Friday, 27 February 2015

CONVERSION OF HINDUS INTO OTHER FAITHS: EARLIER FOREIGN CONTACTS AND SPICE TRADE



Before we embark on the topic of Hindu conversions to other faiths at Kumbalam Islands and other delta regions in the State of Cochin; it is significant to note the history in brief about the people and the faith that reached Muzurius and the hilly regions of the Malabar Coast during the early period of Chera Empire. In B.C., the Chera Empire (Kerala) had contacts with countries of the outside world. The Arabs, the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Finicians, the Greeks, the Jews, the Romans and the Chinese were among the foreign people who had contacts with the Malabar Coast. In Persian language “Malabar means a mountainous country.”
These earlier foreign contacts were mainly commercial. The Greek book ‘Periplus’ lists the goods which were exported from Muziris. The export items were pepper, pearl, ivory, nice cloth (Putt), ‘Jadamanchy,’ Indian spikenard (Nardostachys  jatamansi) from the banks of Ganges, areca-nut, various precious stones (Diamond), shell of tortoise from Tamil Islands, The goods imported were coins, ‘Pushparagam’, a yellow gem namely Topaz, varieties of cloth, flower printed clothes, ‘Anjanam’, an eye ointment, white mirror, tin, lead, copper, brass (mixture of copper and zinc), small quantity of liquor, vermillion and ‘Pashanam’, arsenic. That was a golden era and the glory and splendour of Malabar (Kerala) was beyond imagination. Julius Caesar, the Roman emperor, presented a pearl worth 48,457 Varahan to his friend Brutus’s mother, Survelia. The value of the pearl on Cleopatra’s (the Queen of Egypt) ear ring was worth 161458 Varahan. The Kings of Bible mentions,  “In BC 1000,   during the reign of  King  of Israel, Solomon the great, sent his men in Finician ships from Cyden and Tyre every three years and collected gold, silver, elephant tusk, peacock, monkey and sandal wood from Malabar (Kerala) forest and took it through Muziris (Kodungallur) Port.” ‘The doors of the tower gate in Cartage town were made of Sandal wood brought from Malabar,” says Mester Bossarthsmith, a historian. It is evidenced by the discovery of teak in the ruins of Ur. The magnificent teak of the Malabar (Kerala) forest appears to have been used for the manufacture of ships that fought in the battle of Trafalgar and brought victory to Nelson. “In olden days foreigners especially Italians bought pearls from this country, they say River Periyar is one of the places where it is available,” (See Kautilya’s "Arthasastra, 4th century A.D.) The spices, valuable timber and other resources attracted the Jews, the Arabs and later the Europeans to the Malabar Coast.

They also lead, at a very early period of history, to the introduction of such religions as Christianity, Judaism and Islam into Port towns of this land and and some of the hilly regions nearby, and helped to mould the culture of Malabar (Kerala) into a composite and cosmopolitan one. The countries of the Europe were also benefited by these contacts. In the words of Logan, “It is certain that Indian ideas and practices contributed largely to the form in which Orthodox Christianity in the West finally adopted monasteries, nunneries, rosaries, confession, celibacy and abstinence from worldly pleasures, and all seem to have found their way to Europe from Indian sources. And in return, the West seems to have given to the East - arts and sciences, architecture, the art of coining money and in particular, the high ideal of religion contained in Christianity.” 
Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

MYTH OF ST. THOMAS, ASYLUM TO JEWS AND THOMAS OF CANNA


There is a legend about the Ancient Syrian Christians in Kerala.  I have noted that most of the historians have mentioned that in A.D. 52 St. Thomas, an apostle of Jesus Christ arrived at Muzuris (Kodungallur.) The apostle professed and propagated the Way of Christianity; the Apostle convinced, and converted those who had the conviction, and baptized gradually some of the Jews and the Brahmins, the wise men, into Christianity. The apostle established seven and a half churches in Malabar. They are: Maliankara in Kodungallur, Palayur (near Guruvayur), Kottakavu in North Paravur, Kokkamangalam near thanneermukkam, Nilackal (Chayal), Niranam, Kollam and Thiruvithancode – the last one is called a half church or a church made on land donated by the local king or arajan (Arapally in Malayalam.) The Apostle preached in other parts of India also. In A.D. 72 he was martyred at Little Mount a small distance away from St. Thomas Mount. He was buried at San Thome, near the modern City of Chennai.
There are reasonable criticisms about the arrival of St. Thomas in Malabar Coast. Apart from the ipsi-dixit of various historians, I too have not yet found any documentary proof or evidence to substantiate or authenticate or support this contention in history. The details about the activities of St. Thomas in Kerala are shrouded in mystery. The historians have failed to explain why the self-confident and contended Nambuthiris, who stood at the upper social scale, should convert to Christianity. Why St. Thomas discriminated the Adivasis (present Scheduled Tribes) of that time remains a debatable question? It is pertinent to note that his mentor, Jesus Christ, never discriminated people based on race, caste, colour, class, sex, wealth and social status. Moreover the historians have failed to point out whether there were sufferings and privation for those Brahmin immigrants who came at a later period. Wasn’t there any curse attached to the name of Chavakkad, a place where a lot of Brahmins were supposed to have been converted to Christianity? A few historians say apostle, St. Thomas, even if he existed, never came to India. The Christian community in South India was founded by a Syrian merchant Thomas Canna in 345 A.D. He led 72 families comprising 400 refugees including priests, who fled persecution in Persia and were given asylum by the Hindu authorities. Sthanu Ravi Guptan Perumal, the Chera King of that period, (Kerala) assigned (Attiperu), absolute sale of jenmom property, and executed a ‘Thamrasasanam’, a deed inscribed in a copper plate, with the permission of the landlords, to St. Teresa Church, whereby they were given special rights and privileges. This story was too commonplace to attract converts. So Christian leaders identified the merchant Thomas with Apostle Thomas and created the dramatic story of the Apostle’s persecution and death at the hands of the Brahmins of South India. This became current in the 16th century when the Portuguese gained control of the west coast of India and forced the Syrian Christians to follow the Catholic faith. The Portuguese also destroyed the Kapaleeswara Temple that originally stood on the site now occupied by the San Thome Cathedral on the beach. The creation of this myth and the history is told in detail by the Canadian scholar Ishwar Sharan in his famous book “The Myth of St. Thomas and the Mylapore Shiva Temple.” The purpose of the myth was to create a local martyr. Christianity depends heavily on the appeal of martyrs who are projected as victims like Jesus Christ. Then as now, Church leaders liked to pose as victims to generate sympathy and propaganda. But no matter how much they tried, the Hindus of India refused to supply the Portuguese with martyrs. So they were forced to create their own. So they turned the merchant Thomas into the Apostle Thomas killed by the Hindus. In his foreword to Ishwar Sharan’s book the Belgian scholar Koenraad Elst wrote: “In Catholic universities in Europe, the myth of the apostle Thomas going to India is no longer taught as history, but in India it is still considered useful. Targeting Brahmins to undermine Hinduism was a favorite tactic among missionaries. Another motivation for the myth was to erase the unsavory record of the Catholic Church’s close association with the Portuguese pirates and even worse, the Goa Inquisition inspired by St Xavier. There is even a Mount of St. Thomas in Mylapore in Chennai with a tomb that is supposed to contain his martyred remains. But the problem is there are several such memorials spread across Persia, Acre (Turkey) and a few other places dating to different times, all laying claim to be the place where Apostle Thomas was martyred and buried!” After examining all the evidence, Fr. Heras, former Director of the Historical Research Institute, St. Xavier’s College, Bombay, said in 1953 that he was convinced that the tomb of St. Thomas was not in Mylapore. Heras was himself a Jesuit friar but also an eminent historian. On September 27, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI gave a speech at St. Peter’s in Rome in which he recalled an ancient tradition claiming that Thomas first evangelized Syria and Persia, then went on to Western India, from where Christianity also reached South India. In reality the Pope’s original statement at St. Peter’s, reflected the geography of the Acts of Thomas, i.e. Syria, Parthia (Persia / Iran) and Gandhara (Afghanistan / north-west Pakistan) all far removed from Kerala in the southernmost tip of India. This is not the end to the contradictions. If Thomas landed in Kerala in 52 AD, he could not have taught from the Christian Bible. The New Testament” books as we know them today with its four gospels which are composite works edited and rewritten a number of times and came into existence only after the 4th century Council of Nicaea. In fact Christianity did not exist at the time because there was no Christian scripture! As if this were not confusing enough, Fr. Francis Clooney, a theologian with the Harvard Divinity School has stated that St Thomas had preached in Brazil, no matter that Brazil as we understand today was unknown in his time. According to Clooney, one Ruiz de Montoya, writing in Peru in the mid-seventeenth century, thought that since God would not have overlooked the Americas for fifteen hundred years, and since among the twelve apostles St. Thomas was known for his mission to the “most abject people in the world, blacks and Indians,” it was only reasonable to conclude that St. Thomas had preached throughout the Americas, “He began in Brazil – either reaching it by natural means on Roman ships, which some maintain were in communication with America from the coast of Africa, or else, as may be thought closer to the truth, being transported there by God miraculously. He passed to Paraguay and from there to the Peruvians.” Finally, the myth was created by Portuguese missionaries in the 16thcentury with the help of pirates. They destroyed the Kapaleeswara Temple and a Jain temple building and erected the church known as San Thome in 1504. It acquired its present status and recognition as a cathedral under British patronage in 1893. It was also the Portuguese who converted the Syrian Christians to the Catholic faith. So, all these contradictions have to be reconciled before the myth of St Thomas can be taken seriously. (Raju Rajan on “St. Thomas in India: Myth or Truth?”)  However, more research is necessary to unfold the myth of St. Thomas.

