukara of the Vicariate Apostolic of Verapoly in Kerala, sought

to livc in retirement and prayer, their Ckdinary, the Vicar

Apostolic, Bishop Maurilius Stabilini advised them to start a

religious house so that they might do good to the people of the

world too This was in 1829. On 11 May 183 1, a small house was

started at Mannananl in the then Travancore State, under the

leadership of 1Curiako:;e elias Chavara, devouted disciple of Fr

Palackal. On 8 December 1855, the religious congregation was

10

canonically erected. Since then the name of Mary l~nmaculate has

been invariably attached to the title.

'The Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) played a

decisive role in the process of the socio-economic and religious

transformation in Kerala, during the nineteenth and twentieth

centuries. Untbrtunately for the State and unfbrtunately even for

all India there is not much credit to be the state in the matter of

untouchability.' Having seen the extreme rigidity of caste rules

and their harsh enforcement in Kerala, Swaini Vivekananda called

it as a veritable lunatic asylum of ~ n d i a . ~ The socio-economic and

religious scenario of Kerala represented a dismal picture by

reducing the toiling and moiling nlillions into mere hewers of

wood and drawers of hater. They were treated as untouchables

and even unlookables. They became the victims of several social

disabilities and continued to live as polluting cormnunities. Their

name is connected with everything revolting, shunned as if

infested with plague, the lhigher classes viewed their presence with

. Mahadeva l)r>ai, Epic uf T,zn~u~ri.ore, pp.3-4.

'. Swami Vivekananda, The C'onr/~lc~re Wc>r,rkv ~fSwant i Vivekanonda,vol.lll,p.294

11

a inixture of alarm and indignation and even towns and markets

were considered as defiled by their approach." The state of

bondage existed at its worst forin in the princely state of

'rravancore' fro111 where the Carinelite of Mary Iininaculate got its

bib.

I'he local customs and practices found its repercussions in

the socio-religious life of the Syrian Christians. The Syrian

Catholic church of Kerala was also in desperate need of

reformation. and rejuvenation and- the coinmunity as a whole

required development. WI-~ile claiming a pre- eininent status on

par with the A'uinbootii.fi, the Syrian Christians also assumed the

stature of Nunzbootiris ancl the fellow Christians who occupied a

lower status in the social ladder were reduced to the same status of

outcastes and untouchables among the- Hindus in Kerala. Against

the spirit of universal brotherhood within the Church, in Kerala

there existed the caste distinctions and disabilities, which

' W a r d and ('ontlcr. tirngt.ophical and Slalisricrrl Memoir r f l h c Sl~i.vey of Tvai~ancnve and

~ ' O C I ~ I , ~ . 1,. 140

' . ~ u r a t e Barhose. it Lleccription of the Coast of East Afi-ica and h.lalabar.p.129

12

prevailed within the traditional society of Kerala. There prevailed

clear distinctions among the forward, backward and low caste

Christians almost in line with the caste - non caste distinctions of

the Hindu society. At such a context the CMI missionaries were

rather determined to stamp out such discrilninations on the basis

of caste creed, color and region and work for the uplift of the

downtrodden.'

At the formation of the CMI both the Christian church and

society in Keraia were in the midst of sectarian disputes and caste

dissensions. The Latins versus the Syrians, the Padroado versus

the propaganda, the Pclrtuguese versus the Dutch, the Jesuits

versus the Carmelites pampered and prospered the factual feuds

among the sects. The basic tenets of Christianity received Little

attention. Overlooking the teachings of Jesus Christ they devoted

their resources and energy to fight each other. They were mostly

motivated by the desire to strengthen their personal interests.

5 . C'arinelites of Mary Immaculate. 1996. P.3.

13

Being the tirst indigenous religious congregation in India,

fro111 its very inception. the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI)

aimed at the integral development of the local community

irrespective of caste and creed. In the course of the 19"' century

the CMI initiated a progressive people's movement in Kerala.

Going into the midst of the people, especially the poor and

marginalized and imbibing their aspirations and dreams, they tried

their best to give voice to the voiceless, power to the powerless

and strength to the weak. The CMI's initiated a great socio-

cultural and religious revolution affecting and upsetting the social

st r,.c ULLLIC + ...- of Kerala. They started a Sanskrit school at Mannanam

in 1846 to teach the classical language to the ordinary people. A

number of Malayalam and English medium schools were started

to give education for all classes of people. At that time of

untouchabilitj and caste isolation they admitted students of all

sections of society, including Dalits ' and even allowed them to

live with them. It paved the way for a social revolution when

untouchability was at its summit. They fought for the self rule and

independence of St. Thomas Christians, even painfully expelling

14

their own brethren in faith from the Tholnas Christian colninunity

under the undue pressure From foreign powers like the Portuguese.

The) were the heralds of human solidarity and made their clarion

call tor unity of all people. Thus theirs was a conscious liberative

movement that practically awakened the dormant as well as the

latent potentialities of a resourceful community.

The Purpose of the Stlldy

Fhe main purpose of the study is to trace the history of the

Soclo. Lconolnic and Religious transformation in Kerala In the

19"' and the 20'" cenlaries due to missionary activities of the

Carlnelltes of Mary Immaculate. The specific objectives of the 5t~td) ale

1 To make an in-depth analysis of the triple roots of

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, the first indigenous

religious congregation in India. It also tries to evaluate

how this indigenous coininunity with a local vision and

mission founded in India grew in time to be largest

congregation in Asia.

15

'I - . '1.0 analyse the stratification of the erstwhile society and

its impact among the Christians in Kerala with particular

reference to the religious and econornic factors.

? l o hring out the pre-eminent status of the Syrian

Christians with special reference to their changing

fi~l-tunes in the course of centuries.

4. l o describe the advent and adventures of the Carinelite

missionaries who played a decisive role in the annals of

~ h r i s t i a n i t ~ in general and the CMI in particular.

5 . I o examine the goal perceptions, values and attitudes of

the CMI's and the modes of action visualized and

initiated by the founding fathers in respect to the social

p a l s of the congregation.

6. Further, it makes an attempt to examine the humanitarian

and philanthropic values of their social work like running

of orphanages, homes for the poor, the aged, the destitute

and the fallen, schools and colleges, hospitals and so on.

16

The Importance of the Investigation

I his study is irelevant and important in the present Indian

context \\her? the constitutional ideal of India as a secular state is

being undermined by corn~nunal forces, religious fanatic groups

and even t?\ political parlies with

a strong co~n~nunal or religious base. The arguments for a

"Hindu India" is becoming more vocal and communal hatred Illore

open and violent. Other religions like Christianity and Islam are

branded "alien" or "non-Indian" ~ ~ n d e r the strong plea that they

i~ave not made any significant contribution to life in India.

In this context, it is hoped, that an objective historical

stud! 01' this kind about ~:he congregation of the Carmelites of

Mary Immaculate, an indigenous religious congregation of the

Syrian Catholic Church of Kerala and the role of'the congregation

to transform the Indian scene, at least in Kerala, is important

relevant and timely. Lt will be seen that their contributions brought

about substantial change in the social, economic, intellectual and

ci~ltut.al life of' I

Moreover, any serious study of the Kerala of the 19'"

and 2 0 " centuries, to be objective and truthful. must take into

considel-atio11 the inf1ut:nce of the CMI congregation in moulding

anti sliaping life in I

religious scholars are rather incomplete. There is hardly any

dispassionate and il-11partial atten~pt to portray historical

backgroundof the three riots viz; Indian, Chaldean and Carmelites.

An ob-jective and unbiased scrutiny brings forth the relevance of

the historic mission of CMI to correct the social maladies and

abuses which were eating the vitals of these three roots. Froin such

a context it clearly nlanifests the vision and mission of the

founding fathers. The noble ideas initiated by the early architects

of the congregation are :sincerely followed by their successors with

added dvnamism and determination. Thus the present study is a

pioneer treatise to portray the history of Carmelites of Mary

Immaculate at its correct context.

Sr~rvev of sor~rces

The study is largely based on the variety of sources both primary

and secondary, collectetj from the archival repositories and other

centers of research. The primary sources comprise both

ecclesiastical and sec~ilar documents. The secular sources include

Go\,ernment Orders, Government l'iles, cover Files, Proceeding,

consultations, census Re:ports, Administration Reports, Reports of

19

the various cornlnittei:~, Manuals, Gazetteers and Directories. The

select doculnents culled out of the governlnent records are further

supplel~~ented by the ecclesiastical data. Though a multitude of

scl~~rces hoth p~~bli:;lied and ~~npublished including tnanuscripts

have been consulted in time with the latest system of methodology.

' I I I has foll~n\.ed the systan? cfsclcct bibliography.

