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Syrian Catholics of Kerala
Kerala is the earliest seat of Christianity in India and is one of the oldest (Since AD. 52) Christian community in the world. St. Thomas, the Apostle landed in Kodungallor in Kerala in AD. 52 and preached Christianity. He baptized some of the Brahmin ( Priest class) families. His teachings were accepted not only by those who chose to become Christians but also by those who chose to remain Hindus. The teachings eventually got integrated into the beliefs and traditions of the local communities, into their family history, into their songs and dances. St. Thomas established seven Christian communities or churches in Kerala. They are in Cranganore, Paravur (Kottakavu), Palayoor, Kokkamangalam, Malayattoor, Niranam, Chayal (Nilackal) and Kollam (Quilon). Throughout Kerala, one can find Christian families that are proud to claim descent from ancestors who were baptized by Apostle St. Thomas. Some details of this combined tradition may be found in songs - the "Rabban Pattu", the "Veeradyan Pattu", the "Margam Kali Pattu" and others that now exist in written records. St. Thomas ordained priests for the Christian converts and subsequently churches were constructed at these places. Even though there are differences in opinions amongst the historians of Kerala about this fact, the Christians of Kerala fully believed it as a fact, and they continue to believe firmly generation after generation that St. Thomas had planted the crosses in the above said places, where he had preached Christianity, baptized the converts and ordained the priests. The Christians in Kerala were popularly known as “Nazranis”. The ‘Nazaranis’ of Kerala are known as “St. Thomas Christians” from the early centuries. Later, by the middle of the 4th century, four hundred Christians accompanied by Mar Joseph, Bishop of Uraha immigrated to Kodungalloor from Kana (Palestine) under the leadership of Knai Thommen and settled in Kerala. They are called “Knanaya Syrians”. The 8th century witnessed a large-scale immigration of Persian Christians to Malabar Coast. Ayyan Adikal, the then ruler of Venad (erstwhile Travancore) granted vast agricultural lands and conferred 72 rights and privileges to the Persian Christians who settled in Quilon along with two bishops. In 12th century AD, Vira Raghava, the ruler of Mahodayapuram conferred rights and privileges to a Christian merchant, Iravi Karthan, further proving that the Christians enjoyed a very important place in the social and economic life of the state. The immigrant Christians who mainly settled both at Kodungalloor and Quilon were indulged mainly in trade and commerce and led a very prosperous life. Some of them later moved to the inner parts of the state and engaged in agriculture. In the early centuries itself, Buddhist monks were spreading the message of the Buddha in Kerala. The Buddhist religion in Kerala began to decline by the influx of Vedic Religion led by Sri Sankaracharya in the early part of the 8th century AD. During this period, many Buddhists embraced Christianity. The Christians in Kerala were following the Syrian rites and practices and hence they were known as “Syrian Christians”. They had ecclesiastical communion with the church of Persia. The foreign missionaries who came to Kerala for preaching Christianity misunderstood the Christians in Kerala and thought they were against the Pope and called them heretic. Friar Jordanus, a Dominican who visited Kerala in the 14th century brought a Papal bull to the Christians of Quilon. This bull is considered as the first claim of the authority of the Pope over the church in Kerala. Marco-Polo, the renowned traveler who visited Kerala towards the end of the 13th century mentions “Nestorian Christians” of Kerala in his travelogue. The advent of the Portuguese missionaries led to the ‘Latinization’ of the church of Kerala. They compelled the local Christians to accept the Pope as the head of the Syrian church in Kerala and accept Latin rite. In order to settle the disputes between the Syrian and Latin a synod was convened at Udayamperur in 1599 and in that synod a strong decision was taken for increased exaltation of Catholic faith among the Syrians of Kerala. The Portuguese missionaries have even destroyed the books and records of Syrian and prohibited the use of Syrian language by the clergy. The Syrian Christians protested against the domination of foreign missionaries and the forceful implementation of Latin rite. A section of the Syrian Christians who had great protest against the acts of foreign missionaries, took an oath at “ Coonen Kurissu “ in 1653 in Mattancherry and declared their independence from the Roman yoke forever. This led to the division of the Kerala Christians into Syrian Catholics and Jacobites. The Jacobites received episcopal succession through the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch. Those who took oath at “Coonen Kurissu” is known as “Puthenkoor” (Jacobites) and the others are known as “Pazhayakoor” (Syrian Catholics) who shows allegiance to the Pope. The Christian communities then split into many groups - East Syrian Catholics, West Syrian Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Jacobite Syrian Orthodox, Marthoma (those who accepted the Anglican Church but with the Eastern Liturgy), Church of the East (those who accepted the Nestorian Patriarch), and the Latin Church. In 1887, Pope Leo XIII issued the bull of "Quod Jam Pridem", which liberated the Syrians from the jurisdiction of the Latin prelate of Verapoly and placed them under two Eparchies - one in Trichur and the other in Kottayam (both in Kerala). More recently, on January 23, 1993, a papal declaration again upgraded Ernakulam to major Arch Episcopal Church with the title of Ernakulam Angamaly. Today, there are 25 Syrian Catholic dioceses in India. Twelve of them are in Kerala with a number of priests from Kerala working in many parts of the world. Kerala has one vocation (priest brother, sister) for every 70 Catholics. No other community in the world has so many vocations. Most of the Syrian families have a priest in their family who act as their religious guide and mentor. The coming of Protestant Christians from Europe to India from the seventh century onwards brought about significant changes among the Christians in Kerala . The Syrian Catholics had to suffer from the rulers of Travancore and Cochin due to the political influence exercised by the British throne. They lost their influence in the fields of commerce, military and politics and had to move away searching for their livelihood. This led them even to enter into mountainous regions of Kerala. Fighting the wild animals and the climatic conditions, they converted the mountainous regions into agricultural lands where they cultivated cash crops. Apart from agriculture they also engaged in banking, commerce, industry etc. and now remain as a highly educated, cultured, civilized and wealthy class in Kerala. The Christian church in Kerala did commendable work in the fields of education, medical service and social welfare of the people of India. |
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