Due to political turmoil in West Asia, Jews landed at Muziris (Kodungallur) for domicile and business and the then Chera King (Kerala), Bhaskara Ravivarman assigned (Attiperu,) absolute sale of jenmom property, and he also granted special rights and privileges to them including the right to use Pavada, cloth spread in the streets as at a king’s coronation; ‘Nada’, procession and the shout of it that is offered in a church;  ‘Pallakku’, palanquin or ledge; ‘Kuda’, ornamental umbrella; ‘Kottum’,  beating or thumping on percussion instruments like snare drum, cymbal and bass drum and ‘Kuzhalum’, musical wind instruments like clarinet, bugle; which can be seen inscribed in a ‘Thamrasasanam’, a deed written on a Copper Plate in  Pali, the canonical language of Buddhists. The Jews settled in Cranganore. Later, the king issued an order that these rights and privileges can be availed by landlords as well.  There was a steady influx of Middle Eastern immigrants, Arabs, Persians, Syrians and others from Central Asia, due to political chaos and confusions, war and other natural calamities. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

FOREIGN TRAVELLER’S ACCOUNTS AND THE SPIRIT FOR EXPLORATION



The book, “Livres des merveilles du monde,” (“Book of the Marvels of the World,”) written by Marco Polo, the celebrated Venetian traveler who visited Quilon and other places in Kerala towards the end of the 13th century; the travel accounts namely “De varietate fortunae" ("On the Vicissitudes of Fortune,") of Niccolo de’ Conti, another Venetian traveler in India and Far East during 1419-44 and others, inspired the Europeans especially the Portuguese for travel and exploration to the Malabar Coast and other places in India and the Far East.  To Contie, “China was a good place to make money in and Cochin to spend it at.” These travel accounts inspired the European Kings and the people for exploration. The Kings of Portugal established observatories, centers for the study of Geography and training centers in Lisbon to train interested sailors. They also declared rewards for sailors who secure remarkable achievements. The Popes at Rome too encouraged the sailors with an intention to propagate Christianity. In 1487, Captain Burthlomio Diaz made an attempt to sail to the Malabar Coast; he reached the southern tip of Africa, which he named as the “Cape of Good Hope.” The weather conditions were adverse; two of his ships were drowned in the turbulent sea. The crew members revolted and he had to call off the trip and returned to Portugal as a discontented man. Meanwhile, the King of Portugal sent two of his close Portuguese aides, Pedro de Covilham and Paiva, to collect information in advance about the availability of spices and other trade secrets. They went to various ports like Barcelona in Spain, Naples in Italy, and Alexandria in Egypt. They posed as Moroccan Arabs and engaged in trading various articles. At Eden port they parted ways and continued their different missions. Pedro de Covilham continued his journey and reached Kannur in an Arab ship; then he went to Calicut and collected details about the availability of spices, the trade secrets and trade routes. He also gathered information about the potential ports where the goods are sold and the huge profit made by the Arabs. After this he travelled to Goa by land. He finally returned to Eden port, where he was to meet Paiva, who was sent on a different mission. Paiva did not arrive on the planned date of meeting. Later, he came to know that Paiva was killed by the Arabs in Cairo. Pedro de Covilham, the first Portuguese to visit Malabar Coast, reported all the information he collected and his treasure of experiences to the King. Vasco da Gama (1498) had the benefit of these valuable trade secrets and other information when he arrived at Calicut. The Portuguese had a keen interest in the spice trade and in spreading Christianity. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

