Varthamana pusthakam gives an account of the affairs of Catholic Syriac group during a period when our community was proud of our identity and traditions.
If we study the history of Catholic Syriac group, we can see a gradual disintegration of the zeal to protect our identity and traditions when they moved from their foreign rulers to native rulers.
The history shows that the united Saint Thomas Christians were resistant to the efforts of Portuguese missionaries in Latinising them. We can see Cathanaar Joseph, the Indian, the chief priest of the church at Crangannore confronting with Alvares Panteado in AD 1516. Even at the time of Synod of Diamper, the Jesuites failed to implement the decisions of the synod. Hence, Arch Bishop Ros had to convene the synod of Angamali in AD 1603, as many of the decisions of the synod of Diamper could not be implemented among Saint Thomas Christians. As those were also not acceptable, Ros had to yield further by the introduction of Rosian statutes in AD 1606.
Mar Simon, the then Chaldean Patriarch, who was explicitly in communion with Rome was anathematised in the Synod of Diamper and his name was banned in remembering in the Qurbana and introduced the name of the Pope instead. We can see in the Syro Malabar Qurbana taksa used until 1960, remembering the Chaldean Patriarch’s name after the name of the Pope which shows the resistance of our community and leaders against tampering our age old traditions and identity.
In 1895, we can see our community sending letters to Rome against the use of the term Syro Malabar as the title of the church reqesting Rome to revert it to Syro Chaldean rite. It seems that Rome accepted the petition and in 1953, when the diocese of Thalassery was established, Rome has used the term Syro Chaldeac.
In the time of Paremmakkal Thomman Cathanaar and Malpan Joseph Cariatti, we can see our community was strong and were proud of our traditions and identity. The 72 palliyogams- general assembly-of Pazhayacoor decided to send Malpan Cariatti and Paremmakkal Thomman cathanaar to Rome to complain about their grievances from the Carmelite Missionaries and to get unity of Puthencoor and Pazhayacoor effected by accepting Mar Thoma IV to Catholic Communion and accepting him as the Metropolitan of the united saint Thomas Christians. (For the Catholic Syriac group, this was the only way they can get a native hierarchy and for the Puthencoor faction, this was the option, without loosing their age old tradition and identity, Mar Thoma IV can become the united leader of the saint Thomas Christians, as Antiochian prelates were forcing them to adopt antiochian rite which was new in Malabar.)The palliyogams raised money for the travel. They were so brave to sent the delegation to Rome against the power of the hierarchy in Malabar at that time.
Later, we can see our community sending delegates to Chaldean Patriarchate and Mar Paulose Pandari was consecrated as a Bishop in AD 1796, upon further requests, Mar Thomas Rokos arrived in AD 1861 and Mar Elia Melus in 1874. Arrival of Rokos and Melus prompted Rome to establish a separate hierarchy for Catholic Syriac group in 1887 with European Prelates initially and in 1896, native prelates.
This is the point where the identity of our community started to disintegrate. We could witness the native prelates competing each other for more latinisations and gaining superior positions and titles. Where is the power and zeal of the General Assembly of 72 parishes in AD 1778 when we are in 2010 with our nominal assembly where we simply raise hands for our leaders who do not know what our identity is.
Varthamana pusthakam gives an account of the affairs of Catholic Syriac group during a period when our community was proud of our identity and traditions.
If we study the history of Catholic Syriac group, we can see a gradual disintegration of the zeal to protect our identity and traditions when they moved from their foreign rulers to native rulers.
The history shows that the united Saint Thomas Christians were resistant to the efforts of Portuguese missionaries in Latinising them. We can see Cathanaar Joseph, the Indian, the chief priest of the church at Crangannore confronting with Alvares Panteado in AD 1516. Even at the time of Synod of Diamper, the Jesuites failed to implement the decisions of the synod. Hence, Arch Bishop Ros had to convene the synod of Angamali in AD 1603, as many of the decisions of the synod of Diamper could not be implemented among Saint Thomas Christians. As those were also not acceptable, Ros had to yield further by the introduction of Rosian statutes in AD 1606.
Mar Simon, the then Chaldean Patriarch, who was explicitly in communion with Rome was anathematised in the Synod of Diamper and his name was banned in remembering in the Qurbana and introduced the name of the Pope instead. We can see in the Syro Malabar Qurbana taksa used until 1960, remembering the Chaldean Patriarch’s name after the name of the Pope which shows the resistance of our community and leaders against tampering our age old traditions and identity.
In 1895, we can see our community sending letters to Rome against the use of the term Syro Malabar as the title of the church reqesting Rome to revert it to Syro Chaldean rite. It seems that Rome accepted the petition and in 1953, when the diocese of Thalassery was established, Rome has used the term Syro Chaldeac.
In the time of Paremmakkal Thomman Cathanaar and Malpan Joseph Cariatti, we can see our community was strong and were proud of our traditions and identity. The 72 palliyogams- general assembly-of Pazhayacoor decided to send Malpan Cariatti and Paremmakkal Thomman cathanaar to Rome to complain about their grievances from the Carmelite Missionaries and to get unity of Puthencoor and Pazhayacoor effected by accepting Mar Thoma IV to Catholic Communion and accepting him as the Metropolitan of the united saint Thomas Christians. (For the Catholic Syriac group, this was the only way they can get a native hierarchy and for the Puthencoor faction, this was the option, without loosing their age old tradition and identity, Mar Thoma IV can become the united leader of the saint Thomas Christians, as Antiochian prelates were forcing them to adopt antiochian rite which was new in Malabar.)The palliyogams raised money for the travel. They were so brave to sent the delegation to Rome against the power of the hierarchy in Malabar at that time.
Later, we can see our community sending delegates to Chaldean Patriarchate and Mar Paulose Pandari was consecrated as a Bishop in AD 1796, upon further requests, Mar Thomas Rokos arrived in AD 1861 and Mar Elia Melus in 1874. Arrival of Rokos and Melus prompted Rome to establish a separate hierarchy for Catholic Syriac group in 1887 with European Prelates initially and in 1896, native prelates.
This is the point where the identity of our community started to disintegrate. We could witness the native prelates competing each other for more latinisations and gaining superior positions and titles. Where is the power and zeal of the General Assembly of 72 parishes in AD 1778 when we are in 2010 with our nominal assembly where we simply raise hands for our leaders who do not know what our identity is.
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