N ~ l a g a n i a r ~ ~ s (chronicles) letters, Constitutions and

Oirectories, The book of Traditions, Repotls, Diaries, Periodicals

and Magazines published and preserved by the church

denominations foriiled a ma.jor part of the ecclesiastical sources of

study. 'fl-ie Nalagat~ic-rt~is furnish a detailed account aboutthe works

of the monasteries and accounts. For instance the Nalagamams of

Mannanam and Coonammavu remain a repository of valuable

information abcut the early history and the subsequent growth of

the congregation. The correspondence of the founding fathers,

Prior Generals, pro\~incial Superior and similar letters shed

immense Light on the progress of the congregation through the

ages.

20

A number of diarie,; including Kanianthara and Parappuram

Diary have been consulted. The decrees pertaining to this period of

research have heen ut~lized. The complete works of Fr. Chavara

and his letters remain a valuable source of information. Si~nilarly

the p~~blications of Carmelite missionaries prov~ded vast variety of

information regarding the different stages of their service.

.l'l~c primary sources are supplemented by the published

works both in Malayaian~ and Eiiglish. A11no:;t a!l the available

printed books and journals published in the course of the last two

centuries have been consulted.

Design of the Study

The thesis is designed in such a nlanner to portray the

historical significance of CMI. It ernbodies five chapters besides

the introduction and conclusion. The introduction attenlpts to

highlight the scope and importance of the study at its correct

historical perspective. Since the first three chapters are brought

iiiit to depict the triple roots of CMI i.e, the indigenous, Chaldean

21

and Carmelite, the introduction investigates its historical relevance.

I t traces the importance of the investigation especially in present

context. I t points oul tlie important sources that have been

aiialyzcd. The design of study furnishes the major landmarks of

each chapter.