THE ANCIENT CHRISTIANS

The Ancient Christians of Kerala were an ethnic people and a single community with common cultural heritage and had such a strong sense of caste and tradition, when the Portuguese came to the erstwhile State of Cochin during the last few years of the 15th century. In the social stratification of medieval Malabar, Ancient Christians succeeded in relating their social status with that of upper-caste Hindus on account of their numerical strength and influence and observance of many Brahmin customs. They had the right to recruit and train soldiers and Christian trainers were given with the honorary title "Panikar" like their Nair counterparts. They were also entitled with the privilege to collect the tax, and the tax-collectors were honored with the title "Tharakan." Like Brahmins they had the right to sit before the Kings and also to ride on horse or elephant, like the royals. They did not allow the lower-castes to join their community for fear that it could imperil their upper-caste status. There is an adage that, between 9th and 15th centuries, Ancient Christians had a small kingdom of their own, viz. Villarvattom at Udaiamperur in Ernakulam ruled by King Thoma and Queen Mary.  Some proof is there in Lisbon Archives supposed to have been communicated by the Christian King of Portugal. Later, the Kingdom was absorbed into Cochin Royal Family by the early 15th century. As the last prince became a monk and his sister Princess Mary was married by a Prince of Cochin Royal Family. Their subjects fell under the power of Rajas of Cochin and Travancore. In 1519, a Portuguese traveler Duarte Barbosa on his visit to Malabar commented on the practice of Ancient Christian priests using Kudumi,’ the lock of hair worn as caste distinction, similar to that of Hindus, in his manuscript "Book of Duarte Barbosa." Until the 19th century, Ancient Christians had the right of access to Hindu temples and some leading Ancient Christians held the status of sponsors at Hindu shrines and temple festivals. But in the 19th century, Ancient Christian integration with the Hindu caste system was disrupted; their clean-caste status was questioned in some localities and they were denied access to many Hindu temples. They tried to retaliate by denouncing Hindu festivals as heathen idolatry. Clashes between upper-caste Hindus and Ancient Christians occurred from the late 1880s, especially when festivals coincided. Internecine violence among various Ancient Christian denominations aggravated their problems. The Ancient Christians were also known as ‘Nazranis because they were followers of "Jesus of Nazareth." They were also called Malabar or Malankara Syrian Christians because of their use of Syriac in liturgy. They were also known as Malabar / Malankara Mar Thoma Nazranis, because these Christians were from Kerala that was also known as Malabar or Malankara. Their language was Malayalam, the language of Kerala.
The history of the Diocese of Cochin begins with the arrival of the Portuguese Missionaries in India. The team of Captain Vasco De Gama (1498-1502), the famous navigator from Portugal and Captain Alvarez Cabral (1500) comprised a fleet of ships, trained military men and friars (both Franciscans and Dominicans) when they anchored at Cochin. Cabral soon won the good-will of the Raja of Cochin. Thus four friars could be assigned to do apostolic work among the Ancient Christian communities scattered on the north and eastern part of Cochin. Thereafter, when King Goda Varma of Cochin was defeated by the Zamorin of Kozhikkode and kept prisoner at Vypeen, a third fleet under Admiral Albuquerque arrived on 3rd September, 1503. This new fleet with greater reinforcements defeated the Zamorin and rescued the Raja of Cochin. Out of gratitude, the Raja granted him permission to build a fortress at Cochin with a church at the center. Albuquerque directed the priests, Franciscans and Dominicans, to proceed to the neighbouring hilly areas to teach the native Ancient Christians there. The Portuguese recruited poor fishermen from the coastal villages; trained them in groups of 150, 300, 400, 500 and 700 to enhance the military strength of colonial forces during various periods. They used them in wars against local Rajas like Zamorin of Calicut and the Arab businessmen. They also used these men in wars against Sultan of Goa, Gjarat and the Sultan of Egypt. They were given reasonable salary and converted them into Roman Latin Christian Faith. The Portuguese trained some of these fisherfolk as masons, carpenters and cooks and used them for their civil work and as chefs. Their men married local fisherwomen, particularly those converted Latin Christians, and they gave paternity to children born out of the wed-lock. These Latin Catholics were loyal and tendered their allegiance to the Colonialists.
In 1507, when Admiral Francisco Almeida arrived in Cochin as the first Viceroy of the Portuguese India, he obtained permission to build a bigger church; a magnificent church was built with lime and stone namely "Santa Cruz." The Jesuit friars learned the Syriac language thoroughly and studied their liturgy and other religious books. The heresy in them was brought to light. They found that the Syriac books printed in the Middle East were the source of heresy. This was available in Malabar. The Jesuit friars intermingled with the Ancient Christians closely. The Portuguese missionaries realized that the Ancient Christians were neither subject to Rome, nor were they following Church traditions. Before the 16th century, they were only Hindus with Christian names. And they were followers of the East Syrian Church, and they were obedient to their bishops, who looked after them, and the Patriarch in Babylonia was considered their ecclesiastical superior, and they were well respected by both the people and the rulers of the country. The cultural differences between Ancient Christians and Hindus were undistinguishable. They lacked proper understanding of Christian values. Spiritual training and catechism were unknown to them. Ancient Christians had only three sacraments: baptism, marriage and priesthood. Other sacraments like confession, confirmation, Holy Communion and anointing the sick were unknown to them. They had no concept of trans-substantiation in Holy Mass. They believed only the spiritual presence of Christ in Holy Mass. While among Hindus, Brahmins as a class were the priests, the priesthood (Cattanars) in Ancient Christians, was confined to certain families. They were enjoying that position by heredity. Their knowledge of scripture, liturgy and theology was poor. It is reported that those Cattanars had not only wives and children but some had also concubines. Most pernicious among Nestorian heresies were: (i) the Virgin Mary was considered only as Mother of Christ. (ii) the union of ‘divinity’ and ‘humanity’ in Jesus was viewed only as a moral union (iii) Emphasis was on Christ’s humanity and (iv) In the Eucharist, the presence of body and blood of Christ was considered only as symbolic. Ancient Christians were following heathen customs and pagan practices. Some of the heathen customs were polygamy, polyandry, abandoning illegitimate children, witchcraft, astrology, defilement, and belief in rebirth, untouchability, offering of cock as sacrifice to God, testing of innocence by dipping hand in boiled oil, horoscope, and faith in omen. The depth of heresy could be seen from a report about Kerala Christians sent by Jesuit Friar Abraham de Giorgis on 15th December 1593 to their General at Rome. (Quoted by K.J. John. pp. 34-35): - 1. Christ our God is not true God, but only a man, as is taught by their master Nestorius. 2. They preach that our Lady is not mother of God; consequently she brought him forth with pain and more than that she is not a virgin. 3. They teach that one should not meditate or think on the passion of our Lord, because it is a sin, and is an injury to our Lord. 4. They preach that one should not leave the law of St. Thomas and follow that of St. Peter for they hold that, each Apostle has formed a law different from the rest. 5. Their Archbishop is simonical and sells the sacraments of Christ both openly and in secret, and get money before its administration and he does this together with his ministers. 6. He induces and sometimes forces the Christians to receive communion without previously confessing their mortal sins. 7. When he writes to his patriarch he calls him universal Pastor and head of all Christians, and the others and the Catholics, he calls beasts and heretics and other things against Roman church. The report without doubt proved the faith and affiliations of Ancient Christians before the 16th century. They said that it was clearly Nestorian. The Nestorian churches were ruled by Bishops sent by the Nestorian Patriarch of Selucia. The liturgy and theology of those churches were also clearly Nestorian.” The Ancient Christians were greatly affected by the arrival of the Portuguese. The Portuguese persecutions to bring the Ancient Christian community under the auspices of Latin Rite Catholicism resulted in permanent rifts in the community. In 1542, a group of highly trained missionaries of the Jesuit Order led by Fr. Francis Xavier (St.) used to stay at the St. Anthony's Church built by Portuguese Franciscans. Now it is known as St. Francis Church. This was locally known as “Lenthapally” (Dutch Church).  He converted a lot of people in the coastal belt into Roman Catholic Latin Rite. Apart from that, not fewer than 30,000 Ancient Christians' on the Malabar Coast were restored to the union of the Holy See. In recognition of this achievement, the Roman Pontiff, Pope Paul IV, established, by his famous Bull "Pro Excellento Praeeminentia", dated 4th February, 1557, the Diocese of Cochin and declared Goa as its Arch-diocese. The Pope also declared thereby the magnificent Portuguese Church of Santa Cruz as the Cathedral of the new diocese. Its boundaries extended from Canannore in the north to Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari) and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) down south on the west coast and the whole east coast of the sub-continent going up north and stretching further east including Burma.
[In 1510 A.D, Panaji was captured by the Portuguese general Alfonso Albuquerque from the Adil Shah dynasty of Bijapur, and the Portuguese rule was established. Gradually a steady influx of Christian priests, both Jessuits and Franciscans, to Goa began and started coercive conversion to Christianity. The period from the arrival of Fr. Francis Xavier (St.) in Goa in 1542 A.D. was far more gruesome. His initial efforts for conversion achieved limited results. Hence he laid forward a set of new policies and coerced the Portuguese authorities to accept them. These policies sought not only converted people to Christianity but also concerted efforts were made to destroy the Hindu culture of that region. These new policies contained draconian laws that prohibited new temples from being built and barred people from renovating old ones. The idols and other valuables from temples were looted and then converted to churches. Goa at that period was literally tainted with the blood of ordinary helpless Hindus. The official figures show that 280 temples in Berdez and 300 temples in Salcette were destroyed. The Portuguese built churches in many places where the temples stood. In 1559 A. D, King Joao III of Portugal issued a decree threatening expulsion or execution of non-believers in Christianity. They were forced to eat beef. This was perhaps the worst of times seen by the Konkani people. This resulted in the exodus of major Konkini population to other states including erstwhile State of Cochin in the 16th century. I am embarrassed to note that the Roman Latin Church made Fr. Francis Xavier a saint. ]

