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മലബാർ റോമൻ ലത്തീൻ കത്തോലിക്കർ | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of Francis Xavier converting localParavas in 1542 | |
| Total population | |
| Approx. 1,000,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| India (predominantly inKerala, significant migrant populations also found inBangalore,Mumbai,Delhi and other major cities); UAE (Dubai);Oman;Kuwait; USA (New York metropolitan area,Chicago,Houston,Dallas,Tampa,Detroit,Atlanta,Philadelphia,New Jersey,Los Angeles,San Francisco Bay Area);Europe – UK (London,Birmingham) The Netherlands (Amsterdam) Canada (Toronto,Edmonton,Whitehorse | |
| Languages | |
| Vernacular:Malayalam,Cochin Portuguese Creole Liturgical:Latin,French,Malayalam | |
| Religion | |
| primarilyCatholic Church (Latin Church) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Malayalis,Ezhavars,Nadar (caste),Dheevaras,Saint Thomas Christians,Portuguese,Luso-Indian |
TheLatin Catholics of Malabar Coast, also known asMalabar Latin Catholics orLatin Christians of Kerala (Malayalam:മലബാർ ലത്തീൻ കത്തോലിക്കർ orമലബാർലത്തീൻ ക്രിസ്ത്യാനികൾ) are amulti-ethnic religious group in Kerala adhering to the Roman Rite liturgical practices of theLatin Church, on theMalabar Coast, the southwestern coast ofIndia. Ecclesiastically, they constitute theecclesiastical provinces ofCalicut,Verapoly andTrivandrum.[1] They are predominantlyMalayali people and speak theMalayalam language, though a subgroup ofLuso-Indians speaks theCochin Portuguese Creole. They trace their origins to the evangelization of Malabar Coast by theDominican,Franciscan,Jesuit andCarmelite missionaries, mainly French and Portuguese.[2][3]
Latin Catholicism in India traces its early origins to the Fransciscan missions sent to Asia under the leadership ofJohn of Monte Corvino. FriarOdoric of Pordenone arrived in India in 1321. He visited Malabar, touching atPandarani (Koyilandy) (20 m. north ofCalicut), atCranganore, and atQuilon (Kollam) proceeding thence, apparently, toCeylon and to the shrine of ApostleSaint Thomas atMylapur nearMadras. He writes he had found the place where Saint Thomas was buried.[4]
FatherJordanus Catalani, a FrenchDominican missionary, followed in 1321–22. He reported to Rome, apparently from somewhere on thewest coast of India, that he had given Christian burial to four martyred monks. Jordanus is known for his 1329Mirabilia describing the marvels of the East. He furnished the best account of Indian regions and the Christians, the products, climate, manners, customs, fauna and flora given by any European in the Middle Ages which was considered superior even toMarco Polo's.[citation needed]
TheDiocese of Quilon headquartered atKollam is the first Latin diocese inSouth Asia and theFar East, having been first erected on 9 August 1329 and re-erected on 1 September 1886. In 1329 Pope John XXII (in captivity at Avignon) erectedQuilon as the first Diocese in the whole Indies as suffragan to theArchdiocese of Sultany inPersia. Its territorial jurisdiction extended throughout theIndian subcontinent,East Indies, and the Far East.[5] By a separate Bull "Venerabili Fratri Jordano", the same Pope, on 21 August 1329 appointed the French Dominican friar Jordanus Catalani de Severac as the first Bishop of Quilon.In 1347,Giovanni de Marignolli visited the shrine of Saint Thomas near the modern Madras, and then proceeded to what he calls thekingdom of Saba, and identifies with theSheba of Scripture, but which seems from various particulars to have beenJava. Taking ship again for Malabar on his way to Europe, he encountered great storms.