f h e first chapter makes an in-depth scrutiny of the socio-

rel i~ious and economic conditions of Kerala during the nineteenth

century. More importance is given to the socio-religious and

econoniic background of Travancore since the CMI Congregation

witnessed its birth and major activities .within the realm of

Travancore. It intends to prepare the base of the study and also to

highlight the mission of CMI. It traces the factors that led to the

stratification oftlie society. I t examines the legacy of all the major

communities in the context of nineteenth century. It brings forth

the privileges as well a:; the disabilities of the communities. From

the traditional indigenous background it proceeds to the

~~~anumiss ion initiated by the European missionaries. It goes deep

into the impact of caste disabilities even among the members of the

church. It attempts a delailed analysis of tlie historical background 22

\vliich paved the way for the rise of the congregation of Carmelites

of Mary Immaculate.

'l'he second chapter brings out the advent and expansion of

(~'hristianity in Kera1,a. It traces the origin Christianity in Icerala

t'rcm StTho~nas one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. In the

course of centuries the St. Thomas Christians underwent far-

reacliin~ changes. Even in the ~nidst of trails and tribulations they

succeeded to retain the faith. It examines the nature of contracts

~~I i i c l i the St. Thoma:; Christians had with the Pope and Patriarch.

'The Portuguesi: tried to latinise the Syrian Christians 'who

c.ssenrially re~nained Christian in religion, Syro-oriental in worship

and Indian in culture. In the course of the latinisation, the Syrian

Christians underwent a saga of challenges. Among the ~najor

o~.deals the :;);nod oiDiamper in 1599 and the oath of coonel7 cross

of 1653 constituted the major land marks in the course of their

stl-uggle for identity. The St. Thomas Christians continued to face

01-deals one after another and suffered a lot 1.0 preserve and prosper

their original faith.

23

The third chapter describes the advent and adventures of the

order of discalced Carmelites in Kerala. T1ie Carnlelite

m~ssionaries were very much associated with changing fortunes of

the Syr~an Christians i n Malabar. They came down to the society

of Kerala when the Syrian Christians were almost threatened with

the total annihilation. It was something provitlential that the tinlely

arrival of the Carmelites safeguarded the Syrlans froin the process

of latinisation. Further they became an immense source of strength

in the course of the struggle against the Padroadn. It opened a new

phase of'conflict viz the Padroado -Propaganda controversy where

the Carmelites championed the cause of Propaganda. The Syrian

Chi-istians were also identified theinselves with the Propaganda. It

led to a series of systt:matic and prolonged struggle against the

Portuguese missionaries. The Carmelite Missionaries empowered

the Syrian Christians to restore their usurped churches. They

identified themselves with the cause of the Syrians and Struggled

hard to restore the privileges of the Syrian Christians. Their

endurance and perseverance ellipowered the Syrians to undergo

hardship for the preservation oftheir faith. The founding fathers of 24

CMI gathered courage and inspiration from the ordeals and

sacrifices of tile Discalced Carmelites.

The formation and initial phase of the congregation of CMI

forms the basis of the fourth chapter. In the annals of the socio-

religious history of modern Kerala the estahlishlnent of this first

ind~senous I-eligious congregation occupie:; a permanent place

since i t marked the beginning of a great revolution in the socio-

religious and economic fronts of nlodern Kerala. The founders of

the congregation led by Fr.Thoams Porukara, Tholnas Palckal and

[--I-. I

The first phase of the c:ongregation can rather be identified with the

saintly life of Fr. Ku~riakose Chavara. In (.he midst of Padroda-

propaganda dispute and other deno~nirlational struggle he

succeeded to inould the congregation in an excellent model. It

marked the beginning of a new era in the history of socio-religious

and t.coiionlic life of the people especially tllrough the

establishment of educational institutions, industrial centres and

social services agencies.

The fifth chapter harps upon the progress of the Carmelites

of' Mary Im~naculate through the ages. The prior generals who

succeeded F:.. ICuriakose Elias Chavara continued to promote the

great socio-religious and econotnic revolution initiated by the

foul~ding f'athers. They could secure rapid strides in the realtn of

education, religion, economy and culture.

The sixth chapter depicts the tnultifaceted activities of the

Congregation. The post Fr. Chavara period witnessed ti-ernendous

progress in the fields of liturgy, education, social service, industry,

agriculture etc.

26

tducation of the masses was conceived by the founding

tithers as the most effective means of socio-cultural transformation

of the society. Fr. Chavara himself initiated a great socio-cultural

anti relig~oiis revolution affecting and upsetting the social structure

of Kerala. The Sanskrit school which he established at Mannanam

in I S 4 1 challenged then prevailing Brahmin monopoly over

Sanskrit education. Thereafter hundreds of educational and

industrial institutions were established in different parts of the

world.

Soci:il ,work as ~~nderstood today covers a wide range of

activities such as non-formal education, charity works, counselin~

centers etc.., while social action is intended mainly for the

liberatioli of the pool.. 'The effect of such social work at the macro-

level luay be manifested in and through the changes in individual . .

6..

cases at the micro level. The root cause of the social problenls is

wide spread and e~nl~edded in the social structure, hence

d e ~ n a n d i n ~ a communitarian and universal approach to these

problems. The CMI h;ls played its role in inspiring guidin~.

s i ~ p l ~ o r t i ~ i ~ atid participating when necessary, in the movement for 27

humanization and liberalization. Its social action programme

includes: work for a just society, move~nent for the liberation of

tlie oppressed, co-operation with other action groups whenever

possible. ar~d educating the people about their rights and

supporting them to claim these rights. It studies the

co~itr~bution:; of CMI's in the field of printing and literature. The

various pub1 ications including dailies, weeklies, monthlies annuals,

special numbers, serial publications and well-informed

authoritative books published by the CMI are worth mentioning.

I t rial-rates thc impact of the policies followed by the CMI

congregation for the t:conoinic deveioplnent of the people in the

agricultural. industrial and service sections.

'I'he concluding chapter constitutes a critical analysis of the

socio-economic and religious transformation of the society due to

the influence of the CMI congregation during the 19"' and 20"'

centuries. I t contains the logical arrangement of the conclusions of

tlie study as a whole.

28

Chapter I1

Early History of St. Thomas Christians

The adve:nt and growth of the St. Thomas Christians in

Kerala is a \palid living historical tradition. The tradition traces

the origin of'lChristianity in Kerala to the visit of St. Thomas,

one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. It has been handed

down fi-om ancient time and is accepted by almost all the

Syrian Christ;~aris of Kerala that St. Thomas landed at the port

of Crangannore on the west coast near Cochin in 52 A.D. He

preached Christianity first to the Jewish settlers in and around

Cochin and the:n worked among the Hindus. The Apostle is

believed to have founded seven and a half churches for the use

of the Christiari converts and ordained presbyters. The seven

churches are those of (i) Malankara (Crangannore) (ii) Palayur

(Chavakad) (iii:) Parur (iv) Gokamangalam (v) Niranam

(vi') Chayyal arid (vii) Korakkonikkollam(Qui1on) and the

half church was at ~hiruvankode. ' Amidst the multitude of

controversies regarding the historicity of St:. Thomas tradition

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru observed thus: "Christianity came to

' he,-',Iu ~'/~ur~rl iruni. 'Vol.II .Compiled by the Kerala History Associatioin, (Mal.)p. IOh5 29

lndia as early as the first century after Christ long before

Europe turned to it and established a firm foothold in South

India"?

7 he St. Thoinas tradition is not a inere legend but is

founded on fiicts.' Churches and relics associated with the

Apostle seen in South lndia are ample testimony to conclude

that the Apost'le did come to Kerala to make the earliest

beg~nnrng to1 the propagation of Christianity. The contacts that

existed between the bast and the West and the trade routes

followed by early merchants on land and by sea is a clear proof

that St fhoinas followed the trade route to visit peninsular

India. I t is believed that St. Thomas having first planted

Christ~anity in Arabia and in the island of Socotra, Sailed

e:jst\\asd and landed at Malankara near Crangancore in the

west coast of the southern peninsula. It is further believed that

ti-om Malabar %.Thomas proceeded to Mylapore on the

C'orornandal Coast, where he set up his abode in a rock-cave on

the Cllinnalnalai near the present Chennai city, froin where he

used to move out for evangelization. During this period the

1 ia\ral~arlal Nehru. A I ~ .A~rlr~h~ogruphy, p. 273. 4 Sreedlrara Menon, A Survq ~JKerula Hi,stury, p.99

30

apostle is believed to have visited China. However he returned

to Cl~ennai ant1 continued his work there. His activities brought

hi111 into contlicf with local priests. One of these priests caused

the death of the Apostle by thrusting a lance into the body of

tile Apostle. The Apostle succu~nbed to his injuries three days

later. The body was taken to Mylapore, where the Apostle had

alreadq built a small chapel, and was buried there4

~ i l ~ l o n g tile converts the fanlily of Paltalomatto~n

occt~pies a predominar~t position which liad heen hailed as the

base ot ('haval-a famri).' One of the earliest written works

;11~ot11 t l ~ c ' ti1issiona1-! ,ctivities of' St. Thomas in India is an

apoc.r> /~lial ivork kno\ \n as the acts of (.luclas) Thoma support

I ~ C * ttad~tlon of St rhomas as the founder of the Indian

I he church founded by St. Thomas began to gather

~nornentum. I t traces a continuo~ls history of the St. Thoinas

C'hr-istians in Kerala ~i ' i th certain ups and downs. The materials

4 . C V Cheriyan. A Hisro17. (J[ C'hristia,~ilj. in Kerulu, p.41. 5 . Valerian Plathottarn, BI Kiiriakose Elius Chavura, p 16. (,. l 'he Acts is a very ancient work written in I " or 2"%entury in Syriac by an Edessan. T l~e book was soon translated into Greek from the original. Fr. Bernard. A Briefsketch r,( fir:, H,.rro:: . %.TI. T??~:'o:::;:r f %ri.~linns.

31

fol- rile construction of' the history of this church during the

cart\ i.e~l~icries ot'the Christian era are rather limited: History

i i

10 came from Babylon. In 345 AD, he brought to Crangannore,

a group of four hundred Christians from Bagdad, Ninevah and

I I Jerusalem. The St. Thomas Christians and. the local Rajah

Cheraman I-'erwmal received them. Peruinal bestowed upon

them s t \ era1 soc:ial p r i ~ ileges and lands for settlement. Most

of these pi-ivileges were not of much intrinsic value, but in a

caste r~dden society they served to secure an assured status to

the ~hristians." The colonization was the first known instance

of'a foreign cornmunitq' being introduced into Malabar. It led

to the introd~~ction of Syrian Christian community into

Malabar.. Thereafter the Malabar Christians were called Syrian

Chrlstlans. Before the corning of Knanaya Christians to

Kodungallor, the Christians in Malankara were known not as

S\ rian C'hrivtians but as Mar Tholna ~azranikal.'"homas of

Cana and his colonists who lived on the southern side of the

river in Crangannore did not freely mix with local Christians

who lived on the northern side. The separatist tendency was

handed down from generation to generation and even today -- ~p

I 0 A M . Mun,daclan, Hi.\rurrs uf Chr;.rt;an;!)~ 117 l17d;a. Vol I , p.89. I 1 G . l Meckenzie. Chr~.st~uni(v in Travancore, p.4. 1 3 I' C'herian. The Moluluhrrr .~yria17.s and rhe Chlrrch M;ss;onory Sociely. p.4 1 . ! Jm-nI, -r.. CI~.~!!.ikadu, The S),riun Colon1~urkn7 ~ ~ f M u l a h o r : Thekkunt Baga Sarnudqva

( iih~-rrhru/n, p.71 33

the\ are called Southists while the descendents of the local

Christians a r e called ~ o r t h i s t s . ' ~ The Knanaya Syrian

Christians gained importance in trade and commerce after the

decline of the Roman hmpire. They were engaged in the art of

shipping and excelled themselves in the commercial

transactions. They held the monopoly of the most lucrative

commodities lilke pepper and piece goods. They exported

pepper to f'oreign countries." The ruler of 'lihekkamkur invited

the: members of the Knanaya community to Kottayam. I6

Further they established their commercial settlements which

\\-ere popular1 y known as angadis, thevuvus and colnpolams. 17

Asain about 825 A.D. another immigration under Marwan

Sabir-so . a Persian merchant landed in Quilon with a large

P ~ I T ! \

the period of the grant, permission for conversion to

Christianity was given only to those who had real faith in the

teachings of Jesus ~hr i s t . " Among other monuments of the

church's Persi:an connection may be mentioned a Persian cross

with an inscription in Pahalavi language to be found in the

Valiya Palli at Kottayaln and similar crosses discovered at

Kadarnattonl and ~uttuchira.'" It was in communioli with or as

part of the Chaldean church that the Malabar church emerges

into the light of history. From the very early period the

Malabar church established contacts with the church of Persia

proper first alnd then with that of Mesopotamia. It secured its

bishops successively from these churches from which it

~.eceived its East Syriac Liturgy also. '' Though it was not

dominatiohi of any type, the Episcopal supervision was

provided by bishops from Persia, while local administration of

the church was carried out by local priests. Bishop Brown

clarifies that whiie the Malabar church was truly Indian, it

depended on the East Syrian churches for its theology, its

14 Lqheriyan, o p c ~ l . . p.l I S . 20 >1,f(,r 17,on?a Sjjriu17 < 'hurch Dlrecroq~, p. 13 3 1 I'lacid 1. Ipodipara. /'he l~~d ;v~duo / i f y of (he illcrlahur. Church, n.2.

35

liturgy and its bishops." Though there was Nestorian

episcopacy. the orthodox faith was retained. Shut off by the

mountains on one side and the sea on the other, the Christians

of.Malabal. lived a life of isolation.23

1 , , l l - j n ~ ,,llat I)c. l- iod tlli. I -LI~CI-S 01' Ouilon lnaintained

i . c l l l t a c . ~ , \ \ i l l 1 the r-1.11i.r.s of China. tinblai Khan. \ j ~ h o \\as

,c,,x,,l~ihle tbr s c ~ ~ d i ~ l g to (2~1 i Ion in 1392 t h e V e n e t i a n

, r ; i ,c . l ic .~ \ l j rco [ 'o~o. \He sl,ral

The advent of Pdarco polo testifies the simultaneous missionary

activities of the 'Pilgrim Society for Christ' 110th in China and

in Malabal-. I-ke visited Mylapore and recorded in his book as

"tl~e body of Blessed St. Thomas lies in the province of

blalabar at a certain little town having no great

~x)pulation. Both Christians and Saracens, were,

ho\\e\cr greatl! frequent in the pilgrimage. For the

Sai-awns., also do hold the saint in great reverence and

sa) that he was one of their own Saracens and a great

prophet. The ('hristians who go on pilgrimage to the

place '+vhere the saint was killed and a portion thereof to

an) olie who is sick of a quartanor a tertian fever and by

t l~c pmrer of God and St. Thomas the sickman is

~ncominentallq cured.. . 25

fhe Society activel> attained its zenith when Pope John XXII

by a Bull .&id perr~et~rsm veimemoriam dated August 9 , 1329

constituted Quilon as an Episcopal It was the first

diocese in the lndies and at the time the only one in the country

37

with the Do~i~inican Friar Jordan Catalain of Serverac (France)

as its ish hop." The rare honour was conferred upon Quilon to

be tlre first ever Catholic diocese of India, a decade after the

death of' liavi 'Jarma K~tlasekhara ( 1 299-1 3 13). 111 his letter

dated Augi~st 2 1. 1320 appointing Jorden Catalain Pope John

stated thus:

"John servant of the servants of God to our venerable

Fria~. Jordan C'cithala Bishop of Coulan, greeting:

considering that you.. .. Learned in the science of

theology have personally known of the state the situation

of the people (of India) in the course of our preaching to

thern tlre Divine word and that you htive now the souls of

many faithful to our Lord Jesus, for whom the zeal for

the H'oly Faith is a proof of sanctity (cui sacrue

religic.~nis zelus vitae tnu~zdatio est) we have in

consequence. caused, to be given to you episcopal

consecr;~tion by the hand of our venerable Brother

Bertrand Bishop of Tuscalum. Wherefore, by these

present apostolic letters, we order your Fraternity that

38

you repair to lour church with the grace of our

henedi~tion."'~

Anothel- Franciscan, Friarodoric of Pordenone visited

).;c.~.ala about i1.U. I334 on his way to China. He halted at the

port of' (r)uilol~ for a \.\-hile. After his return to Europe some

~ea1.s latel- he dictated an account of his inlpressions of

C'hris~ians in Mlalabal- and the Corolnandel coast. He says that

there were Cl~ris~tians at Quilon. He points out also that it was

ten days journ.ey fro111 Malabar to another part of India where

St. rholnas the Apostle was buried and that "his church is

tilled witl? idols and beside it are sonle fifteen houses of

Nestorians that is to say Christians, but vile and pestilent"2"

lie~-c:tics.

In 1348 John de Maringoli, a Franciscan on his return

journey fi-0111 China arrived at Quilon. He was sent to India,

China and other Eastern countries by Pope Benedict XI1 (1334-

1312). He spent several months in the country. In Quilon

alone he remained for sixteen months. At th,at time, there were

39

two distinct Cl~ristian communities in India one following the

Syso-Chaldean rite and the other adhering to the Latin

comlnunit>,. He has left behind him an account of his stay in

(Juilon as tblll~\vs:

O n Palm Sunday 1348 we arrived at a very noble city of

India called Quilon, where the whole world's pepper is

1.1-oduced. The Christians of St. Thoin~as are the inasters

ot' tlie public lbeighing office (qui habent statevam

/~oritle~-rs rotiu.c nzundi) from which I derived as a

prerequ~site of my office as Pope's Legate every month a

hundrec i;old~far.iunzs and a thousand when 1 left. There

is a church of St. George there of the Latin communion,

at \vhich I dwelt and I adorned it with fine paintings and

taught there the Holy Law. And after I had been there

some time I went beyond the glory of Alexander the

great when he set up this column. For erected a stone as

my lantiiriark and memorial and anointed it with oil. In

sooth i:t was a marble pillar with a stone cross on it,

intended ro last till the world's end. And it had Pope's

arms and my own engraved on it with inscriptions both

40

in Indian, and Latin characters. I consecrated and blessed

it in the pr'esence of an infinite nlultitude of people and I

was carrietd on the shoulders of the ch ie fs in a litter or

I'alanq~tin like Solotnon's. So after a year and four

montlis I took leave of the brethren (valejaciens

f ) . He preached the word of Ciod and conducted

di \ .~ne services. He also baptized a pagan after

instt-ucting hi111 fix three months. It nlust be admitted that

cordial relations prevailed at that time between the

Latinite:j and Chaldeo-Syrians. The terms cited above

are suffjcient enough to substantiate it . . .."'

Another papal Legate to India whom mention can be

tnatie ot' I S Friar Albert de Sartiano 0 .F .M sent by Pope Eugene

IV ( 143 I - 144'7) to the Asiatic countries. He was the bearer of a

letter sent by the Pope to the Villarvetttain ruler of Kerala.

Addressing the Chaldeo-Syrian ruler as "Beloved son of Christ,

Thomas, the illustrious Emperor of the Indians", the letter,

recom~nended the Papal Legate top? the ruler and said: " There

has often reached us a constant rumour that your serenity and

41

all who are subjects of your kingdom are true ~h r i s t i ans . "~ ' In

1433 Pope Eugene IV sent several missionaries to the Eastern

countries and Frair Albert de Sartiano was one among them."

Fr. Hosten states that such types of settlements were found

from Karachi to Cape Coinorin and from Cape Conlorin to . ~ 1 , Mylapore.

When the Portuguese under Alfonso de Albuquerque

landed in Qu~ lon in 1503 they found that there were 25,000

Christians of ~~vhom a good number were Latin Catholics. The

historian who accompanied Vasco da Gama during his second

expedition also visited Quilon and referred to the existence of

numerous churches.''

The accounts furnished by the European travelers shed

immense lighi. o'n the conditions of the church in Malabar from

the 12"' to the 1 :jth centuries. Among the travelers were John of

Monte Carvirio., who remained in India for thirteen months;

Marco Polo, the celebrated Venetian traveler, who stayed in

India on his way back to Rome from China and Oderic, an ~

3 I I'aniikaran. Thc Syrian ( ' h~ r r rh in Malnhur, p.34. 3 2 . A J . Ro~ario (ed.) Kollutr? ('lrrisrunikul. pp.1 10-1 I 1 -

. . h~,,u/u l.urrn (',rrholic u.s.%o

Italian I;ranciscan, who on his journey to Quilon and Mylaproe

found several hmilies of Nestorians here. John De Marignolli,

wlio s~aj.ed at Quilon for sixteen nlonths speaks of Indian

( ' I I I - I S L I ~ I I ~ as n-lasters of South India.

1 i l l the arrival of the Portuguese, the Christian church in

Kcrala I-emained an independent body. It was Christian in

1.ellgion. Sy1.o-orien~al in worship and Indian in culture. Until

the 16'' century, there were neither doctrinal nor ritual division

anlong the Si.. Thomas Christians. They had the same faith and

same communiion and had also the same rite which was East . .

Syian ." Thus they were well placed in the social hierarchy

\\.hen the Portuguese set their foot on the coast of Kerala.

George Woodcock, attested to it as follows:

111 general, the Syrian Christians were unnlolested by the

non-Christians of Kerala. At a later period Tipu Sultan

destroved some Christian churches in. Malabar and made

a few forcible conversions to Islam, but he was an alien

f'so~n fvlysore, unaccustomed to Malayali tradition of

tolerance. The only known persecution by Hindus was

3. X;IVIC~ hudapllzlia. Fairh U I I ~ C'o~irm~inron o/rhe lnd~un Chtirch ufSt. Thomas ('11, ,,Yll

the 1lia:;sacre in 1809 of many Syrian Christians,

including some priests, during a Nair rising against the

'ast India. Company, but this was less because of the

religion of the \/ictiins than because they were suspected

ot tavoring the British. There is certainly no record of

an), per:secution, on the part of the rulers of the Brahmins

during the period before the arrival of the Portuguese. ""

L)ul-ilig the coul-se of these centuries, the St. Thomas

Christians became an affluent community. They enjoyed the

same social stztus on par with the caste Hindus and observed

their caste r ~ ~ l e s as their own. They were indifferent t c the

spread of gospel and their spiritual life was on the wane. They

nia111taint.d ecclesiastical relations with the Persian church,

\4,eicoming bisl~ops and ecclesiastic from the region. But the

churc!~ never came under the domination of the Nestorian , -

church. ' The Syrian church developed itself as an indigenous

church except in matters of faith and forms of worship. The

Christian society of' Kerala presented the picture of a