 The Diocese of Cochin stood witness to many an important historical event during the period. One among them really worth mentioning is the Synod of Diamper (Udaimperur) held on 10th June 1599, conducted by the Arch-bishop of Goa, Alexis De Menezez. The Archbishop of Goa from 1595 until his death in 1617 decided to bring the Ancient Christians of Kerala to obedience after the death of Bishop Mar Abraham (the last Syrian Metropolitan of Malabar, laid to rest at St. Hormis church at Angamali); an obedience that they conceived as complete conformity to the Roman or ‘Latin’ customs. This meant separating the Ancient Nazranis not only from the Catholicosate of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, but also from the Chaldaean Patriarchate of Babylon, and subjecting them directly to the Latin Archbishopric of Goa. The Portuguese refused to accept the legitimate authority of the Indian hierarchy and its relation with the East Syrians, and in 1599 the Synod of Diamper was convened. The aim of Synod of Diamper was: - 1. to the glory and praise of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost and all extant in one – Trinity; 2. to perpetuate Christian belief and living in the diocese; 3. to ensure the growth and spread of catholic belief and reckoning; 4. to declare allegiance and obedience to the Roman Pontiff; 5. to eradicate heresies and pagan practices; 6. to abrogate heretic verses from religious books and liturgy. 7. to destroy books containing perverse and pernicious errors. 8. to abjure the faith and allegiance to the patriarch of Babylon. 9. to perpetuate correct observance of the Holy Sacraments and 10. to set up an orderly functioning of pastoral guidance and control.  To keep law and order and to prevent malpractices Portuguese military was put on duty; another 50,000 strong Nair forces were also standing guard outside the synod hall. The Portuguese Archbishop of Goa, Menezez, imposed a large number of Latinizations. Many Ancient Christians and their hierarchy seceded from the Catholicosate of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, but also from the Chaldaean Patriarchate of Babylon, and pledged their fidelity to the Church of Rome under coercion. Syrian books infected by heretical poison then available were either expurgated or burnt. Some of the significant decrees passed in the synod were as follows: - Decree. I. The synod forbade the customs like bathing defilement - Bathing the dead body - the married couples sitting in ring formed of rice- taking a thread while cutting cloth - taking one or two grains and putting back in the measure. Decree II - Untouchability - in areas where there are Nairs or in areas where Nairs are likely to know untouchability was permitted - In all other places and in Portuguese areas untouchability was banned - In south Travancore, Christians bathe when touched by Nair. As it was shameful to Nairs, it was banned. Decree III - The superstitious custom of cleaning the well supposed to have polluted by low caste people disapproved in the synod. Decree IV - Synod forbade participation in mortal combats using bows and arrows. Decree V. - Synod disapproved the custom of deeming women to be impure for 40 days after delivery of a male child and 80 days in case of female child. Decree VI. The synod strongly reprobated the practice of Omen, recourse to Pujaris, Horoscope, Signs, witchcraft, and astrology. Decree VII. Synod forbade the customs of conducting offerings in temples, cock sacrifice and similar things. Decree VIII. Synod banned using “Rakshas’ and Manthrams on bodies, in the house and fields. Decree IX. The synod forbade collecting interest more than 10% with the usual practice was only 10/100 per year. Decree X. Interest should not exceed one percent per month with or without proper security. Decree XI. Synod forbade harassing the slaves and dependants. Decree XII. Synod strongly reprobated selling and buying of children. Decree XIII. The disputes among the Christians should not be taken to Pagan kings. They must be got settled through Bishops, as was the practice. Decree XIV. Testing by ordeals like, holding on red-hot iron, or dipping palm in boiled oil or swimming across a river infested by poisonous snakes or crocodiles should not be done. Decree XV. Men should not wear earrings nor do they lengthen the earlobes. Decree XVI. The Synod ordered to put a stop to drunkenness mainly excess of arrack. Decree XVII. Synod dealt with weights and measures. Uniformity in weights and measures was insisted. Decree XVIII. Inheritance to women - In the serra, women could not inherit. But synod ordered equal right to women. Decree XIX. Adoption - The synod discouraged adoption of other children particularly when there are children.
Some of the progressive social reforms passed in the Diamper Synod were appreciable. However, there was a lot of criticism on the Latinizations. One of the main bones of contention was with regard to jurisdiction, that prior sanction or approval of the Pope was not obtained for the decisions of the synod. Certain critics claimed that there was no heresy in Ancient Church. There was only a cross in the church and no statues or idols. It was Archbishop Menezez who introduced graven images or idols and magnified the heretic and pagan practices. The idol worship and erecting ‘Bhandarams’ a treasury in their precincts is nothing but money minting business, a worse heretic practice introduced by the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church through Portuguese missionaries, who  ignored the most important commandment God bestowed to Moses. The Bible passage— Exodus 20:4-6 (and Deuteronomy 5: 7-11.) “4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
The Portuguese missionaries tried to convert Brahmins and Nairs in various centers like Athirampuzha, Kuravilangad, Changanassery, Kottayam, Kaipuzha, Ramapuram (St. Thomas Xian Ency. P. 123 and “Portuguesekar Keralathil” by K.L.Bernard P. 76.) The Portuguese blindly followed the sentiments of the Catholics which created much turbulence. Tension surfaced in the name of religion. A new vicariate was carved out of the Diocese of Cochin for these new followers. The move to convert the Latin Dioceses to Catholics led to widespread protests. Since then the Diocese of Cochin has had the privilege to give birth to many new dioceses. As a result, the once vast 'mother-diocese of Cochin' has now shrunk to its present diminutive dimension. Since 1646 the administration of the diocese was not easy as it was often interrupted by the conquests of Cochin by the Dutch. Some prelates who were consecrated as Bishops of the Diocese either in Goa or in Lisbon could not even reach Cochin and those who did either Cochin or Kollam could not take charge. As a result, many factions, rebellions and schisms sprouted. The Portuguese ‘padroado’ (patronage) was extended over them. From 1599 up to 1896 the Ancient Christians were under the Latin Bishops who were appointed either by the Portuguese padroado or by the Roman Congregation of  Propaganda Fide. Every attempt to resist the Latinization process was branded heretical by them. Under the indigenous leader, Archdeacon, the Ancient Christians resisted, but the result was disastrous. The oppressive rule of the Portuguese padroado provoked a violent reaction on the part of the Ancient Christian community. The first solemn protest by the assembly of Syrian Christians in front of the cross at Mattancherry took place in 1653, which is a major event in the religious history of Kerala known as the “Koonan Kurishu Satyam,” Coonan Cross Oath. They vociferously declared that they would not obey the Portuguese bishops and the Jesuit Missionaries. In the same year, in Alangad, Archdeacon Thomas was ordained, by the laying on hands of twelve priests, as the first known indigenous Metropolitan of Kerala, under the name Mar Thoma I. After the Coonan Cross Oath, between 1661 and 1662, out of the 116 churches, the Catholics claimed eighty-four churches, and the Archdeacon Mar Thoma I with thirty-two churches. The eighty-four churches and their congregations were the body from which the Syro Malabar Catholic Church has descended. In 1665, Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel, a Bishop sent by the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch arrived in India. This visit marked the beginning of the association with the West Syrian Church and they claimed spiritual authority of the Antiochean Patriarchate and gradually introduced the West Syrian liturgy, customs and script to the Malabar Coast. Those who accepted the West Syrian theological and liturgical tradition of Mar Gregorios became known as Jacobites. In 1772, the other thirty-two West Syrian churches and their congregations under the leadership of Kattumangattu Abraham Mar Kurilose, Metropolitan of Malankara, formed the Malabar Independent Syrian Orthodox (Jacobites and Orthodox) Church (Thozhiyur Sabha.) In order to bring these dissidents back to the fold, the Holy See started sending Carmelite Missionaries, most prominent among whom was Fr. Joseph of St. Mary, better known as Joseph Sebastiani. Thus the Vicariate of Malabar was established in 1657. They had been deputed under Fr. Hyacinth as Apostolic Commissar, by Pope Alexander VII to effect reconciliation with the Ancient Christians of the Syro-Chaldaic Rite, who had seceded from their Archbishop Francis Garcia S.J. By the efforts of Joseph Sebastiani a large number of secedes were brought back to the Holy See. Nevertheless, they refused to be under the authority of their lawful Arch-bishop or under any prelate of the Jesuit Order known as the “Paulists”. Rome, being informed of the situation by Joseph Sebastiani in person, decided to entrust the Carmelites with the spiritual care of the Syro-Chaldaic Rite. For this purpose the Vicariate of Malabar was erected by Pope Alexander VII on 3 December 1659. Fr. Joseph Sebastiani was consecrated Titular Bishop of Hierapolis on December 15, 1659 and sent back to Malabar, with the title of Vicar Apostolic and Administrator of the Archbishopric of Cranganore. The new Vicariate eventually established its headquarters in the island of Verapoly (Verapuzha.)
In 1663, the Dutch Calvinists captured the city of Cochin and destroyed all the Catholic institutions of the Portuguese except the St. Anthony's Church (the Dutch Church) and the Santa Cruz Cathedral. The Dutch used the former for their religious services and the latter as an armoury. They also took into custody the Portuguese territories in Malabar and pulled down the magnificent Jesuit library and destroyed the Jesuit churches and the forts of the Portuguese. The consequent expulsion of all Catholic Missionaries from the territories occupied by the Dutch and elsewhere, threatened the very existence of the Vicariate of Malabar, Nevertheless, it survived under the Indian Prelate Parambil Chandy (Alexander de Campo) whom Joseph Sebastiani had consecrated as his successor before he left Malabar in 1663.  Hence the Portuguese bishops, who were appointed later on, had to tend to their diocese residing outside the city of Cochin. But, after these initial outbursts of intolerance, the Dutch reversed their attitude and thereafter followed an enlightened policy of religious tolerance. The Jesuits and other European Catholic missionaries who were expelled were allowed in due course to return and carry on their missionary activities. In 1673 Carmelite Missionaries were given permission to build a church at Chatiath in Ernakulam, the first church built by the Carmelites in Kerala.  In the same year they built a church at Verapoly (Varapuzha) on the banks of the Periyar on land given free of cost by the Cochin ruler. A residence for the Carmelite priests was also built there. In 1682 the Carmelites also founded a great seminary at Verapoly which later developed into the St. Joseph Seminary at Mangalapuzha in Alwaye. In the Dutch period Verapoly attained great prominence and came to be looked upon as an ecclesiastical capital by Catholics all over Kerala. Later, on 13th March, 1709, Vicariate of Malabar was changed into the Vicariate of Verapoly with Bishop Angelo Francis OCD as its first Vicar Apostolic. Its tradition is being perpetuated in the present Arch-diocese of Verapoly.