In 1453, thefall of Constantinople, a bastion of Christianity inAsia Minor to IslamicOttoman Empire, marked the end of theEastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire, and severed European trade links by land with Asia. This massive blow toChristendom spurred theAge of Discovery as Europeans were seeking alternative routes east by sea along with the goal of forging alliances with pre-existing Christian nations.[6][7] Along with pioneerPortuguese long-distance maritime travellers, that reached theMalabar Coast in the late 15th century, came Portuguese missionaries who introduced the Latin Catholic church in India. They made contact with theSt Thomas Christians in Kerala, which at that time were followingEastern Christian practices and still follow Syrian liturgy and were under the jurisdiction ofChurch of the East.
The history of Portuguese missionaries in India starts with the neo-apostles who reachedKappad near Kozhikode on 20 May 1498 along with the Portuguese explorerVasco da Gama who was seeking to form anti-Islamic alliances with pre-existing Christian nations.[8][2] The lucrative spice trade was further temptation for the Portuguese crown.[3] When he and the Portuguese missionaries arrived they found no Christians in the country, except in Malabar known as St. Thomas Christians who represented less than 2% of the total population[9] and the then-largest Christian church within India.[8] The Christians were friendly to Portuguese missionaries at first; there was an exchange of gifts between them, and these groups were delighted at their common faith.[10]
During the second expedition, the Portuguese fleet comprising 13 ships and 18 priests, under CaptainPedro Álvares Cabral, anchored at Cochin on 26 November 1500. Cabral soon won the goodwill of theRaja of Cochin. He allowed four priests to do apostolic work among the early Christian communities scattered in and around Cochin. Thus Portuguese missionaries established Portuguese Mission in 1500. DomFrancisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy, got permission from the Kochi Raja to build two church edifices – namelySanta Cruz Basilica (founded 1505) andSt. Francis Church (founded 1506) using stones and mortar which was unheard of at that time as the local prejudices were against such a structure for any purpose other than a royal palace or a temple.
Historically the Latin Catholics of Kerala were protected by thePortuguese,Dutch,French and theBritish. The Latin Catholics were referred to as "Our Christians" while theSaint Thomas Syrian Christians were oppressed by thePortuguese in their rule.[11]
The Latin Catholics ofKerala form a multi-ethnic religious community with members of different castes and origins. Majority of the Latin Catholics were converts by thePortuguesePadroado missionaries inIndia.[12][13] Many backward Hindus especiallyEzhavars,Nadars, Viswakarmas, Vellala/VilakkithalaNairs, along with the various fishing community castes likeMukkuvars,Arayans,Valans andDheevars were converted to Christianity after the 15th century byPortuguese missionaries in Kerala.[14] ManySaint Thomas Syrian Christian families also joined theLatin Church, especially inCochin andQuilon.
The Roman Catholics of Latin rite, also called Latinites (Latinkar), are to be distinguished from the Syro-Romans, viz. the Roman Catholics of Syrian rite. The Latin Catholics consists of several subgroups which trace different origins. According to their traditional division, attested from the 18th century onwards, the Anjoottikkar (the 'Five hundred'), Ezhunnoottikkar (the 'Seven hundred') and Munnoottikkar (the 'Three hundred') are significant among these groups. Each of the groups claim superior origins and social status over the others. Bitter divisions and mutual animosity between these groups have often led to creation of overlapping boundaries of dioceses which tend to be dominated by one group or the other.[15]
The Anjuttikkar/Anjoottikkar consists of the various fishing communities likeMukkuvars,Dheevars,Paravars,Valans andArayans, who were differentiated from the other groups. TheAnjuttikkar (fishing community) forms 45% of the Latin Catholic community of Kerala.[16][17] Mainly focused in the coastal regions ofThiruvananthapuram,Kollam,Alappuzha andErnakulam districts. The Anjuttikkar who reside in theErnakulam district are known as Kochikkar and those who reside in the districts ofAlappuzha,Kollam andThiruvananthapuram are known as Kollamkar.[18][19]
