THE MALANKARA ORTHODOX SYRIAN CHURCH Catholicate of the East The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church was founded by St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, who came to India in A.D. 52. At least from the fourth century the Indian Church entered into a close relationship with the Persian or East Syrian Church. From the Persians, the Indians inherited East Syrian language and liturgies and gradually came to be known as Syrian Christians. In the sixteenth century Roman Catholic missionaries came to Kerala. They tried to unite the Syrian Christians to the Roman Catholic Church and this led to a split in the community. Those who accepted Catholicism are the present Syro-Malabar Catholics. Later Western Protestant missionaries came to Kerala and worked among Syrian Christians; That also created certain splits in the community. In the seventeenth century the Church came to a relationship with the Antiochene Church which again caused splits. As a result of this relationship the Church received West Syrian liturgies and practices. The Church entered into a new phase of its history by the establishment of the Catholicate in 1912. At present the Church is using the West Syrian liturgy. The faith of the Church is that which was established by the three Ecumenical Councils of Nicea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381) and Ephesus (A.D. 431). The Church is in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox Churches namely, Antiochene, Alexandrian, Armenian, Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches. The Church is in good ecumenical relationship with the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches. At present the Church has over 2 million faithful with 24 dioceses all over the world. Before 1653 THE THOMAS CHRISTIANS BEFORE 1653 IN CONTACT WITH THE ROMAN CATHOLICS DURING THE PORTUGUESE COLONIALISM. Introduction It was with the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century in South India that the ancient church of St. Thomas for the first time, began to undergo the decisive effect of the Portuguese colonial era coupled with the adverse effects of Roman Catholicism. As the result, it was forced to succumb under Rome through the Portuguese. Five well – planned maneuvers were played to force this church finally to obey Rome. Among these the first one was bringing the church of Thomas under the administrative control of the Portuguese. The second, subjecting this Church to a thorough latinization process by establishing two clergy training institutes; Third, forcefully terminating all contacts of the Kerala Church once and for all with the East Syrian Church. Fourth, forcing the whole Church of the Thomas through a representativeve assembly to go under Rome. Fifth, imposing upon it the direct rule of the Roman Catholic regime and at the same time destroying the precious indegeneous heritage of the Church of St Thomas. CONTACT OF THE THOMAS CHRISTIAN WITH THE PORTUGUESE The Thomas Christians as a whole reacted against the Roman Catholicism in 1653 through the famous event known as the Coonan Cross Oath. Although the event was a great success, the Church of St. Thomas could not continue for long in its determination. As the pressures from the Roman Catholic side continued , the leadership became subject to division. A group once again rejoined Roman Catholicism and stood against the aspirations of the people who stood for freedom from Rome , the latter group later on become the Orthodox Church of India. A few details of that tumoultous period are explained below. When the Portuguese landed in India, they met the Christians of St.Thomas and felt satisfied that their old dream of discovering India and Eastern Christians had been fulfilled. They set great hopes on the St.Thomas Christians. These Christians too on their part experienced a spontaneous joy at the arrival of powerful Christians from the West and desired Portuguese help to strengthen their own privileged existence in India. So the new comer’s were enthusiastically welcomed by the Church of St.Thomas. When Vasco-da-Gama arrived at Cochin on his second voyage (1502) , a delegation of Thomas Christians went to met him and implored protection. The cordial and intimate relation established thus continued for two decades. However, when the Portuguese penetrated into the interiors of Kerala and into the Churches of St Thomas Christians, they realized that these Christians were neither subject to Rome, nor were they similar in Church traditions. To their dismay they found that these Christians were followers of the East Syrian Church, Eastern bishops looked after them, and the Patriarch in Babylon was considered their ecclesiastical head. Moreover they thought thas as the East Syrian Church is Nestorian, Indian Christians were also of that sect. Since Pope of Rome through the ‘Padroado’ privileges had granted the Portuguese