The next important development was the conquest of Cochin by the British (Anglicans, a Protestant sect) on 20th October 1795. They destroyed their enemy's armoury (old Santa Cruz Cathedral) first, of course but were more lenient towards the Catholics than the Dutch Calvinists. The reformative activities in Travancore during the time of the British (6,000 - 12,000 Jacobites joined the C.M.S in 1836, after the Synod of Mavelikara; who are now within the Church of South India. Due to the religio-political rivalries, the Holy See finally decided to hand over the major portion of the Diocese of Cochin to the Vicariate of Verapoly. By the Brief “Multa Praeclara” of Pope Gregory XVI, dated 24 April 1838, the Sees of Cranganore and Cochin which at that time included also Quilon, were annexed to the Vicariate of Verapoly which thus came to comprise the whole of Malabar. However in 1845, Quilon was severed from Verapoly as a suffragan Vicariate. The Brahmins and Nairs of Kumbalam, Thevara, Konthuruthy, Kadavanthara, Ernakulam who were converted into Christianity too came under the reconstituted Arch-diocese of Verapoly. (The Papal Decree created some rift between Portugal and Rome but was solved later. On 23rd June, 1886, the great Pope Leo XIII promulgated the famous Concordat, called "Humanae Salutis Auctor" by which the Diocese of Cochin was restored to its original status and placed again as a suffragan under the Arch-diocese of Goa. On March 19, 1887 the Roman Catholics of the Syrian Rite were separated from those of the Latin Church and placed under an Administrator Dr. Marcelino Bernard of St. Teresa OCD, who was consecrated Co-adjutor to Arch-bishop Mellano. By brief “Quod Jam Pridem” of Pope Leo XIII dated 20 May 1887, the Syrians were exempted from the jurisdiction of the Arch-diocese of Verapoly. Thus the Arch-diocese of Verapoly came to consist exclusively of Latin Catholics. The labels Syrian and Latin came about mainly because of the respective languages that were used in liturgy, and the difference in customs and traditions. In 1887, Ancient Christians were given two separate ecclesiastical circumscriptions called apostolic vicariates. These were Trichur and Kottayam. Reorganization took place in 1896 and as a result, three vicariates, namely Trichur, Ernakulam and Changanacherry came into existence. Three Syro-Malabar priests were ordained bishops and put in charge of these units. These indigenous bishops were John Menacherry (Trichur), Louis Pazheparampil (Ernakulam) and Mathew Makeil (Changanacherry).  In 1911 a new vicariate at Kottayam was established for the Knananites and Mar Makeil was transferred to this new vicariate. Later in 1923, the apostolic vicariates were made dioceses. The Diocese of Ernakulam was then made archdiocese. In the same year, the Syro-Malabar hierarchy was established. In 1957, the Diocese of Changanacherry was made archdiocese. Having two archbishops with no common head is not customary in the Eastern Churches. So this new provision created an anomalous juridical situation in the Syro-Malabar Church. As the new Oriental Canon Law was promulgated in 1990, this situation could not be continued. From 1816 onward, the Anglican C.M.S. missionaries helped the Malankara Church through their "Help Mission". But as a protest against the interference of the Anglican Church in the affairs of the Jacobite Church, the Metropolitan, Cheppad Mar Dionysius, convened a Synod at Mavelikara on 16 January 1836. There it was declared that Jacobite Church was a subject of the supremacy of the Patriarch of Antioch. The declaration resulted in the separation of the CMS missionaries from the communion with the Jacobite Church. However, a minority from the Jacobite Church, who were in favour of the reformed ideologies of the missionaries, stood along with them and joined the CMS. These Syrian Anglicans were the first Reformed group from among the ancient Christians. They joined the missionaries in their evangelical activities among the non-Christians in the region and worked along with the missionaries in their reformative and educational activities. On 27 September 1947, the C.M.S Church united with other similar Churches and formed the CSI. Since then, the Syrian Anglicans has been members of the CSI; in which they practically stay distinct, ethnically. In 1876, those who did not accept the authority of the Patriarch of Antioch remained with Thomas Mar Athanasious and chose the name Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church. They removed a number of practices introduced at the Synod of Diamper to the liturgy, practices and observances. In 1961, there was a split in this group with the formation of St. Thomas Evangelical Church. In 1874, a section of  Syro-Malabar Catholic church from Thrissur came into communion with Patriarch of the Church of the East in Qochanis as a result of schism followed after the arrival of Bishop Rocos (1861) Mar Elias Melus (1874) sent by the Patriarch of Chaldean. They follow the East Syrian tradition and are known as Chaldean Syrian Church. However, in 1912 due to attempts by the Antiochean Patriarch to gain temporal powers over the Malankara Church, there was another split in the West Syrian community when a section declared it an autocephalous church and announced the re-establishment of the Ancient Catholicosate of the East in India. This was not accepted by those who remained loyal to the Patriarch. The two sides were reconciled in 1958 but again differences developed in 1975. Today the West Syrian community is divided into Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (in Oriental Orthodox Communion, autocephalous), Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church (in Oriental Orthodox Communion, under Antioch).  In 1930 a section of the Malankara Orthodox Church under the leadership of  Mar Ivanios  and Mar Theophilus came into communion with the  Catholic Church, retaining all of the Church’s rites, Liturgy, and autonomy. They are known as Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. The doctrines and missionary zeal influence (split of Marthoma Church and St. Thomas Evangelical Church (1961). Those who continued with East Syrian theological and liturgical tradition and stayed faithful to the Synod of Diamper are known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in communion with the Catholic Church. The Brahmin and Nair converts in Kumbalam, Thevara, Konthuruthy, Kadavanthara, Ernakulam, Poonithura, Nadama Udayamperur and Karappuram too came under this group. The Arch-diocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly which occupies a prominent position in the history of the Syro-Malabar Church was established as a Vicariate by the Bull "Quae Rei Sacrae" of Pope Leo XIII on 28 July 1896. Bisjop Mar Louis Pazheparampil (1847-1896-1919) was appointed as the Vicariate Appostolic. They got their own Syro-Malabar Hierarchy on 21 December 1923 with the Metropolitan Mar Augustine Kandathil, the Arch-bishop of their Syro Malabar Arch-diocese at Ernakulam. On Dec. 16, 1992, Pope John Paul II declared the Syro-Malabar Church as a Major Archiepiscopal Church and appointed His Grace Cardinal Antony Padiyara, the then Archbishop of Ernakulam, as the first Major Arch-bishop. Alongside elevating the Syro-Malabar Church to the Major Archiepiscopal status in 1992, the Vatican also changed the name of the archdiocese from Arch-diocese of Ernakulam to Arch-diocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Ancient Christians by this process got divided into East Syrians and West Syrians. India's official census data places the total Christian population in Kerala at 6.06 million in the year 2001. Accordingly, the population of Ancient Christians in Kerala (who form 70%–75% of the total Christian population in the State as suggested above) may be in the region of 4.2 to 4.5 million. Since 1950's a sizeable population of Ancient Christians has settled in Malabar region of Kerala following the Malabar Migration. A large number are working or settled outside the State in cities like Mumbai, as well as outside India in West Asia, Europe, North America and Australia.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com


