Indian Christianity

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN
Mattancheri Coonan Cross of witness
The result of the synod was unfortunate. As the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) explains:
"The only case in which an ancient Eastern rite has been wilfully romanized is that of the Uniat Malabar
Christians, where it was not Roman authority but the misguided zeal of Alexius de Menezes, Archbishop
of Goa, and his Portuguese advisers at the Synod of Diamper (1599) which spoiled the old Malabar
Rite."
This revolt which was essentially a freedom struggle as far as the Indian church is concerned from the
foreign domination. The Kerala Churches which was monolithic until that time.
Latin rite
After the Coonan Cross Oath, Rome realized the extreme stand they took under a weakened political
environement incapable of executing inquisition power and began to take steps to get back the
confidence. Having realized that the Thomas Christians lost their confidence in the Jesuits, they sent in
the Carmelites (another group of monks) in an attempt of reconciliation. Malankara Syrian Christians
were new to the politics of the churches. They always relied on foreign clergy to read and interpret Bible.
So it was easy for the Carmalites to make them feel that Churches needed Bishops and Bishops are to
be ordained only by some form of Apostolic succession and laying on of hands by some Apostolic
Authority of the status of Bishop. The Pope erected the Vicariate of Malabar in Cranganore and
appointed Fr. Joseph Sebastiani of St.Mary with the Carmelite order, as Apostolic Administrator of the
Roman Catholics (Latin rite) of Malabar in 1659 which was renamed as Verapoly in 1709. In 1662, after
a papal delegation visited Malabar, many of the confused Syrian Christians returned to Roman Church.
Fr. Kadavil Chandy and Fr. Chandy Parampil who were with the Arkadiyokan until then also defected.
While Bishop Joseph administered the Roman Catholic followers with their headquarters at
Udayamperoor church, Thomas Arakadiyokan and Itty Thommen Kathanar led the Malankara Syrian
Church staying at the Mulanthuruthy MarThoman church. In 1663 when Sebastiani left for Goa under
instruction from the Dutch, Fr. Chandy Parambil (Mar Alexander) was made the first Vicar Apostolic of
Malabar for the section of Syrian Christians who adorned the Roman Catholic faith. After the demise of
Mar Alexander, no indigenous Syrian bishop was appointed to succeed him.
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