Indian Christianity

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN
an assembly of the Saint Thomas Christians at Angamali, and all those who came in unanimously
supported the Archdeacon.
Bishop Menzes came down to Malabar in February 1599, and by coercion and threat obtained the
support of the church leaders. Menezes threatened to depose Archdeacon, George (of the Cross) and
appoint in his place Thomas Kurian, another nephew of former Archdeacon whose claims had been
ignored in 1593. In order to prevent a division, Archdeacon, George (of the Cross) yielded to the
demands of Menezes.
Soon after Dom Alexis Menezes, Archbishop of Goa, summoned all the priests, other clerics and four
lay men elected from each church, even from the churches he had not visited under the pain of
excommunication. About 130 ecclesiastics and 660 laymen ( elected and specially invited) met at
Diamper in the Kingdom of Cochin
In http://www.smmdelhi.com/history_14.htm Rev. Dr. Sebastian Vadakumpadan of the Syro-Malabar
Church which still part of the communion of the Roman Catholic Church says:
"The Synod of Udayamperoor (June 20 - 26 -1599)
The St. Thomas Christians were very keen to keep communion with the Chaldeans. They were against
any move to break this communion. But this does not mean they were not in communion with Rome.
Communion with Rome and with the East Syrian Church could go together.
Mar Abraham had solicited the Jesuits to appoint the Archdeacon as his successor. They did not
oblige..21 22 They wanted to appoint a Latin bishop over the St. Thomas Christians and bring them
under the Padroado jurisdiction.
Archbishop Menezes of Goa had obtained from Pope Clement VIII authorization to appoint a vicar
apostolic for Angamali after the death of Mar Abraham. Archbishop Menezes who rushed to Angamaly
had to confirm the Archdeacon George of thew cross as the administrator. Menezes ordained priests to
muster support and convoked a Synod at Diamper. Studies have revealed that the Synod was totally
manipulated by the Archbishop. Menezes composed in anticipation the Acts of the Synod in Portuguese
and got it translated into Malayalam. However this Portuguese text was very much different from the
Malayalam text used for collecting the signature. The Portuguese manuscript is almost twice as long as
the Malayalam one.
In Europe much publicity was given to the story of the Synod of Diamper. The literature published in this
connection together with what was said to be the Acts of the Synod spread the false idea that for more
than thousand years St. Thomas Christians had been living out of the Roman communion, and that they
have been “reduced ” ((brought back)to the obedience of Rome by the efforts of the zealous Archbishop
Menezes. Even today many do not know that St. Thomas Christians have always remained faithful and
loyal to Rome for twenty centuries In place of “Reducing the St. Thomas Christians to the obedience of
Rome ” Menezes should have written the truth,, namely, he removed the St. Thomas Christians from
under the jurisdiction of the East Syrian prelates and brought them under the Latin jurisdiction and the
Portuguese Padroado. The false propaganda has done permanent damage to the St. Thomas
Christians. These manipulations have gone to creating animosity between the two communities.
Two Jesuit Fathers, Ros S.J who became bishop, and Campori S.J., who were present in the Synod,
wrote to the Jesuit General that the Synod was not “in forma ”.According to their letters the St. Thomas
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