A STATUTORY CHRISTIAN BOARD IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR


The location of a monastery or church is always very distinct. For example, the CMI (Carmelites of Mary Immaculate) Monastery at Thevara in Cochin, an indigenous Syrian Catholic religious organization founded in 1831; the founder friars of that monastery had a vision. They knew how to generate funds from the Catholic Community for their development projects. These far-sighted friars bought large extents of land in Thevara. This was predominantly dominated by the fisher folk.  These fishermen were then economically weak and socially, culturally, and educationally backward. At the outset the friars set up a primary school, and a small printing press. The school gradually developed into a high school with a hostel; and recently they set up a CBSE School as well. They further expanded into the making of Sacred Heart College, an Arts and Science College, which was established in 1944 with magnificent buildings fringed with attractive gardens and potted plants,    a large library, a spacious auditorium, vast play grounds and facilities for both sports and games. At present the college is accredited with five star statuses and a grade by the NAAS (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) and it has become an autonomous college. The college offered 14 under graduate and 14 post-graduate courses in varied subjects to cope with the demands of the modern age. The printing press too grew considerably. They renovated the church and monastery building. These institutions offered jobs for a lot of people. A different class of people with intellectual acumen, abilities, good values and virtues came to be associated with these institutions. A good number of them settled close to the college out of convenience. The elite in the City of Cochin also moved to this area not only for its scenic backwater location but also due to the availability of important amenities for the development of their children. This made drastic changes in the lives of common man. Now the people living in Thevara are all literate; they are all employed, living in stylish and modern buildings. Their living conditions too have improved considerably. Privation and sufferings are stories of the past. Nobody can ignore the great contribution and services of the friars and the nuns of varied congregations in the field of education, health and social service sectors. The yeoman services they have rendered for the peace and progress of common man especially in the State of Kerala is highly laudable. I cannot but comment that these ideals they upheld are realities of the past. I am amazed to note the changing scenario.

 Day by day the values and virtues are failing; deterioration has extended its tentacles to all walks of life including Christianity. The profession of a friar and nun especially secular priests have degenerated into a mere livelihood for many. Indiscipline disobedience, lecherous behaviour and materialism are the rules of the day.

 I was flabbergasted when a protest march was taken out by the secular priests brazenly through the public roads in the City of Cochin, a few years back, against their spiritual leader and Bishop Dr. Sebastian Mankuzhikari, who tried to introduce the ancient Chaldean order of worship in churches under the Ernakulam Diocese. The secular priests finally succeeded in ignominiously transferring him to an insignificant diocese at Thamarassery in Kozhikode district.