~~~~ -- ~~-~~~

7 h (ieorge Woodcoc:k, Ko-

their religion uriconsciously emulated the fanaticism of the

Moslems. and when persuasion and eloquence failed, they used

intimidation and force to convert the Syrians to their faith.4' It

\ras the first organized move of one set of Christians against

their o\xn kith and ltin in this part of the world." One hundred

and tift) t\\o priests and six hundred and sixty two laymen and

.4schdeacon attended the synod, which colnnlenced on 20 June

1590. I \r o hundred and sixty seven decrees were passed at the

s ) - n ~ d . ~ ' They were calculated to establish the Roman doctrine

and Pope's s,upreinacy in clear terms. The celibacy of the

clergy \\as made a rule. The Udayamperoor sunnahadose took

decisions calculated to wean the Christians away from the

centuries old Hindu inf~uence."~ The Synod of Diainper, to a

u.i.at extent brought LO co~npletion the Catholicization of the <

church in ~ a l a b a r . " The Portuguese efforts to create a pocket

of influence by winning over the local Christians to allegiance

towards the l io~nan Church also left behind a trail of communal

J I C.M. .4 11sul- :'hitrch Hivroi:~: ~fTral,m?core p.22.

42 .lvl,,-~~o/ of h,?rulu Stlrdie.,. Trivandrum. 1975. Vol. 11, p.27. 4; (-. M ,Afur. t~ / i . r i l . . pp.48-50. 44 M (; S Naxiyanan. C'i t / r~iro/ .Sl~t~~bio.si .s in Kerolo, p.7.