The second, main, subgroup known as Ezhunoottikkar/Ezhunuttikkar hailed from the various castes likeEzhavas,Thiyyas,Vishwakarmas and a few lower subcastes of theNairs. The lower strata of theEzhunoottikkar consists of the untouchable castes likePulayar andParayar.[18][20][21] According to legend, theEzhunoottikkar are descendants of seven hundred Latinized soldiers of theKingdom of Cochin who were converted by thePortuguese for leading a battle against theZamorin of Calicut (Samoothiri).[22][23][24][25][26]
ThePortuguese soldiers, merchants and enfranchised slaves, had intermarried within the natives, and their descendants came to be known as the Munnuttikkar/Munnoottikkar (Luso-Indians/Anglo Indians) who form an endogamous subgroup among the Keralite Latin Catholics. They were also called as Topasses or Toppessis/Tupasis as they wore hats and used other western descended clothing.[18][27] Many Topasses served as soldiers in the Dutch, French and English colonial armies. Their strong European roots, for instance through their use of the Portuguese language, made them feeling different from the indigenous converts, and they remained most of the time directly dependent on the colonial authorities. In this respect, the Dutch established a clear distinction between them, viz. 'the ones dressed in hats (and trousers)', and the whole of the other, indigenous, Latin Catholic converts, collectively designated by the name Mundikars, viz. 'the ones wearing the white cloth (and puggery)'. TheMunnuttikkar divide themselves into two sects: the White Munnuttikkar and the Black Munnuttikkar. The division is not based on skin colour instead by their caste origins. The White Munnuttikkar are descendants ofPortuguese men andNair/Nambudiri Brahmin women while the Black Munnuttikkar are descendants of Portuguese and women of lower castes. The Munnuttikkar are found mostly in the coastal towns of Kerala likeCananore,Tellichery,Calicut,Cochin,Alleppey andQuilon.[28]
A fourth traditional division consists of the Aruvathinalukkar/Aravatnalukar (the 'Sixty-four'), an endogamous subsect among the Latin Catholics who are believed to be descended from severalSavarnaupper castes likeNambudiri Brahmin,Nair,Pushpaka Brahmin and theAmbalavasi.[29][page needed] The Aruwathinalukkar are numerically lower than the other subgroups but lead all others in accordance with wealth, property ownership and literacy.
TheSaint Thomas Syrian Christians who converted to Latin Catholicism were known as the St Thomas Latin Catholics, they practice strict endogamy with marriages conducted only with theSt Thomas Latin Catholic community.[citation needed] They are spread across the districts of Ernakulam (Varapuzha,Vypeen,North Paravur,Mattanchery,Venduruthy), Thrissur(Kodungallur,Mathilakam), Alappuzha(Purakkad) andQuilon.[1][page needed][failed verification] According to tradition the St Thomas Latin Catholics are descended from the 400Syrian Christian families who rejected theCoonan Cross Oath and joined theLatin Catholic Church in AD 1599.[dubious –discuss]
The Nadar Latin Catholics form a significant part of the Malabarese Latin Catholics. The Latin Nadars prefer maritial alliances with Hindu Nadars instead of other Latin subgroups. They are concentrated in the southern and eastern regions of theTrivandrum district likeParassala,Neyyantinkara,Vellarada,Kattakkada,Kovalam andMalayinkeezhu.[30][31][32] In the 19th centuryTravancore, women belonging to castes below theNairs were prohibited from covering their upper body. TheNadar Latin Catholic women ofSouthern Travancore (Trivandrum andKanyakumari) rebelled against the enforcement of upper body exposure (Channar Revolt) from 1813 to 1859.[33] Eventually in 1859 the King of Travancore proclaimed the right for all women in Travancore to cover themselves.[34][35]
In northern Kerala, mainly inKassergode (Kasaragod),Cannanore (Kannur),Tellicherry (Thalassery) andCochin (Kochi) a small population ofKonkani Latin Catholic Christians are found.[36][37] They are descendants of theKonkani Manglorean Catholics who migrated from theCanara region (coastal Karnataka) to Kerala in the 1780's to escape thepersecution by Tippu Sultan. TheKonkani Manglorean Catholics hadaccepted Christianity in Goa and migrated to Kanara in 16th and 17th centuries. These Konkani Catholics have many subgroups likeBammons (Konkani Brahmin sub-castes likeSaraswat Brahmins,Padyes,Daivadnyas),Chardos(Kshatriya) and Gaudos(Vaishya).[38]
The Roman or Latin Catholics of Kerala are grouped underOther Backward Classes bypositive discrimination.[39][27]
The Latin Catholics of Kerala[which?] are a highlyexogamous community and tend to intermarry with otherHinducastes, unlike theSaint Thomas Syrian Christians who practice strictendogamy.[40][41]
The Artforms of the Latin Catholics of Kerala were hugely influenced by the Portuguese and the native Keralite culture.