crown , sovereign rights over the eastern lands which come under their sway, the Portuguese thought that by right , the Thomas Christians should be under their control and to achieve this aim, they worked among the St Thomas Christians for one and a half centuries. THE EAST SYRIAN BISHOPS AND ENCOUNTERS WITH THE PORTUGUESE When the Portuguese came, the Church of St.Thomas was following the traditions of the East Syrian Church. There were about a dozen bishops from that Church, among the St.Thomas Christians in the 16th century. From a letter of 5 East Syrian bishops, written to their Patriarch in Babylon (in 1504), it is known that there were in Malabar about thirty thousand families of St.Thomas Christians ; new churches were being built, and that they were prosperous in every respect and living in peace and security. They also say that St.Thomas was martyred at Mylapore and there was a monastery in that town. The letter points also to the arrival of the Portuguese and the friendly relationship between them and the St.Thomas Christians. Among these East Syrian bishops, Mar Jacob the last one, lived and led the Church of St.Thomas till his death in 1552 AD. After the death of this last bishop the Roman Catholics intensified their efforts to subdue the Church of St. Thomas and for that, they directed their energy in the direction of preventing any fresh arrivals of bishops from Babylon. Some had come disguised, but they were caught and subjected to tortured or forced embrace Roman Catholicism so that they might become helpful in achieving the Romanization of the Church of St.Thomas. Two or three bishops did arrive from the East Syrian Church after the death of Mar Jacob but they were severely harassed and the last among them Mar Abraham , led the St Thomas Christians till the last year of the 16th century. THE PLACE OF UDAYAMPEROOR IN SUBJECTING THE St THOMAS CHRISTIANS UNDER ROME Immediately after the death of bishop Mar Abraham, the St.Thomas Christians were forced to meet in a infamous synod, best known as the Synod of Udayamperoor (1599); which declared that they were under Rome from then on. Among all efforts that were undertaken to subdue the Thomas Christians by the Roman Catholics under Portuguese colonialism, the efforts of the Jesuits – a religious order that had been created in the tense context of reformation in Europe – deserves special mention. Their endeavours, in enforcing Roman Catholicism upon the Church of St.Thomas, was remarkable. It was due to their effort that a clergy training centre was established at Vaipikotta to train St.Thomas Christians’ clergy. Moreover, the major architects behind the convocation, deliberation, framing and execution of decree’s of the so called Udayamperoor Synod (1599) – were these Jesuits of Vaipikotta Seminary. Apart from this the administration of the Church of St.Thomas was also entrusted to them as a tribute to their excellent service following the Udayamperoor Synod. Till 1653 three bishops from the Jesuits ruled over this church executing the decrees of the Synod and thus forcing the Malabar Church to become Roman Catholic. However the Synod of Udayamperoor was the culminating point in the high handed process of subjecting the St.Thomas Church to Portuguese administrative control. The convoker, presider, and judge was the Roman Catholic Archbishop Dom Alexios Menezis of Goa, who infact had no right at all, to do anything of that sort in the church of St.Thomas. The synod was held for eight days. None of the decrees were framed in the synod after due discussion, but before 15 days or after the gathering. Many of the decrees were framed after the Synod as the archbishop desired. The synodal decrees were passed by threats and terrorizing methods, as desired by the archbishop and his caucus. The synodal decrees were aimed at the total transformation of the church of St.Thomas into Roman Catholic faith, polity and church discipline . It decreed that the Supreme Head of the church of St.Thomas was the pope of Rome. The Patriarch of Babylon was condemned as a heretic and contact with him declared highly perilous and inviting dangers. THE IMPACT OF UDAYAMPEROOR The norms laid by the council of Trent were enforced upon the St Thomas Church. The priests were to be celibate by compulsion and the Malabar church was divided into parishes with a parish priest directly appointed by Portuguese authorities. Besides, the church was required to abandon the “many errors” which had crept into its life from the Indian milieu. All Syriac books are to be handed over for burning and destruction so that no memory of East Syrian connections was to remain. Though the whole process of the so called the Synod of Udayamperoor had been condemned by recent scholarships both ecclesiastical and secular, yet the impact of it upon the Thomas Christians was decisive. Roman Catholicism was firmly established on the St. Thomas Christians and the Synod was a turning point in the history of the Malabar Church. After the synod these events followed immediately. 