45 k .I .lolin (ed.). Ch,-t.\~iu~~ Heritage

feuds and bit terne~s.~" The synod touched the very foundation

of the reirg~ous and social life of the St. Thomas ~h r i s t i ans .~ '

I l ie allegiance lasted only for fifty five years. The unwilling

S\I-ians \indicated tlicir ancient faith by requesting the

I'atriarch ot't!gypt at Cairo, the Nestorian Patriarch of Babylon

and the Jacob~te Patriarch at Antioch for a bishop to be sent to

Ilalabal- 1 1 , the meanwhile, they nominated one alnong

ti~emsel\ es n,a~ned 7 holnas of the Pakalomattom family, to act r .

as the11 bisliop t i l l one would arrive. 1 he response came

immediately from the Patriarch of Babylon who sent Bishop

Icnat~us - Siinon Hidayathulla popularly known as Ahatalla to

h4alahar-. tlu't the Portuguese, out of hostility to the Syrian

C'III-istians, de:ported him to Goa where he was tried by the

I ~ ~ i ~ u ~ s ~ t ~ o n and then burnt or shipped off to Europe. The

success of the Synod was short lived.

rhe Ahattala event brought the discontent which had

heen brew~ng to an open revolt even against the Government

on whose strength the church depended for its existence." A

4% h h kuru%,illa, .4 H I . \ I ~ I ~ I , of il?e Mar Thumos CI~urc,h uf?d 11,s DOCII.III~S, p.1 I

46

large number of about 25,000 Syrian Christians marched to

Cochin 11ndt:r the leadership of Anjilinnoottil Thomman 1'1 C'athanal.. But the fort was closed against them and cannon

\\ere rnc>i~i~ted on the walls for use in c;3se of emergency.

I-lc~lct. the) ass#-inbled around coonet7 cr.o.s,s, at Mattancherry,

Cuchin and touching the long rope that was tied to it, took an

oat11 11131 the) severed their connection with the Roman church

aiicl that they wlsuld recognize their Archdeacon Thomas as the

si~],renic head of the church. As the news of the coonen cross

oath spread, all the Syrians except a few hundreds joined the

re\ olt. '1~Ii.e event marked a turning point in the history of

Kerala church as i t led to the emergence of two distinct

secrions among Christians, the Romo-Syrians who remained

lo\al ro the Pope known as pazhayakutttr (old section) and

other section who got liberation from the Roman yoke called as

pzrri~enkutr~~ i(new section)."' The general council of the

/~~rr/~enkurru rnet at Alangad, elected a four member committee

to assist the ~rchdeacons" attempt to bring the revolting

47

Syrians again into the Roman fold met with partial success.

The capture of Cochin by the Dutch on 7 January 1663

con~pletely chan;ged the situatio~i. '~ The new masters ordered

all ish!. l'ilr DI,/c/T P O I ~ C I . 117 KCI.U/U 1729-1 7 j R . p 19. 5.; I . K . Anantakrishna lyer. A17lhropolo~- of r/?e .Sy!.ion Chvisliu~~s. p.33.

4 A M Mundad,ui. u l~c i r . . pX4. . . M.O. liosh!. til?.i.ir.. p. 7 13

i(, S ~ C O ~ I I C S belonfed to the g o u p o f churches historically called Monophysite and 111~11. patt.ial-cI1 was know11 a5 the Jacobite Patriarch o f Antioch.

48

consecrate Archdeacon 'Thomas as Mar Thonia I. It marked the

beginning of the long connection between the two churches.

Episcopal continuity was restored with Mar T h o ~ n a 1 as the

first Indian Metropolitan. His successors were known by the

name Mar Thon~a up to Mar Thotna V and thereafter four of

the Metropolitar~s were known by the title Dionysius. S o ~ n e of

these consecrations were conducted by visiting bishops from

the West Asia as before and some by the loci11 ~ e t r o ~ o l i t a n s . ~ ~

During the eighteen centuries of its existence in Kerala

Christianity developed a s an indigenous religion. It became

possible under the patronage extended by the local rulers and

with the friendship and tolerance extended by the natives.

Althougll the Portuguese could destroy the liturgy of the

Syrians and create a division ainong them, they could not

completely destroy the community.

Under the Dutch and the British East India Companies

the Syrian Christians sincerely tried to strengthen their status.

With their suppol-t, the Syrian Church revived its religious,

educational and social activities." Claudius Buchanan who

58 . Alexa~ider Mar Tliorna. O / J 1 1 . p.9

59 1' C'her~ati. ,,/i cil.. p. 160 49

visited the Malabar Church at the instance of Lord Wellesley

prepared his report in the famous document known as Christian

Re.s~~urcIie.s in A.Y~LI. CoI. John Monroe, the British resident of

TI-alancore and Cochin states fi-0111 18 10 to 1820, took a furthei-

initiati\c. He was a devoted Christian with evangelical

con\,ictions."" Col. John Monroe who took keen interest in the

social and religious renovation of the St. Thomas Community,

wl-ole to the Church Missionary Society of England to send

missionaries to revive the Old Church. The Anglican Church

Missionary Soci.ety sponsored the 'Mission of Help' to the

Orthodox Church established in 18 16."' The first missionary to

arri1.e was Norton. Benjamin Baily, Joseph Fenn and Henry

Baker, the first triumvirate of English missionaries to the

Syrian C'hurch, of South India, followed him."' They were to

regenerate the St. Thomas church. They were not to make

Syrians Anglicans or assume authority over them, but to bring

nen ideas which would work from within and help the Syrian

00 I 1 . . Kra!. .4 Ni.slory ufriic Si,rian ('hut-ch in India, p.69. 01 O ~ t t i c t ~ ~ i 1 3 . Forrester, np ' , ! I . { l . l O l 6 2 1 it.01-sc M~li i r Rae.

church to retirrn itself'."' Being conscious of the needs of his

church. Punnathara Mar Dionysius, the Metran, welco~ned the

C l i ~ ~ r c h Miss~,onary Society missionaries to work in the St.

I liomas church At tirst the native Metrans welcorned the co-

operation of ):he missionaries but later on a hostile spirit was

inanif'ested towards them. The rapid spread of protestant

helie& among the Syian Christians led t o the Synod of

Mavelikara which decided to stop all connection with the

Anglican inissionaries."'

Besidels the Rorno-Syrian church arid Jacobite Syrian

ch~lrch. there were sonle minor churches tracing their origin to

the Apostle Thomas. The Chaldean or Nestrorian church,

which is 'still following Syrian liturgy has considerable

his~orical im~portance. It maintained connection with the

church of' Balbylon even during the middle ages. The Chaldean

Church also lcnown as The Church of the East has developed in

and around Trichur. At present the Church is under the

episcopal supervision of Mar Aprem and Paulose Mar Paulose.

.

0 3 ('.R l111h. o/~.crl.. p. 164. 04 Iiurlan Kani!/aniparamb~l. Sli1.iu171 Suhhu, pp. 194-198

51

.I he Thozhiyoor Suriyani Sabha is an independent Syrian

I , , . Chruch. The origin of the church goes back to the 18"'

centur>. when a foreign Jacobite bishop by name Mar

Ciregor~us consecrated a priest, belonging to Katturnangattu

t jn~i ly . as Bishop \+,it11 the title Mar Kurilos, without consulting

the reigning Metran, Mar Thonla ~ 1 . " " l'his led to dispute

between Mas .I:'homa VI and Mar Kurilos;. Mar Thoma VI

appealed to the Rajas of Travancore and Cochin. Fearing

persecution, JVar KUI-ilos escaped to a place called Thozhiyoor

or- Anjur in British ~a l aba r . " ' He gathered some followers

there and tht* church founded by him became an independent

one. f h e church had played a significant role in critical stages

in the h~story of the Syrian church by consecrating bishops for

it 1-here 1s a strong relation between the Mar Thoina Syrian

Church and Thozhiyoor church since 1893. When Thomas

Mar Athanasius died in 1893, his successor was consecrated by

Mar Athanasiu~s and Mar Kurilose V of the Thozhiyoor church.

-~ .

h5 (3 (hediatli. Kcrolurl~~le ( '17rr,s/hwu SuDhukul, pp. 134-1 3 5 . oh k 1 lo!. I'lri. ? , h r Th,~l,l,i ('l7urch : A Budv ofits Grou~lh and ('onrriruion, p. 19 7 \. I iruh \'alphese. (;/,iii,,ii..~ of /he H,.YIoJ~; qfthr ('hri.stiu17 (%urches in ind~u .

1 1 - 1 .

52

Ever since bisltlops of' two churches help each other for inter

church consecration oi'bishops.

Thc Roman Catholic Church estat-dished its roots in

Mulabar with the advent of' the Pol-tuguese in the 16"' century.

The St. 1 hornas Christians maintained contacts wit11 the eastern

churches oiTI'ersia through centuries. But they maintained their

special identity and status. Though the Portuguese tried their

hest to tbrce them to accept papal supremacy, a large number

of them resisted. 'They struggled hard to keep their identity

against the Portuguese domination. It was only with the

expulsion of' t:he Portuguese, the St. Thomas Christians were

able to renew their contacts with the eastern churches. The St.

.l'llomas Christians had the full support of the Dutch. When the

H~.itish became a dominant political power in India, they tried

to reform tht: church of the St. Thoinas Christians. Though all

the nla.jor political developlnents affected their lives, society

and religious practices, they remained Indian, retaining their

special characteristic features. The St. Thomas Christians had

a rightful place in the society and shared common interests and

took pride with the rest of the people of Kerala that they were

53

all 'Malayalees' speaking the sanle Malayalam language and

wearing the same: dress. They were staunch in their adherence

to their faith and proitd of the apostolic origin of their church.

I-he majoriry of the Syrian Christians in Kerala belong to the

[tornan ('atliolic Church.