Another unfortunate and shocking episode reported in the news media was that of the vicar of St Mary’s Church at Njarakkal and a section of the fanatic religious group of parishioners, who criminally intimidated and assaulted two CMC sisters with the common intention to take control and management of the Convent School situated on the first floor of the convent building and the Poor Home, which was established in 1945. Both these belong to the CMC Convent at Njarakkal. The vicar’s futile attempt was on the basis of a fraudulent by-law fabricated by him in connivance with the Bishop of Ernakulam diocese. They manipulated and obtained orders from the Deputy Director of Public Instruction. This was done without the knowledge of the sisters of the convent. The provocation for the atrocious and concerted acts was due to the dismissal of the service of their Manager, who was the vicar of St. Mary’s Church at Njarakkal. He was appointed to the post of Manager by the Mother Superior of the Convent. The Vicar was asked to leave on the charges of mismanagement and misappropriation of the funds of their school. In order to cover up his wickedness, conspiracy, and to wriggle out of the grievous felony, the Vicar of Njarakkal Church filed a writ petition, WP(C) No. 30106 of 2006 of the High Court of Kerala, and obtained a judgment dated 11-08-2010 from the single bench, which was technically in his favour. But the single judge erroneously omitted to consider the real bone of contentions in the case. What the judge failed to realize was -who bought, and to whom the landed property of the school belonged and who started the original Convent Girls School. That was the crux of the issue. Aggrieved by the judgment of the single bench, the Mother Superior filed an appeal, WA No. 28 of 2011 before the High Court of Kerala. A division bench presided over by Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair and Justice B.P. Ray heard that appeal in detail along with other connected appeals filed, WA Nos. 28, 48, 66, 69 & 76 of 2011, and passed an elaborate, common, appellate judgment dated 12-4-2011, reversing the judgment passed by the single judge. The Vicar, the looser, moved Special Leave Petition No. 12909 of 2011 before the Supreme Court of India, but the SLP was dismissed as per order dated 17-5-2011 and upheld the appellate judgment passed by the division bench. The Court upheld the absolute right of the Mother Superior of the Convent over the Little Flower Convent School and Poor Home and the right of the Mother Superior of Little Flower Convent, Njarakkal, in Ernakulam district as the Manager of both the institutions. The Convent sisters further created history of sorts when they sued a Syro-Malabar Bishop of the Ernakulam diocese and the priest of St Mary’s Church, Njarakkal for criminal intimidation, conspiracy and forgery, and for man-handling two CMC sisters with their common intention to take control and management of the school and Poor Home belonging to the convent fraudulently.

I too have personal experiences wherein the Bishop of Ernakulam diocese and secular priests, through murky deals, were involved in making such blatant moves. I knew personally that the bishops tried to unduly influence and coerce owners of private chapels to assign their properties to the bishop of Ernakulam. On another occasion, they trespassed into my private property and illegally erected a ‘Bhandaram’, the church offering treasury, which they removed when a complaint was moved against the bishop and the secular priest with a copy to the Sub Inspector of Police. Their concerted acts were in blatant violation of the tenets of Christian Commandments, teachings and practices.
The vows of “poverty, chastity and obedience” are conveniently forgotten by the priests. Nowadays priests liberate themselves from the cassock. They are often spotted in hotels and cinemas in the city. They drive around in their own posh cars, which is the new status symbol. Education has become a business for the secular priests; they charge exorbitant fees for admission to schools, colleges and professional courses. Lump sums are demanded   for the appointment of teachers and lecturers; the Carmelite Missionary of India (C.M.I. friars and C.M.C. nuns) are no exception. Selfless service has become anathema, abhorrence and abomination to them. I was disturbed by a recent revelation in our leading local daily, “Malayala Manorama.” It had reported that the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Jacobite Bishop Kuriakose Mar Clemis, paid three crore rupees to the hierarchy to get the ‘Bishop’ title four years ago. Merit is often overlooked.

St. George, at Edappally, Edathua and Arthungal in Kerala, was a Roman soldier posted in Palestine. He was carved as the representation of a man (warrior) on horseback pursuing a dragon. The tradition is that the hero is supposed to have attacked the dragon and killed the monster concealed himself, and preyed upon the human race. This episode had no foundation in history. However, in 1494 Pope Gelasius I included George among those “whose names are rightly reverenced among us, but whose actions are known only to God.” In 1963 the Church, bowing to scholarship, removed St George from the Universal Calendar, Thirty-seven years later Pope John Paul II, bowing to popular faith, reinstated him. It is just a shame that nothing certain is known about him. I was rudely shaken up to hear that twenty-five crores of rupees were spent to construct St. George Church at Edappally. It may require another five crores to complete it. Most of the churches were reconstructed or are under renovation, spending exorbitant amounts when the global economy is in the grip of a recession. Aren’t austerity and simplicity the need of the hour? I would have appreciated if the Church had invested this money for erection of an industrial unit which would generate employment and feed the hungry mouths and / or they utilized it for the modernization of their school and hospital at Edappally.
I was again perturbed at the revelation of Sr. Jesme, an able and efficient principal of St. Mary’s College at Trichur, Her university records eloquently speak about her outstanding academic brilliance. Sr. Jesme, (Jesus and me), in her autobiography in Malayalam namely “Amen: Oru Kanyastrhreyude Atmakadha” (An autobiography of a nun) reveals the group interests, politics,, quarrels and fights for power and positions in their convents and educational institutions. It portrays the outbreak of suppressed sex among the convent sisters and in their college hostels and also exploitation of sex by the priests. It explains the harassment meted out to her as principal for her truthful and correct decision to oppose the collection of capitation fee for various new courses and illegal donations and unfair appropriation of caution deposits from students by the management. The hierarchy in their provincial house at Trichur and some of the superior nuns branded her insane and made endeavours to put her in mental asylum in order to usurp her seat of principal of the college. Ultimately she put an end to the bitter episode by taking a hard and painful decision to quit her Carmelite Missionary Congregation (CMC) at Trichur.
The friars, nuns and secular priests of various orders and congregations extract large amounts of money as capitation fees for admissions to medical, engineering, and other unaided courses in their management quotas.  They do the same for appointments to the posts of teachers and lecturers in their institutions. Did they keep and maintain accounts for such money collected? Did anyone audit such accounts? Everybody knows that these amounts are misappropriated and mismanaged. Many of the friars and nuns and secular priests pilfer such funds to help their close relations. Who will bell the cat is now the moot question?

Sodomy, incest, the abuse of nuns and the molestation of children have been endemic in the Christian Church from its very origins. Abuse of children in Church-run institutions by celibate priests has become an international scandal. The Churches that once were the gathering point for entire communities are now half empty with only gray heads during worship. Disgusted with sex abuse scandals, highly exaggerated and fabricated gospels and fables, and for other reasons like exploitation of the laity on sacraments, mass attendance is declining among the younger generation, under age group of 30, in the western countries including Italy. Did a myriad of books and articles start to decay? Recently my cousins, Celin Jose and Jose Neerackal, who were working at Scotland, told me that a church at Dundee in Scotland has been converted into a beer parlour. How colossal is the problem? We have reached a stage where we cannot imagine being anything but a Catholic. Can the Church really reverse this exodus of young adults? The population of the world is exploding, but the Church is losing ground. The Church is in a steep state of decline. A few blind believers could be cheated and exploited throughout their life; the Church could cheat or exploit some of their sheep for some time but the Church cannot cheat or exploit all their sheep for all time to come. Everything, faith or institution, which had a beginning and growth has an ending too. This is a natural rule of law.

