Parambil Mar Chandy
Alexander de Campo, often Chandy Parambil (* 1615 in Kuravilangad, Kerala, India, † January 2, 1687 ibid ) was the first native bishop of the Catholic Thomas Christians in India, and Vicar Apostolic of Malabar.
Prehistory
Kodungallur in Ernakulam, Kerala in today, is considered the arrival of St. Thomas, and was long the seat of the metropolitans of the Thomas Christians of India. Later they moved the residence to Udayamperoor ( Diamper ), and finally to Angamaly. Before the arrival of the Portuguese and still at the beginning of their colonial occupation, the Indian metropolitans were appointed by the Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon. This patriarchate was already long in loose connection with Rome. Since Patriarch Mar Johann Shimun Sulaqa, consecrated in St. Peter's at Rome in 1553 to the bishop, there is a formal Church Union level and the church is called the Chaldean Catholic Church.
Initially posted by the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch to India bishops were accepted by the Portuguese colonizers, the more they were able to establish their own rule there, but more and more suppressed. As a manifestation of the never konfirmierten of Rome and today classified as " robber synod " Synod of Diamper, it could be assumed in December 1599 the Metropolitan See of Angamaly suffragan of the Latin Archdiocese of Goa. This in turn was under the sovereignty of Portugal; The Archbishop was also viceroy and episcopal appointments were made there only in agreement with the Portuguese crown.
The last Metropolitan appointed by the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch in India and Archbishop of Angamaly was Mar Abraham († 1597). He was followed by the Latin Archbishop Francis Roz SJ († 1624), Stephen Britto († 1641) and Francis Garcia ( † 1659). Archbishop Roz had moved back to the seat of the Diocese of Angamaly after Kodungallur. The Latin prelates were the Chaldean liturgy against alien and tried to align it with their own Latin Rite. The traditional rite there - now called the Syro- malarbarisch - has been more or less suppressed strongly.
Alexander de Campo
Origin
Alexander de Campo, with Indian names Chandy Parambil, was born the son of the local Thomas Christians Cyriak and Ignatia in Kuravilangad, Kerala. It also handed down its historic grave stone in the local church. Exact year and date of birth are unknown. Kuravilangad was already at that time a famous Marian shrine in southern India.
Revolt of Coonan Cross
Under Archbishop Francis Garcia of Angamali there was a revolt of the Thomas Christians, as this among others a general of the Latin rite for them ordered and they feared even more repression. They swore the Coonan Cross in 1653 in Fort Cochin, never again pastors to tolerate a foreign rite about yourself. Explicitly we avoided going to break away from Rome, you only asked bishops of their own rite liturgy and thought of a renewal of the historical responsibility of the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylon. The majority of the Thomas Christians joined the uprising. Both sides remained adamant and Thomas Parambil, the Archdeacon of Bishop Garcia, settled for "Against Archbishop " cry without consecration, and alternatively from 12 simple priests hang in an "emergency ceremony" hands to catch up with the promise of a bishop. His relative Chandy Parambil ( = Alexander de Campo ) support him as possible; He was even the innermost circle of 4 councilors ( advisers) of the pseudo - archbishop.
Opponents of the revolt and Bishop
When it became clear that it would come to a definitive break with the Catholic Church, many balked at a schism, and fell on the insurgent group; the priest friend Chandy Parambil ( = Alexander de Campo ) and Alexander Kadavil. Rome sent Carmelites immediately to India to curb the threat of schism. Head of the Carmelites was Father Joseph of Santa Maria de Sebastiani OCD. With the help of two local priests Chandy Parambil and Alexander Kadavil, they managed to bring the major part of the Thomas Christians back under the authority of Archbishop Francis Garcia. He died in 1659, and Father Joseph of Santa Maria de Sebastiani OCD in 1661, his successor; but only as titular archbishop and administrator of the Archdiocese of Angamaly, that was now located in Kodungallur. From Pope Alexander VII, he had given permission, if necessary, two Indian Christians of St. Thomas to consecrate bishops and vicars Apostolic order to. Already in 1663 had Archbishop Sebastiani leave his diocese, as the Dutch had defeated the Portuguese on the Malabar Coast and identified him. In order not to let his subordinate Thomas Christians without legitimate authority, he consecrated on 31 January 1663, shortly before his forced departure, Chandy Parambil in Kaduthuruthy titular Bishop of Megara and appointed him Vicar Apostolic of Malabar.
Bishop Chandy Parambil and Alexander de Campo was the first Indian Christian Thomas, who received episcopal ordination in the Catholic Church. He saw himself as " Metropolitan of all India ", in the tradition of past archbishops and resided in his hometown Kuravilangad, the order was for about 25 years at the center of the Catholic Thomas Christians. The lower part, which remained in the schism of 1653, yet lost its traditional Chaldean rite, since only Autocephalous Bishops of Antioch found to donate the ordinations. Therefore you attended compulsorily their West -Syrian Rite liturgy. 1930 of them returned part, with her later acquired West -Syrian Rite of Mass in the Catholic Church back, Syro - Malankara today's Catholic Church.
Death and further development
Bishop Alexander de Campo died on January 2, 1687 and was buried in his home church of St. Mary ( Kuravilangad ). There his grave is with ancient grave plate obtained in the choir area. His successor as Vicar Apostolic of Malabar, stepped to the Latins Raphael de Figueredo - Salgrado. It was him in 1677, made during his lifetime, as coadjutor to the side. Rome had indeed instructed the Carmelites in India, Bishop Campo to appoint a successor Indian what these but only if followed, was indeed born as a bishop Figueredo - Salgrado in India, however. Than Latins and as the son of Portuguese parents The Apostolic Vicariate of Malabar went on later in the ( Latin ) Archdiocese Verapoly and the Latin bishops ruled the Catholic Thomas Christians until 1887 by local priests without episcopal ordination, one of which, Kuriakose Elias Chavara ( 1805-1871 ), was beatified. Then they separated the Jursidiktionen and followed to 1896 Latin and from this year the Syro -Malabar titular bishops, as vicars of special Apostolic Thomas Christians. Only at the St. Thomas Day, December 21, 1923 presented Pope Pius XI. the ordinary hierarchy of the Catholic Thomas Christians of India after more than 300 years to restore, today's Syro - Malabar Church.