Kuriakose Elias Chavara
Kuriakose Elias Chavara, religious name Kuriakose Elias of Holy Family CMI ( born February 10, 1805 in Kainakary, in Alleppey, Kerala, India Italy, † January 3, 1871 in Koonammavu in Ernakulam, Kerala ) is an official Seliger of the Catholic Church. He was a priest and a Carmelite, co-founder of the Congregation " Carmelites of Mary Immaculate " (CMI ) as well as vicar general for the Syro- Catholic Thomas Christians of India, today's Syro - Malabar Church.
Life and work
Origin and early life
Kuriakose Chavara was born as the fifth child of the Catholic Thomas Christians Cyriac Chavara and Mariam Thoppil, born on the Malabar Coast at Alleppey and in the parish of St. Joseph baptized on February 18, 1805 to Chenamkary.
The boy grew up pious; he wrote, inter alia, about it: " My mother brought me several prayers in which she let me recite during the first hours of the night on his knees beside him. " Kuriakose attended the ages of 5 and 11 years, the village school and was an avid acolyte in their competent parish church of St. Joseph, Chenamkary. The south- Indian, Catholic Thomas Christians were at that time the ( Latin ) Vicar Apostolic of Malabar, then Bishop Raymond Roviglia of St. Joseph OCD ( 1752-1816 ). For the Thomas Christians located under its jurisdiction he chose the local priest Thomas Palackal (1780-1841) as secretary and authorized representative. Palackal was of deep piety and acquired great merit in consolidating its rite in the early 19th century. On behalf of Bishop Roviglia he traveled all Syrian Catholic parishes and Protestant community life. Here, he also met the altar Kuriakose Chavara, whom it moved to the priesthood. Also, the Episcopal Supervisor Thomas Palackal considered him suitable and took him 1816, in the seminar led by him to his home town Pallipuram. Here Kuriakose Chavara was in 1817, however, the Klerikertonsur had to leave the institute later, as his parents and his older brother died and he had to take care of his little niece. When the family matters were arranged to Chavara his spiritual goal turned back to. He then attended the Central Seminar in Verapoly; In 1827 he was sub- deacon, deacon in 1828. On November 29, 1829 it inaugurated the then Apostolic Vicar of Verapoly Archbishop Maurelius Stabilini ( 1828-1831 ) in the Basilica of St. Andrew Arthunkal a priest.
Founder and Carmelite
Around the same time decided the clergyman Thomas Palackal and his relative ( mother's side) Kathanar Thomas ( 1799-1846 ) to begin a monastic life after the pattern of the early Christian hermits. This hermitage was founded on May 11, 1831 Support the Apostolic Vicar Msgr Stabilini on the mountain Mannanam at Alleppey and Kuriakose Chavara was next to the two older priests - one of whom was his former teacher - one of the founders. The resulting gradually ARISING Medal later took the name " Carmelites of Mary Immaculate " ( CMI) and is now one of the most important men of the Order of India; 1833 was connected with the monastery, a Syro- barisches seminary.
The two original founders died in 1841 or 1846 and Father Chavara was the last surviving co-founder of the Community. When the Order was on December 8, 1855 canonically erected, he was appointed first superior and he took that time also the religious name " Kuriakose Elias of Holy Family" at.
In 1844 was appointed as its agent for the faithful of the Syrian rite of competent Apostolic Vicar of Verapoly Father Kuriakose Chavara. The shaping of the clergy lay largely in his hands.
The " affair Roco "
1854 Bernardine Baccinelli OCD was appointed as the new Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly. This began a difficult period for the Syro -Malabar Catholics. Inspired by his zeal in the organization of the Church's life and as a result of an exaggerated desire of unification in the liturgical life, Baccinelli began under his jurisdiction Thomas Christians of the Latin rite align even more than has been already done in the past. He led in their East Syrian liturgy, for example a Roman chasubles and unknown customs such as the mandatory color canon of sacred vestments. His actions called forth great resentment among the Catholic Thomas Christians. The situation worsened in 1861 the appearance of a bishop named Thomas Roco, which the Uniate Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon with Rome, Joseph Audo had been sent to India to assist the Thomas Christians. This was done without consultation with Rome and Roco came also in India with the claim, by the Patriarch on behalf of Pope Pius IX. sent to be to govern the Thomas Christians. It developed a schism; most of Thomas Christians renounced the rule of Bishop Baccinellis and placed themselves under the Iraqi bishop Roco. 86 out of 154 municipalities changed completely on its side about 30 partially. Only 38 communities remained loyal to the legitimate ecclesiastical authority.