Shibu K.P. (Kalamparambil, Karukutty, a former friar of Vincentian Order) in his autobiography, “Oru Vaidikante Hrudayamitha,” (This is the Heart of a Priest) discloses, “The convents and nunneries are being converted into brothels. The priests have sex with nuns at night in these convents. Because of these acts, the chastity of the priests and nuns has come under suspicion. Their love for God has shrunk. Some of the clergy indulge in watching pornography and reading pornographic material. They lose themselves in this habit. These books and DVDs are kept in secret places and can’t be found easily.”
I was stunned, when Bishop John Thattungal, of Kochi diocese, who raised a storm following his decision to adopt a thirty year old woman as his daughter, has been suspended by Pope Benedict XVI, in 2008.

Some of the secular priests and their hierarchy would quarrel over doctrines during the day and sexually harass nuns during the night. Old wine and other people’s wives are their weakness. I was astounded by the revelation of Sister Mary Chandy in her autobiography “Nanma Niranjavale Swasthi,” (Peace to the One filled with Grace), revealed, “The cry of a baby came from the bathroom of one of the inner rooms along with the sobs of a woman. We used our might to force open the bathroom door and what we saw would break anyone’s heart. A nun who had given birth to a child was pushing the head of the baby into the closet. The bathroom was filled with blood. The legs of the child, which were sticking out of the closet, were kicking for life.” She describes some of the sexual harassments meted out by a number of nuns in convents at the hands of some lecherous secular priests. Convent sisters are coerced to offer – how many jugs of wine, how many cauldrons of food, and how many young nuns to some of these secular priests! The hierarchy and the mother superiors of some of the convents abetted and encouraged such heinous crimes. They coerce these young nuns into “sin” as part of the oath of obedience. Those who questioned it were harassed and had to leave the convent like Sr. Mary Chandy, who was forced to hit the head of a secular priest with a wooden stool to avert an attempt of molestation and rape on her. Some of the secular priests and the hierarchy of the convent chase them even outside their territory and try their best to malign and ostracize them. I take this opportunity to bring to the notice of the priests and friars, especially those of the Roman Catholic Churches that Article 23 of the Constitution of India prohibits traffic on women. Therefore those who harass and sexually exploit the nuns on the basis of one of the vows they had taken which is “the vow of obedience” shall be prosecuted for offences, convicted and sentenced to undergo imprisonment prescribed under the Indian Penal Code.

Retreat is becoming the new money minting business of the last quarter of the 20th century. The spiritual leaders, inter-alia, advise the throng of believers to take care not to let the anger, the grudge, whatever they are harbouring inside them which poison their life; forgive your enemy and forget the episode is the elixir for chronic ailments like cancer. I don’t know the veracity of their statements. However people fall for it and gave alms liberally to them. Brother Dhinakaran became a multi-millionaire and started a university of his own. The self proclaimed Bishop Yohannan bought thousands of acres of plantations, built palaces, acquired schools and colleges. The friars of Vincentian congregation started popular mission retreats at Potta. When their retreat turned out to be a crowd puller; they bought sprawling areas on either side of NH-47 on the banks of River Chalakudy. They are extending their territory eastwards to the foot-hills of Sahyadri Mountains. Their products like Jose Anathanam and his nephew has made huge investments in real estate. They bought a prime property, vast area, at Kumbalam abutting the NH-47 on the western side and backwaters on the eastern side.  Mullakkara Devassy is trying to outdo others by campaigns and by the sale of his CDs. Fr. Sebastian Kaiparambath, a charismatic product, former vicar of a church at Udayanapuram (2004-05) made a prophesy that the sun would vanish and the water is going to engulf the earth. His prophesy spread like a wild fire. The blind believers hoarded bundles of candle sticks and match boxes to deter the ensuing darkness. The candle and match box manufacturers made a quick buck. Such foolish prophets and self-proclaimed saints are mushrooming. They are misguiding and looting their blind believers. I recall the words of Desmond Tutu, “When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘Let us pray.’ We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.” (Desmond Mpilo Tutu, (born on October 7, 1931,) is the first black Archbishop of Cape Town of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa. He is a social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. He was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1984.)

The rabbi sighed, “How the days rush by, how rapidly the one pursued the next! Dawn, dusk, the passage of the sun, the passage of the moon after moon; the children became men, black hairs withered, the sea ate into the land, mountains were stripped bare and still the One they awaited did not come!”

The Catholic Church should stop the practice of recruiting in novitiates at a very young age. The young boys and girls who have the “Call of the Lord” should be fully convinced and aware of what they are going into. Only then will they be doing justice to their choice in life, the life of celibacy and sacrifice which will make them totally dedicated and devoted. In the event of he / she cannot stay a celibate, it is better to liberate them from the prison of celibacy. Let them abandon the holy life, strip off the cassock, and get married and settled in life. Holy Bible, Apostle Paul advised the unmarried and the widows (1 Corinthians 7 Verses 9,) “But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” In the event of a priest or friar or nun desires to marry, their parental share / patrimony deposited in the monastery or convent or with their hierarchy should be returned forthwith with 6% simple interest on filing his / her application expressing his / her wish to leave the order/congregation. Such individuals may be permitted to marry and lead a normal life with their family. It is the duty of the Catholic Church and the society to accept and rehabilitate without any stigma attached to them. The Catholic Church should realize and accept the fact that sex is not a sin; it is only a biological necessity. Kamala Surayya (Madhavikutty,) the daring woman and a great novelist, ripped the mask of sexual taboos in the orthodox society. Morality is nothing but lack of opportunity. There are only two unpardonable crimes in the code of sexual conduct, rape and telling of lies or breach of promise. The outbreak of suppressed sex is one of the major problems our society faces today. The Catholic Church could also bring reforms, “like the priests of Ancient Christians, the secular priests of Roman Catholic Church also could be allowed to marry and maintain a family.” This would prevent sexual exploitation of hapless and unwilling nuns in convents.

More shocking than the sex was the violence and cruelty that went with it. The CBI is once again directed by the High Court of Kerala to probe into “the Abhaya case. The ghost of Sr. Abhaya, the victim of a murder case in a convent at Kottayam, haunts top echelon in the religion and the society.”


I am of the opinion that a statutory Christian Board, similar to the Devaswom Boards in Kerala State, shall be constituted by the government to control and manage the church properties fraudulently obtained from the laities and to audit their accounts. Mismanagement and misappropriation of church funds and funds of educational institutions, hospitals and others have to be curtailed. Moreover, in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India and the security and safety of its citizens, a foreign sovereign or Pope or Patriarch or anyother person shall not be allowed to interfere in the affairs of our Churches or Faiths. Put an end to all the vestiges of the colonial rule. A competent and qualified person from among the laymen or a priest can be appointed as Pope or Patriarch to head the statutory Christian Board with the concurrence of the Govt. of India. Such Pope or Patriarch shall not have any allegiance or subjugation to the Pope at Vatican or Patriarch in Antioch or elsewhere and shall be treated as equal to Pope or Patriarch elsewhere.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com