54

Chapter 111 ADVENT AND ADVENTURES OF THE ORDER OF

I)ISCAI,CED CARMELITES IN KERALA

0 1 all the Christian Congregations who labored among the

Syro-Malabal-lans, the Carmelite missionaries occupied a

predominant place. The Carmelite Order of monks was founded in the

midst of ~nonasticis~n in 1206 A.D. at the Mounl. Carmel in Palestine.

They rook the Prophet Eli-jali of the Old Testament as their model and

lived in the secluded caves near the Spring of ~ . l i j ah . ' St. Albert, the

Patriarch of Jerusallem called them as the Brothers of the Blessed

Virgin Mar! .' Al;mned at the Muslim campaign they fled to Europe

in 1144. Subsequently Pope Innocent IV and Pope Eugene 1V

modified the Ku1t:s of the Order and helped them to expand the limits

of t l i e ~ ~ congl-egation. Itall became one of the fertile grounds of the

Carmelites atid they showed great fidelity to the Holy See and

submitted to the clirections of ~ o m e . '

I he father:; of the Order of Discalced Carmelites from Italy

were also entrusted with the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese

of Vel.apolq at C'ochin in Kerala. In the beginning they were very

. ('(o-,ric,/iii L I l i - c , ~ ioi?. of brdiu. Camielite Family of India. p.9. . l>etes 5l:tllet~!. 771e .S/.'rii7g.s ?lf ( '~ i r l l ie / , p. I . I'etes 'I'llo~na\ Koll~-bi~ck. ./ournc!j io Curirh: The Slot?. $the C~rniie/ire Order, pp.42-43 55

much associated with ihe Syrian Christians of Malabar. The

Carmelite missionaries started their active involvement at the period

of c~)ot ic ir7 c,i.o~.c oatl.1, one of the crucial periods of the history of the

Syrian ('hristians. FI-. Joseph of St.Mary ltnown as Sebastiani and

1-lyacinth o f Sl.Vincent, both the ~nembers of the Order of Discalced

Carmelites \\ere appointed, as Papal commissioners by Pope

.4lexandel- V11 -to bring out a conciliation between the two section^,^

and to hr-ing back the defectors to the true path and relieve from the

control of 'l'lio~na:; die Ca~npo, the Arch deacon, who assumed himself

the Archbishop. Joseph Sebastiani who came down to Malabar on 10

March 1658 greatly succeeded to bring back the dissidents who left

after the i.ootiun cross before his departure to Rome. Based on his

report the Konir: !Pontiff' Pope Alexander V1.1 in 1659 erected a

Vicariate Apostc~lic of Malabar on 3"' December 1659 and Joseph

Sebastiani was consecrated as the titular Bishop and appointed as the

Administrator ,4postolic of the Archbishopric of Crangannore. The

Syrian Christian:~ received him with much respect. But it marked the

beginning of a new hierarchy of episcopal administration directly

from propaganda. It was against the padroado privilege granted to

the POI-tuguese King.

56

Ibollouing tlhe political vicissitudes the Dutch expelled all the

Catholic\ f lom Malabar. Joseph Sebastiani before his departure to

Rome ordained l'arambil Chandy, the Syrian parish priest of

Kuravilangad. the carliest Carmelite congregatiol-i in Malabar as Vicar

Apostolic of' Malabar. Alexander de Calnpo alias Parambil Chandy

beca~ne the leadel- of the reunited section of the Syrian Catholics.

Before lea\ ing hhalabar. Sebastiani obtained an assurance from

General K!ikloffth~at the Ilutch ~ ~ o u l d favour Bishop Chandy and not

the ~ r c h d e a c o n . ~ Though the Dutch had promised Sebastiani, as he

was leaving Kerala, that they would favor Bishop Chandy and not his

rival, they had changed their mind at about the time of the arrival of

6 Mar Ciregol.~os.

lnspite of the order of expulsion issued by the Dutch against

the missionaries, the Carmelites did not leave ~ a l a b a r , but went to

the Zamorin's terri,tory. Several of them retired secretly to the interior

and lived among hills and dales ministering to the St.Thomas

Christians, who were numerous in those regions, engaged in the

-- ~- ~

'. Josepli I~liehkedath. Hi!;rory ql ('hrrstiunit). in India. Val. II. pp. 152-59 ' Ferl-01,. f ie .l~~.vrirfi m A.lulahui-. Volll. p.63.

57

cultivation ol' pepper and spices, rice and coconut, and several other

products. Phey attentied to the needs of the missionaries and helped

them to st;+!, in their midst.

I l ie hostilit!~ of the Dutch towards the Carmelite ~nissionaries

gradually abated. Fr.Mathews of %Joseph, a close associate of

Sebastiani cultivated close friendship with Van Rheede, the Dutch

Commandel. and helped him in the compilation of Hortus

,I/laluhu~.lcr~,\. He succeeded in building build the first Carmelite

Church at Chathiat12 near Ernakulam. Thereafter he established the

second Cal-~nelitr: Church at Verapoly and built a residence for

missionaries that became the mother house of the Carmelites

missionaries in Malabar. In 1675 a seminary was erected in the same

place. \ihich later develoved into the great seminary of Puthenpally

and the present Pontifical Seminary of ~ l w a ~ e . ~

The disputes among the local factions especially the followers

of Archdeacon amti Parampil Chandy continued unabated. On receipt

of the information, regarding the unsettled state of affairs in Malabar,

'. M I . 1 Tlrutnir~ C'lf~-i.iii

the Propaganda authclrized the Carmelites to elect a suitable native as

co-adjutor and future successor to Bishop Chandy who was getting

old. O n 3''' h4arch 1677 they elected Fr.Raphae1 de Figueredo

Salgado. horli 01' P o r t ~ ~ g ~ l e s e parents, at Cochin and received

ordination at (alicut from Bishop Thomas de Castro, Vicar apostolic

of ~ a n a r a . " 1-he conjecratiorl of Salgado against the wishes of Bishop

Chand\ earned ).hi: displeasure of the Syrians. Bishop Salgado

excomlnun~cared Father George, the Vicar General of Bishop

Chand! .

I-ollo\+ing the establishment of the Dutch supremacy in

Cochin. the Pol-tuguese missionaries found it impossible to continue

their 12roselytisation work. The archbishop of Cranganore and the

B ~ s h o p 01 ('ochin were neither able to exercise their jurisdiction

within the allotted areas nor personally arrive at the said territories by

the reasons of prohibition made by the Dutch. The appointment of

Fr.Peter Paul, an eminent Carmelite missionary and Provincial of the

Carnielites in hfalabar as the titular Archbishop of Ancyra (1696) and

Vicar Apostolic of Bombay, marked the beginning of a favorable

change in the prospects of the Carmelite mission on the Malabar ~ ~~ ~ - ~-

' I . I 5 1li:resia. H~c,ro,.i./?;u C'~lr~~~e/ifu~iu. Fu.sc;enlus. Vol. IV. pp.202-203 59

coast. Through his personal influence he obtained from the Senate at

A~nsterda~n a decree dated 1 ''I April 1698 which permitted one bishop

and twelve priests of'the (:arnielite order who were Ltalians, Germans

or Belgia~is t o work in thc territo1.y except in the town of Cochin. The

ban u p o n the fexuits cont~nued without any change. Availing the

favorable situation the Carmelites tried to establish their spiritual

hegemony throughout the coast. Soon the Carmelites of Verapoly,

burning with zeal to govern the Archdiocese of Cranganore and the

Diocese of Cochin and to expel the Jesuit nlissionaries from Maiabar,

of the College and seminary of Ambalakad, hatched a plot; they.

complained to the Society of Propaganda that the Archbishop of

Cranganore and th~e Bishop of Cochin were absent from their dioceses

and that caused great detriment to the interests of Christianity in the

resion. In consequence of this arrangement the Society of

Propaqanda, .. which was keen to extend its jurisdiction, obtained a

brief from Pope Innocentius XII, on 30"' February 1700 instituting the

Carnielite Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly anti appointing Fr.Angelo

Francise of St.Teresa. as titular Bishop of Mettellopolis and Vicar

Apostolic of hlialabar, until the Archbishop of Cranganore and Bishop

o f C'ochin wou1,d personally repair to their dioceses. But it .had no

60

effect on the Bishopric of Cochin, although on the Archbishopric of

Cranganore i t lasted till the year 1703 when the Portuguese

Govern~nellt consecr.ated its new Archbishop T>on~ Joao Robeiro

I 0 . - S.J.. I he \'icar Apostolic and his Carmelites tried to hinder the

possession of the Archbishopric of Cranganore by Don1 Joao Robeiro,

S.J. and to tI11s etfect the) endeavored to foment the jealousy of the

I1~1tch at ( ' o c h ~ ~ i against the Portuguese. They managed the support

fi-om both the K i j a of C'ochin and neighboring chieftains, made

insurrections in tile churches, and gave hopes to the Schismatics to

obtain leave from the Pope to consecrate their own Bishop. The

allegations made against the Jesuit Archbishop Doln Joao Robeiro

were numerous speciallv by the Car~neiite Fr.innocencio of

St.Onoti-io 111 spite of all the persecutions of the Car~nelites with the

support ot'the Dutch, the .4rchbisliop Dom Joao Robeiro continued to

govern the Archbishopric of Crangannore from Ambazhakat until his

death in 17 16."