Father Kuriakose Chavara enjoyed among the Thomas Christians great reputation. Bishop Roco offered him a bishop, if he put on his side, which Chavara refused with regard to the unity of the church to be preserved. He personally wrote to the Pope and asked him to clarify the situation and definitive transfer what he should do. This answered him by letter on September 5, 1861, and Father Chavara stood strongly behind the preserved Roman teachings. Nevertheless, he also disapproved of the Latinization of his ritual, he subordinated himself the legitimate authority and supported the Apostolic Vicar Bernhardine Baccinelli, who then, he was appointed to the communities Syro-Malabar to his vicar-general with special powers. Father Chavara it is thanks to them that the schism no longer took hold. He traveled in the papal or episcopal order each parish and led her back under the jurisdiction of the Vicariate Verapoly. Then he negotiated with Bishop Roco to leave India and persuaded Archbishop Baccinelli, the Iraqis, whom he had excommunicated now to pay for the trip home. Then in 1862 he returned back to Mosul, especially since it also Patriarch Joseph Audo had recalled on the orders of the Pope. Both Audo and Roco agreed amicably with the Vatican and the schism went out. Many of the introduced by Bishop Baccinelli in India liturgical changes were however not until 1957 under Pope Pius XII. undone. Pope Pius IX. said Father Chavara from its explicit recognition in avoiding the threat of schism and issued in 1872 on the whole issue the encyclical " Quae in Patriarchatu " in which under Chapters 4 and 5 of the case is dealt with in detail.
Spirituality and sundries
Kuriakose Chavara was an ardent admirer of the Holy Eucharist and he spent long hours in prayer before the tabernacle. He led the Syro -Malabar rite of the annual, 40 -hour Eucharistic Adoration as an established custom. Moreover, was a prolific theological writer, who wrote several books. In his work " The Testament of a good father ," he wrote in part: " The days where we have proven anybody a service, are not hinzuzuzählen to the useful of our lives. " He used even at an advanced age contagious sick and cared for personally destitute. In 1866, Father Chavara together with the local nun Mother Eliswa ( 1831-1913 ) direct instruction of Bishop Bernard Baccinelli a female branch of his order, the first congregation of Indian Carmelites, which bears the name " Congregation of Teresian Carmelites " (CTC ) today.
But the priest was also a pioneer of the Catholic press work. In 1846 he founded in Mannanam under the name " St. Joseph `s Press," the first Catholic printing in today's Kerala, the first time published in the local language Malayalam. The publisher still exists today (2011) and called in 1887 the largest Catholic daily newspaper of South India launched the " Nazrani Deepika ," now " Malyalam Deepika " and the oldest currently existing newspaper in the Malayalam language.
Illness and death
Since 1869, the health of Father Chavaras deteriorated rapidly. He also suffered from severe rheumatic pain. On January 2, 1871, the eve of his death, he said goodbye to his brothers and gave them a final blessing. When he saw her grief he comforted them with the words:
" Why are you mourning? Every human being, whoever he may be, of one day or another it has to go. For me, the hour has arrived. Since my holy parents taught me to call the holy names of Jesus, Mary and Joseph often, I was always protective of her patronage, and I feel that I have never lost the grace of God received at my baptism sanctifying grace. Do not be grieved or disturbed by my departure. Submit yourselves fully and wholeheartedly to the holy will of God. God is supremely and infinitely merciful. May perfect love reign among you all. If you act so, you will give God the glory and for the salvation of the souls redound, and our congregation will continue to flourish and prosper. "
On January 3, 1871 Father Chavara died in Koonammavu, where was the first branch and founder of the Sisters of. In the local church of St. Philomena, he was buried.
Beatification and worship
1889 led to his remains after Mannanam, the original monastery of the Congregation, near Alleppy. There they rest today and his grave has become a busy place of pilgrimage.
On January 3, 1958, the beatification process for Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara was initiated by the Archbishop of Changanacherry, which ended on 8 February 1986 of his beatification by Pope John Paul II. Honored him in 1987 with the publication of the Indian Post a postage stamp In India there are now several churches that have the blessed Patron, for example in Bangalore
The author Waltraud Herbstrith known German judges the Indian blessed follows:
" Chavara was of the Thomas Christians as " uncrowned revered bishop " and educator of his people. He approved of by no means the Latin domination of the Syro -Malabar Christians, who were largely of their autonomy in the area of liturgy and church administration robbed. Chavara however, did not fall into the mistake to see the Western Church as a colonial import, just because they had the misfortune of colonial conquerors to enter Indian soil. As an Indian, he possessed the gifts of patience, wisdom and skill of waiting, without his goal to lose the spiritual revival and freedom of his Indian brothers from the eye. He saw ... the real strength and resilience of the Christian conscience in the attitude of the Sermon on the Mount, not hurtful aggression, schismatic unrest or national arrogance. Chavara was free from those complexes which can cause unfairness or long imprisonment. The European missionaries he regarded as partners in the work for the kingdom of God, even if not always brought the same respect him and his staff against. "