Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly

The Archdiocese Verapoly (Latin: Archidioecesis Verapolitanus ) is an Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church, in the district of Ernakulam and Thrissur, in Kerala (India), since 1904, has its headquarters in Ernakulam / Kochi.

History

Origin

The Archdiocese Verapoly emerged from the Apostolic Vicariate of Malabar (now Kerala ), whose founding in close connection with the suppression of the Chaldean rite of the Thomas Christians is by the Latin missionaries.

Latin Catholics and Thomas Christians in South India from 1597 jointly by the standing under the Portuguese patronage, Latin Archbishop of Angamaly ( located in Kodungallur ) governs. The Latin prelates were the Chaldean liturgy against alien and tried it possible to align their own customs.

Under Archbishop Francis Garcia of Angamaly, 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 Cochin, never again pastors to tolerate a foreign rite about yourself. The majority of the Thomas Christians joined the uprising.

From Rome they sent as a mediator of the Carmelite Father Joseph of Santa Maria de Sebastiani, OCD, who succeeded with the help of local priests to bring the greater part of the Thomas Christians back under the legitimate authority of Archbishop Francis Garcia of Angamaly - Kodungallur. As Archbishop Francis Garcia died in 1659 joined Father Sebastiani 1661 his successor, but only as titular archbishop and administrator of the Archdiocese of Angamaly, which was established in Kodungallur.

Already in 1663 had Archbishop Sebastiani leave his diocese, as the Dutch had defeated the Portuguese on the Malabar Coast and identified him as a Catholic prelate. In order not to let the straight again recovered Thomas Christians without their own pastors, he consecrated on 31 January 1663, shortly before his forced departure, the Indian priest Alexander de Campo (also Chandy Parambil ) in Kaduthuruthy titular bishop of Megara and ordered him with papal permission Vicar Apostolic of Malabar.

Alexander de Campo should initially be temporary charge of the Indian Christians of St. Thomas. However, the temporal conditions were born out of necessity Apostolic Vicariate of Malabar is a permanent institution, from which eventually a disastrous double jurisdiction in South India developed, the Goan schism culminated in the so-called.

Successor of Bishop de Campo as Vicar Apostolic of Malabar was after his death, in 1687, the Latin Indo- Portuguese Raphael de Figueredo - Salgrado, who died in 1695.

The Vicariate of the Roman Congregation of Propaganda

The Dutch had initially reported all European Catholic priests from their area, but limited themselves gradually to those of Portuguese nationality or dependence. Therefore, the Propaganda Congregation in Rome decided on 11 January 1700 to continue the Apostolic Vicariate of Malabar under their suzerainty. Purpose was the presence of a tolerated by the colonial authorities, non- Portuguese bishop in the Dutch -Indian territories, as a replacement for the originally responsible portugal dependent bishops of Angamaly - Kodungallur (mainly Catholic Thomas Christians ) and Cochin (mainly Latin Catholics ). Profound played in the Roman decision certainly a role that you wanted to weaken the utter dependence of the Indian Church of Portugal, which is why negative afterwards the jurisdiction of the Vicariate of Malabar quite spacious managed and for example also areas einbezog in which only the native rulers the Portuguese prelates faced.

The vicariate was entrusted to the Discalced Carmelites and the first Vicar Apostolic under the authority of the Roman Congregation of Propaganda was Father Angelo Francis of St. Teresa OCD ( consecrated bishop on 22 May 1701 and died on October 17, 1712). During his reign received the Vicariate on March 13, 1709 the official name " Verapoly " because the seat was established there. Verapoly today Varapuzha, is a lying on an island suburb of Kochi in Kerala and the oldest branch of the Carmelites in South India. The residence of the Apostolic Vicars was the local Carmelite convent and the Mount Carmel Church.

Double jurisdiction

Regardless of the Vicariate Verapoly knocked the Portuguese on their historical rights and occupied simultaneously regained their ancient bishoprics Angamaly and Cochin - Kodungallur, to a state of constant tension and led to a large nuisance. The Portuguese bishops could not reside on their bishoprics and their Sprengel - simply particular supply - usually through agents. However, they clung to the old jurisdictions with great tenacity. Once they were able to reach one or the other parish in Vicariate Verapoly again by changing political circumstances, they took possession of it immediately and sold the Carmelites. Sometimes the jurisdictions of individual communities changed several times within a few years.

With the Bull " multa praeclara " lifted Pope Gregory XVI. (also called Cranganore ), the Portuguese dioceses Angamaly - Kodungallur on 24 April 1838, at Cochin and imputed all local Catholics of both rites, without exception, the Apostolic Vicariate of Verapoly. Officially, so was the double jurisdiction ended in Malabar, actually now developed, however, the so-called Goanesische schism, since Portugal continued without papal legitimacy to maintain its old dioceses and stocked with bishops. This condition was not completed until 1862.

The large Vicariate of Verapoly you said on May 12, 1845 again in the three independent Vicariate Verapoly (central area ), Mangalore (Northern Territory) and Quilon ( south area ) on.

Archdiocese

On September 1, 1886, Pope Leo XIII. Verapoly to the Annual Archdiocese. At the same time they separated 34 Latin parishes thereof or of Quilon from and thus restored the old diocese of Cochin, which, however, no longer stood under Portuguese sovereignty.

Force the papal bull " Quod Jam Pridem " liberated Leo XIII. on 20 May 1887, the Catholic Thomas Christians from the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Verapoly and founded the two independent Vicariate of Kottayam and Trichur for them. From this point on was Verapoly a purely Latin diocese.

1904 transferred to the bishopric to the same name Verapoly in the near city of Ernakulam.

On 14 July 1930, the diocese was separated from the Archdiocese Vijayapuram Verapoly, on July 3, 1987, the Diocese of Kottapuram.

Ordinaries

  • José de Santa Maria de Sebastiani OCD (1661-1663)
  • Alexander de Campo (1663-1687)
  • Raphael de Figueiredo Salgado (1687-1695)
  • Custódio de Pinho
  • Angelo Francisco de Santa Teresa OCD (1701-1712)
  • João Batista de Santa Teresa OCD Multedi (1718-1750)
  • Florêncio de Jesus de Nazaré OCD (1750-1773)
  • Eustace Federl OCD (1774-1777)
  • Giovanni Maria di San OCD Thomas (1780 ) Joseph Cariattil
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