l h e Carmelites obtained a new Brief for their Bishop of

Mettellopole on 13'" March 1709 sanctioning him to govern the

- ~ ~

"' I ~ ~ ~ l c ~ ~ c a I I ~ I ~ I ~ ~ ~ ~ I ~ ~ I , ~ ~ ~ ~ . Vol l2X. F. 1959. , I lhid . I - I')h(l

61

cl~urches in the terri.tory in which the Archbishop of Crangannore and

the R1s11op of Cochin had no jurisdiction. It runs thus : "the

Arclib~shop of ('rali~gannore and the Bishop of Cochin were absent

since 23 long period of time fkonl their respective churches, the same

Inneceiltius, our predecessol., willing as he was to give protection to

the spiritual nec~es;sities 01' the people of those parts and trusting

orea t l~ 111 (lie Lord o n your faith, prudence, charity, doctrine 22 undesstand~ng, vigilance and zeal in the Christ~an religion and in the

Catholic l a ~ t h constituted and deputed your Vicar Apostolic of the

Malabar Hills upon certain conditions that expressed as more fully

contained in the apostolic letter of the same lnnocentius which was

dispatched in the form of' Brief under date, the 28''' February 1700,

with all necessary and opportune powers until the aforesaid

Archbishop ancl Bishop could personally return to their respective

churches. but it is made known to us that the aforementioned ',

..

Archbishop of Cranganore and Bishop of Cocbin were neither able to

exercise their jurisdiction within the said Hills of Malabar nor

personally arrived in the said territories''

~ ~ ~ -

12. Ihid I f l')3I-l')33. Tranblal~on fiom Latin o fa Papal BriefofI'ope Clement 11.

62

'The fbregoing Brief was accompanied by a letter of the same

date fi-on) thc C'ongregation of the Propaganda to the Archbishop of

Crangannose inthrnling that Jurisdiction was provisionally granted to

the Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly only to govern those churches in

\vhich the said A~.chbishop and the Bishop of Cochin could not freely

exercise thcil- jusis~diction on account of impediments from the

infidels and scl~is~natic or trom the secuiar Government and that the

said pl-ivilege \ ~ o u l d only last while such impediments existed and no

longer. Another letter to the Vicar apostolic enjoined on him that

every diligence sl-iould be used by him in order to make all churches

and Christians obey their own Bishops of Cochin and Crangannore.

l~ollowing the letter trom Propaganda, the Vicar Apostolic of

Verapol). wrote to the Archbishop of Cragannore on the Christmas

day of' I 7 1 1 : " 7'he ilioly peace of the only son ofGod who is born this

day in the world fisr our life, I do hereby evangelize your vigilant

pastor of so good will towards your flock and pray to our Lord to

console you on this occasion of his holy feast with abundance of His

grace for the profit. of his flock. It is now two or three days since I

received a lettel. from the new Vicar Apostolic of Bornbay (who

through disaster:; in traveling still remains in Persia) enclosing two

63

from the sacred Congregation of Propaganda de Fide, one to yourself

and the other to me of which the former belonging to you shall be

presented by my envoy, Kev.Fr.Arsenio together with an authentic

copy oi'the translation of an Apostolic Brief that come enclosed in the

said letter oi'the sacred society by which his Holiness renewing the

first Briel'of' his predecessor newly constitutes nie to the same office

of the Vicar Apostolic with circuinstances and clauses which you will

see in the said authentic copy. I hope that by colnplying with what is

ordered to one f o ~ . the sake of the salvation of these poor Christians in

co-operation with your authority as Proprietor we shall uno Covde

Unol~et-e et rrMo Nominie soon reduce these wretched Catholics, who

are rebellious as they are to you, their only prelate have passed to the

obedience of an intruder the said Syrian Archbishop Doin Gabriel and

also bring with more iacility others that remain unwilling and so

neglectful other obligations to give you due obedience as good

subjects and son:j of the Holy Mother Church. We shall then

endeavor the reduction of the ancient heretical schismatic and the

Jacobites in order to form these depraved Christians of St.Thomas in

one tlock under a sole pastor.

64

As this is tl-ie intention both of his Holiness and the sacred

society. '1s also the only wish of yourself and of u:j all, I hope you will

have no ditIicult>. in co-operating as Principal and Proprietor of this

flock and to i~idicate to me how I shall conduct myself in the

execution of the Order of hi5 Holiness so on either \vish to be inore

great, nur des11.e a n y thing else than to serve God our Lord and you

and atfi~r-d !ou all satisfact~on by endeavoring towards the salvation

of these poor souls until I die in this holy exerclse for the attainment

of which 1 solicit the aid ot your ~neritorious prayers and the favor of

your holy blessings"."

.4fter \vl-iting the above letter this Vicar Apostolic repaired to

the city of ('ochin. visited the Dutch Governor, and distributed

presents alnongs,t :some ot' his officers and afterwards proceeded to

visit the neighhor~ng churches wherein he exercised the Episcopal

functions. But he could not long enjoy his Apostolic Vicarage as he

died the next year, 1712. In January 1714 another Vicar Apostolic

named doin F.John Baptista Multedi was sent tiom Rome by the Pope

Cleinent I 1 "', for Verapoly with the title of the Bishop of Lymira (in

Asiatic Furkey). The Brief of that Bishop of Lymira grantd him

jurisdiction under the following clauses. '"We do constitute and

65

depute you Vicar Apostolic in the aforesaid province of the Hills of

Malabar with resl:)ect to the churches and places respectively of the

dioceses of'C'sangannore and Cochin in which ordinaries are actually

impeded fi-om freely exercising their jurisdictiol-IS, and those where it

m a y i n ii~tul-e happe:n to be impeded and no longer".

I'he Archbishop 01'C:ranganore and the Bishop of Cochin often

represented that the impedinients in question were either false or

exaggerated or rather procured by the Vicar Apostolic and his

propagandist> but kom Rome they always sent palliative answers.

In 1722, when the Portuguese missionary Dom Antonio

Pirnental calne to Crangannore as Archbishop, the Governor of

Cochin sent a force with an officer and a party of soldiers to Aycotta

in order to apprehend the Archbishop and sent hiin to Batavia as a

prisonel-. But, howevel.. he escaped froin that grip. Doin Antonio

Pimental reporied the entire developments to Rome and blamed the

Carmelites for the trouble.

In a lett~er from the Congregation of Propaganda to the

Archbishop of Crangannore, D o ~ n Antonio Pimental, they recorded

their deep regret: "We are very sorry under good reason to hear the

dispute exc~ted between you and the Bishop of Lymira (the Vicar

66

Apostolic of' the Hills of Malabar) with respect to the exercise of

spiritual iurisdiction which circumstance we have learned by the late

letters !i.om thc said Vicar Apostolic. We were long ago persuaded

that t1ic1-e coulti not ren ia i~~ any roo111 for hesitation or doubt if both of

you had behaved yoursel\,es ingeniously and with equity, mutually

assisting each other in the cultivation of the great vineyard of our

I,ord. I lo\ve\er. in order to dissipate and totally remove all doubts,

and to manifest lnore plainly the intention of this sacred congregation

this affair we herewlth transmit to you a particular instruction for your

guidance and hope you will endeavor to behave yourself accordingly

in the exercise ot' your ordinary jurisdiction in like manner. Thus we

sincerely hope that through mutual exertions, vigilance and consent of

you both all discords niay be peacefully adjusted and an only sheepfold t0rnied under a sole pastor. God preserve you inany

'Phe Congregation of Propaganda wrote another letter in Italian

on 23"' ~ebrua;;,, 1728 to the Bishop of Cochin, Dom Francisco de

Vasconcelles assuring him that jurisdiction was granted to Vicar

Apostolic merely to govern those churches in which the Bishop could

not exercise hi:j jurisdiction from impediments put by the secular

67

government, because the title of the impediment from the schismatic

was a falsehood too palpable. and totally unsustainable with respect to

this Bishopric in which there never was any schisinatic churches not

even indicated an) propensity to it.' '

[ -he c1ii11-ches transferred to Verapoly since the year 17 1 1 by

the motives of the I'apal Brief are the following;(i)Vaypin

(ii)Mattanclierrj. (iii)Cruz dos Milagres (iv)Benjdarty (v)Palurty

(vi)Castelle ( I 1i)Senhora de Sande and (viii)Santa ~ r u z . ' " Afterwards

the churche~ ot 4njengo. Mampally, Changar~acherry and Attingal

were annexed to the Diocese of Verapoly. The Santa Cruz church at

Alleppey \&as also transferred to Verapoly against the will of its

par~sh~onerb. fhe Syrian Churches of Muttom, Tattampally, Alleppey

and Porcal also remained under ~e rapo ly . " But it is doubtful

~411ether the first three belonged to the Bishopric of Cochin or to the

Archbishopric of Crangannore since the last was in Travancore. The

Cartnelite Fr.Prospero endeavoured to build a new church at Alleppey

to which he has attached the Christians of that place.