TheChavittunadakam, loaned from theEuropean Opera in is one among the most popular artforms performed by the Latin Catholics ofKerala. It originated in the 16th century inFort Kochi and is prevalent among the Keralite Latin Catholic community of the districts ofErnakulam andAlappuzha.[42][43][44]
Devastha Vili is a ritual artform traditionally performed as part of the 50 days longLent by the Latin Catholics of Kerala. It consists of aLatin chant which is chanted as a prayer by a small group. The leader holds a huge wooden cross and ceremonially chants the prayer. TheDevastha Vili has its origin in the 15th century whenFrancis Xavier evangelized natives inCochin.[45]
The Attire of the Latin Catholics differed from various classes among them.[1] TheLuso-Indians had hugely differentiablePortuguese attire.[46] TheSaint Thomas Syrian Christians who adopted Latin Christianity continued to wear the traditionalChattayum Mundum and theMundu which they used to wear before.[47]
The Latin Catholics of Kerala follow theRoman,Carmelite,Franciscan andFriars Minor Capuchin Rites for worship and the Roman Rite being the most used. Some parts of theMass are sung inLatin. The Holy Mass is often referred as "Holy Qurbana", the name which theSaint Thomas Christians use for theirEast Syriac Rite Eucharistic liturgy.[1]
Several customs of the Malabar Latin Catholics such as in engagement, marriage and funeral rituals are similar toSyrian Catholics of Malabar community and several Hindu castes of Kerala.[48][49]
The cuisine of the Latin Catholics of Kerala is majorlyseafood andPortuguese influenced diet. Dishes likeVindhaloo (meat dish based oncarne de vinha d'alhos), Chicken Stew,Fish Molee (Indo-Portuguese fish curry), Pigadosi (Desert made with milk and bananas) and various seafood items are the most popular.
Pork,Beef,Vinegar,Garlic,Paprika,Mint,Black Pepper,Thyme andRosemary are all important aspects of the Keralite Latin Catholic cuisine.
Spices likeRed Chilli,Turmeric andCoriander lack in the Latin Catholic cuisine and are replaced byBlack Pepper due to the Portuguese influence. Consumption of bread and other baked goods are also high in the Latin cuisine.[50]
The Latin Catholics churches in the initial stages were built in thePortuguese colonial Style withRenaissance facades and long naves andItalian Baroque decoration. They were initially built from laterite blocks veneered with lime plaster (chunam). Later after the Dutch and British conquest, today they resemblemodern Anglican architecture due to influence of theBritish in India. Some churches were also built the waySyrian Churches in Kerala were built.
Some notable Latin Catholic churches are:
The Latin Catholics ofKerala form 13.2% of theChristians in the state. They form 2.37% of the total population ofKerala.[54] The community is concentrated in the coastal regions ofThiruvananthapuram,Kollam,Alappuzha andErnakulam districts. Forming 65% of the Christians in theThiruvananthapuram district, 36% of the Christians in theKollam district, 24% of the Christians in theErnakulam district and 23% of the Christians in theAlappuzha district, they have significant populations inTrivandrum,Alleppey,Neyyantinkara,Parassala,Punalur,Quilon,Verapoly,Vypeen,Calicut,Cannanore andCochin.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link) - see chapter 6: "The Roman Catholics of the Latin rite", pp. 253-266