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
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