Archbislrop D.Joao Aloysio de Vasoncellos S.J. succeeded

Archbishop I3.Antonio Piinental S.J.of Cranganore in 1735.

68

Fr.D.Salvador dot Reis S.J. was the next important Archbishop whose

period witnessed slight changes in the attitude of the Carmelites when

he forwarded his letters patent of appointment by the Holy See to

Bishop Florence of'L'erapoly. Bishop Florence sent a bold reply that

Archbishop Salvador was quite at liberty to gather all the Christians

I R that liked his Juriscliction. Salvador tried to restore the lost churches

from 1756 to 1777 without any effect.

Phe arrival of Thomas Paretnmakal as the Vicar Apostolic of

Crangannore marked the beginning of a rapid change in their

condition. The representatives of the different churches assembled at

Angamali and they discussed their grievances against the Vicar

Apostolic of Verapoly. They signed terms not to obey that authority

and requested the Raja of 7'ravancore and Cochin to allow them to do

so. Both of the said Ra.jas in compliance with the request of the 19 Christians issued (decrees. The decline of the Dutch power in

Cochin from 1975 onwards weakened the position of the Carmelities.

From the year I 787 upto 1 799 all the Syrian churches remained under

the obedience' o-f the Archbishop of ~ran~annore ." But the

18. CMAgur . oji.'.ir.lp.2:55. !?. l'oiirical Consultationr. Vol. 128.F.1962. 20. lbid I . IY6.3

69

CIarmelites continue to receive the patronage of the British Residents

like Col.Macaulay and Col. John ~ u n r o . "

At such a context the dispute centered around a church at

Changanacherrl car1 be taken as a case study. It was originally

constructed by the Portuguese during the 16"' century and continued

as a Latin church ]under the Bishoprick of Cochin till 1789. In 1789

following a quail-el between the Portuguese priests and local

Christians, they sought the patronage of the Syrian Bishop of

Verapoly. With the support of the Dutch East India Company the

Bishop ofVerapo1.y tried for the permanent usurpation of that church.

But in 1807 a group of the Christians of Changanacherry dejected

with the Bishops of Verapoly , desired to return to the spiritual

jurisdiction of the Bishop of Cochin. The Bishop of Verapoly easily

prevailed upon them and suppressed that move, with the support of

Col. Macaulay.

In 1810. following the departure of Col. Macaulay the

Christians of Changanacherry again tried to return to their ancient

spiritual See. Col.J,ohn Munro, the successor of Col. Macaulay was - --

2 1 . K.J.John .(ed.) . ( ] / I ( ' i f . . pp.224-23 I

70

Inore biased and prejudicial than Col. Macaulay. Of course he rendered immense service to the Syrian Christians and on the other

side he se\$erel) tortured the Latin Christians. He oppressed the Latin

Christians and lielpeclthe Syrian priests to usurp the Latin churches.

IHe t:n\.oul.cd the Syrians intending to convert them to Protestantism.

The Lati11 Christizms of Changanacherry resented the reforms of

Col.John Munro. They resolved to resist the adventures of Carmelite

missionaries. It finally led to an open confrontation between the

Syrians and Latins. :Soon the British battalions occupied the church

and kept i t under loclc and key. The untimely departure of Col. John

Munro in 18 18 weakened the stand of the Syrians. Soon the Madras

Go\,e~-ninent came forward and tried to effect an impartial and just 17

settlement ot'the disputes:-

During the slixteenth century, the King of Travancore granted a

piece of land free fkom taxes to the Portuguese niissionaries in order

to build a church for the perforinance of the ecclesiastical functions of

the Christians of Changanacherry. The church was built by the

Bishops of Cochin and they exercised the ecclesiastical functions for

,,

-- . BSobhi~nan. ' Soiiic /orgorren A.cirurro~?s qf'rhe Lurin C'hri.stron.s r~JKerula". Journal ot Kel-ala Stud~cs. Vol VI. pp.189-208. 71

three centuries withoirt the least obstacle or molestation. But in 1789

the native Christians disputed with the Portuguese priest and through

the interference of the Dutch East India Colnpany, they were brought

under the Bishop of' Verapoly. The Christians, who favoured the

patronaye of the B,ishop of Verapoly wrote; "from time ilnlnelnorial

they were subordinate on their spiritual affairs to the diocese of

Cochin. and they were obliged to separate from that Bishoprick owing

to the unsuppol-ted vexation and cruelties experienced by us and our

forefathers. at the time of the Bishop Dom Fre Joze de Soledade and

that separation was affected through the interference and support of

the then Ilutch (Governor in Council at Cochin to whom we the

undersigned, had recourse and having represented our grievances an

the Dutch Colnpanly after enquiry having found it to be true, in the

year I 789. ordered that we should recognize our spiritual superior the

Bishop of Varapoly, and consequently they helped us towards the

erection of the church of Changanacherry, with five hundred rupees

and granted a free: donation of an extensive piece of ground, for the

future maintenance of a Vicar to that church and adopted every other

requisite arrangement for its support and remaining firm under the

Bishop of ~ a r a ~ o l ~ " . ~ ' Z i Political Consulations, Vol 133. F.6: I

72

In 1807 majority of the two groups patched up their difference

and expressed their desire to return under the ancient spiritual see of

C'ociiiti. I 'he principal Christians and heads of families of

Changanacherry petitioned before the Bishop of Cochin: "that your

Petitioners all belong to the Bishoprick of Cochin from whose

prelates they received the Christian faith, and under whose spiritual

guidance they always lived till within a few years, when on account

of certain disol-ders, they delivered the~nselves the direction of the

Italian missionaries of Verapoly;~but the motive of separation having

ceased and those fi~thersll'adreslhaving given them strong causes of

disgust, whence have resulted great and scandalous dissensions in

their church. Your petitioners ran to the collector and civil Magistrate

of Cochin to obtain permission to return to the former jurisdiction of

the above Bishoprick, which was accordingly granted by that

gentlemen in writing".'"homas Flower, the Assistant Collector of

Cochin wrote to the Bishop of Cochin on 30 December 1807: "the

Christian inhat-)itants of Changanacherry have represented their

dissatisfaction vvith the inissionaries of Verapoly, and in consequence

requested that t'hey may again be placed under your Pastoral control.

14 l o r e ~ g n I 'o l~ t~ca l Consultat~ons Proceedings 21 March 1808. Ff. 197-8

73

You are hereby reapp'ointed to that charge agreeable to their desire of

which 1 have given due notice to the Vicar in charge of the college at

Verapol) ' '.

1 he restoratlor1 lasted only for a short period because still some

of the Christians opposed the return to the ancient See. The Political

Resident and the Bishop of Varappuzha powerfully supported their

claims. According to them in 1807 Thoinas de Noronha, the

Ecclesiastical Governor of Cochin formed "an union of strict

fi-iendship with Mr. Netto, the Police a~niuah of Changanacherry,

inveigled away a part of the community attached in peace to the

church of Changanacherry, and by a misrepresentation made to the

then assistant col1e~:tor of Cochin, Mr. Flower obtained possession of

the said church and by compulsive means received its keys from he

then Vicar of that church Padre Thome Lopez and the undersigned

having made representation on that subject to Mr. Drummond, then

collector of Cochin, through the channel and interference of Col.

Macaulay, the then Resident of Travancore, the church in question

was placed in it:j former footing, under Verapoly and its keys restored

back by the Governor Fra Thomas de Noronha to the said Vicar Padre

74

Thome ~ o ~ e z " . ' " On 22 January 1808 from Quilon Fra Thomas de

Nosonha wrote to Lord Minto, the Governor General of India, the

follo\rers ot' C'ol. Macaulay along with some inhabitants of

C 1 a a c - I - call-le to his residence and cried "victory", "victory".

Out of deep ti-ustration he continued: "Thus my Lord, am I situated -

IHowe\,es a share has not been well concealed: it would be a different

kind of\var much more hazardous. No. I shall always obey those who

are authorized to command. Whatever may be the motive of their

commands".' tle i~nmediately relinquished the claim upon the

church of Changanacherry.

T-hus the Latin Christians of Changanacherry were again

brougllt under the See of Verapoly through the interference of Col.

Macaulay. But the Latm Christians continued their discord and

disaffection with the Carmelite missionaries of Verapoly. They were

waiting for an opportunity to overthrow the spiritual supervision of

Verapoly. In 18 10 (301. Macaulay was followed by Col. John Munro.

From the very beginning he became a staunch supporter of the

-.

"' Politrcal Consultarlans.. V o l 133. Ff 631-2. '' . Fol-el~n