1. Appointment of a Latin bishop over the Church of St.Thomas. 2. Suppression of the Metropolitan status of Angamali and making it subordinate to Goa. 3. ‘Padroado’ of the Portuguese was extended over the Thomas Christians. 4. The protest of St Thomas Christians protest and Restoration of the Metropolitan status to Angamali and transfer of the Latin bishop Roz to Crangannore. Francis Roz was the first Portuguese Latin-Roman Catholic bishop over the Thomas Christians, after their subjection under the Udayamperoor Synod. Since he had been the main architect behind the success of Udayamperoor, he was given the privilege of ruling over the Thomas Christians for 24 years. During this time according to the principles directed by Udayamperoor he tried his best to Romanize and Latinize the Thomas Christians in worship, administrative system, custom, discipline etc. He centralized in himself all authority, reducing almost to nothing the powers of the Archdeacon, Palliyogams and Kathanars of the St. Thomas’ Church. The same continued to occur during the episcopates of his two successors Stephen Britto (1624-1641) and Francis Garzia (1641-1659). Archdeacon George of the Cross, who had suffered endlessly under Roz and Britto died in 1640 and was succeeded by his nephew Archdeacon Thomas Parambil. This Thomas was not in tune with Archbishop Garzia. This incumbent tried his best, using both ecclesiastical and civil powers, to suppress the Archdeacon. Meanwhile the Archdeacon had corresponded secretly with bishops from South-West Asian churches. One named Ahatalla arrived and he was made captive by the Portuguese at Mylapore. From detention, he was brought to Cochin in chains on his way to Goa be sent away or imprisoned by the Portuguese. At once, under the leadership of the Archdeacon , the Thomas Christians reacted by asking the release of Ahatalla. But, all appeals for his release failed. The news spread that he had been drowned by the Portuguese. The tension mounted and reached its apex, with the leadership of the Archdeacon against the Portuguese Jesuits and Garzia, at an Oath called Coonen Cross on Friday, January 3, 1653, at Mattanchery near Kochi,. This is the Coonen Cross Oath was a great declaration of freedom by the Church of the St.Thomas Christians. At once all connections with the Portuguese Roman Catholics, Jesuits and Archbishop Garzia was rejected declaring “till the end neither the Thomas Christians nor their generations would obey the church of Rome or the Portuguese or Jesuits, but only obey their Archdeacon Thomas”; adding also that Francis Metran should be rejected like any other from the Roman side. All historians agree that after the Oath practically the whole body of the Thomas Christians joined together against Roman Catholic supremacy. After the Oath, for some considerable time there were only very few people ready to co-operate with Garzia. One view is that he had only about 200 laymen and 15 to 20 clergy with him from the St.Thomas Christians. The Coonen Cross event was a great victory for Archdeacon Thomas and for his church. It was a powerful expression of the will and determination of the Thomas Christians, who wanted to re-establish their freedom, identity, dignity and venerable heritage rejecting all things imposed upon them by colonial powers, ecclesiastical and political. Their leaders assembled at Edapally where four councilors – Parambil Chandy, Kadavil Chandy, Vengoor Gheevarghese and Anjilimoottil IttyThoman were appointed to help Archdeacon in his church administration. This was followed by a general meeting at Allangad on May 22, 1653 where Archdeacon Thomas was elevated to the status of bishop with the title Mar Thoma by laying on of hands of 12 leading priests of the Church of St.Thomas with the unanimous consent of the whole Church. Troubled by the effects of the Coonen Cross,Garzia and the Portuguese authorities tried their best to first pacify and then suppress the people; trying to bring the community back under Roman Catholic control. But their efforts were in vain. In this situation, Goan authorities requested direct Roman papal intervention in this affair. Now Rome, sensing the favourable opportunity at its disposal acted immediately dispatching two batches of Carmelite missions, one under Hyacinth and another headed by Joseph Sebastiani. The latter arrived in Malabar in 1657 and the former a year later. Portuguese- Goan authorities and Garzia lent full support to these missions. Moreover the Raja of Cochin and his subordinate petty rajas at the command of the colonial power, lent their political and economic support. Sebastiani visiting many churches of St.Thomas Christians and making good use of local Raja’s support and spending huge amount of money to please the kings and other reactionary elements.....