The messages of Jesus Christ was brought to India by St. Thomas, one among the 12 disciples of Christ. He landed at Kodungalloor in AD 52. The royal family of Kodungalloo became Christians. The son-in-law of the King was re-named Peter and anointed the first bishop In India by St. Thomas. After preaching the Gospel to many people in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, finally he reached Mylapore where he was assassinated in AD 72. Until the third century, the bishops of Kodungalloor ruled the Christians in India. Subsequently, the bishops for Kerala were appointed by the Patriarch of Selucia Ctesiphon, till the Portuguese came to India. Indian Christians generally followed the brahminical customs and for church services they used Syrian language. A Malayalee priest was always appointed as arch deacon and chief administrator over the Christian church in Kerala and he was based at Kodungalloor.
The struggle for power in Kerala church started with the second visit of Vasco-Da Gama to Kerala in AD 1502. He landed at Kozhikode with a number of ships, traders, soldiers and missionaries. They took control of 16 centres on the west coast of India and started business. Initially St. Thomas Christians welcomed the fellow Portuguese Christians.
Portuguese’s rule: Portuguese missionaries converted many coastal fishermen. The missionary work of Francis Xavier was the most notable during this period. In 1497. Pope Alexander VI had given the patronage of the catholic church in their colonies to the Portuguese monarchy. The bishops for these colonies were appointed by the Portuguese king. Such a rule of the Portuguese over the catholic church in their colonies is called Padroado Rule. The first Padroado arch diocese was established in 1534 at Goa. The Kochi diocese was formed in 1558. Only Portuguese bishops ruled these two dioceses. The Portuguese were more interested in wresting the control of the Syrian catholic church in Kerala which existed since the time of St. Thomas.
Arrest of Bishops: Between 1550 and 1570 they arrested and jailed Syrian bishops like Mar Ambrose, Mar Joseph and Mar Abraham. Bishop Mar Jacob and several priests were harassed by the Portuguese. Though Pope Plus VI in 1565 and Pope Gregorios VIII in 1580 tried to intervene on behalf of the Syrian Bishops, the Portuguese did not listen. The Arch bishop of Goa spearheaded the Portuguese invasion of Kerala Syrian Church.
The Padroado hierarchy of Goa consolidated their authority over the Syrian church in 1599 through the Udayamperoor council. It was resolved in this council that the traditional Syrian system of service in the churches shall be replaced by the Latin system, which was followed in Portugal, after translating into the Syrian language. The powers of the Syrian arch deacon was also abolished and the complete control of the church in the west coast was brought under the arch diocese of Goa. Most of the Syrian Christians did not like these changes. The priests who sent complaints to the Pope were excommunicated from the catholic church by the Portuguese bishops.
Revolt against Portuguese rule: The dissident Syrian Christians invited a Coptic Bishop Aha Tallah in 1652. The Portuguese authorities arrested him and threw him in the Lake Vempanad with a huge stone tied to his neck. St. Thomas Christians could not tolerate all these injustice from the Portuguese and the “Holy Inquisition of Goa”. They assembled in front of the Matta cherry church on Jan. 3 1653. They tied a rope to the cross and everybody holding the rope vowed that they will no more be ruled by the Portuguese. This incident is described in history as Kalamkaris Sathyam.
Rebel church: The rebel christians who left the catholic church through this incident later formed the Orthodox christian church and Marthozite church. The number of Christians who left the Catholic church because of the greed for power of the Portuguese missionaries far outnumbered the conversions they had achieved. Though the Dutch dislodged the Portuguese from Kochi in 1663, the Padroado rule effectively continued in Kerala catholic church. Thus, the Portuguese empire, which they could not win through the barrel of the gun, they achieved through the altar.
However, the Syrian christians who remained under the Padroado and Propaganda rules, continued to represent to the Pope for restoration of the Syrian rites in the church services and for the appointment of Malayalee Syrian bishops. Seven Syrian Carmalita priests who organised the signature campaign for the representation to Pope were excommunicated from the church by Bishop Leonard of Varapuzha. These priests are glorified in the church history. Monger. Leo Maureen, the Papal representative at Bombay, called them “Seven sufferings” in memory of the sufferings of Holy Mary. Fr. Louis, the leader of these “seven fullering’s”, was later appointed secretary to the Changemakers Bishop in 1891.
Malayalces succeed: As a result of all these agitations and representations Pope Leo XIII finally permitted the Syrian hierarchy in 1887 and appointed Malayalee bishops in 1896, thus totally ending the Padroado rule in Kerala.
Brahmin converts: During the 16th century, Portuguese soldiers captured many men and women from the west coast and made them slaves. Men were employed to row their ships while the women were sold to the Portuguese men. Goa governor Albuquerque was worried over the deplorable moral life among the Portuguese. He bought several such Indian women, baptized them and gave in marriage to the Portuguese soldiers and traders. As an incentive he paid 18000 Ria to each of those couples. Such people settled on the west coast of India mainly in Goa and Mangalore. Some local Brahmins were also converted and accepted into their community, while the fishermen Christians remained as a separate entity.
In 1650, Jesuit priests from Italy came to Mysore for propagation of Christianity. In 1773, the Paris Mission Society took up the missionary work in and around Mysore. In 1886, the Mysore and Mangalore diocese were formed. The Bellary and Bangalore diocese were formed in 1949. The Bangalore diocese was elevated as an Arch diocese in 1953. Chickmagalur became a diocese in 1963.
Catholics In Yamatake except those of Portuguese descent are converts from Untouchable castes. Many Tamils and some Malayalee Catholics also migrated to Karnataka. But Karnataka does not have a Kannadiga bishop and Kannada language does not get enough importance in the church services in Bangalore or Mysore cities.
Kannada Catholics are Dalits: One prominent Catholic told the author that Kannada Catholics are Untouchables and that is why none of them qualify to become bishops. However, all the bishops and clergy among non-Catholic Christians in the Kannada-speaking areas are all Kannadigas. Why then among Catholics the “superior tribe” only qualify for appointment to high church positions?
The Bangalore arch-diocese and the catholic education institutions are largely dominated by the descendants of the Portuguese. The Padroado priests in such institutions often use various tricks to prevent the non-Padroado Catholics from getting any important positions in these institutions. The selection of students to these institutions are also in the Padroado way.
In St. Johns Medical College, 150 students are usually called for interview based on the academic “merit” they achieve in an entrance test. Final selection of 59 students are based on considerations other than academic which are often controversial.
Kannada Catholic priests and laity are agitating for some time for the primacy of Kannada language in church services and for the appointment of Kannadiga bishops. Such priests are effectively silenced. The agony of these priests reminds us the “seven sufferings” of the Syrian catholic church of 19th century. The agitation of the Kannada catholic also reminds us the famous Konan Kurisu Sathyam of Matta cherry in 1653. Will the Kerala history repeat in Karnataka? References:
- Moraes GM (1964) -A History of Christianity in India
- Xavier Kodagu (1984) – Thirusabhacharithram
- Kurian Mammoth, Sebastian Nadakal and Kurian Vamping (1982) – Kerala Sabha Chrithrathiloode
