Roman Catholic Diocese of Cochin
Encyclopedia
The Latin Catholic Diocese of Cochin is a diocese
located in the city of Cochin in the Ecclesiastical province
of Verapoly in India.
The territory of the diocese of Cochin covers 235 square kilometers in the state of Kerala
. It is situated between the Arabian Sea
in the west, the Archdiocese of Verapoly in the north and in the east, and the Diocese of Alleppey in the south.
The Diocese's Cathedral church and thus, seat of its Bishop, is Santa Cruz Basilica, Fort Cochin. The current Bishop
of Cochin is Bishop Joseph Kariyil
, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on May 8, 2009.
) and stretched along the east coast all the way up, encompassing Nepal
, Bangladesh
and beyond Burma ( now, Myanmar
) and still further east to Hong Kong
, Malacca
and Macau
.
A second expedition under Captain Alvarez Cabral, comprising 13 ships and 18 priests, anchored at Cochin on Nov. 26, 1500. Cabral soon won the goodwill of the Raja 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.
During the reign of Catholic emperor of Portugal John III, more Franciscan friars and priests reached Goa. Along with them a highly trained team of Jesuit missionaries led by Father Francis Xavier reached Cochin. Later, he requested the help of Jesuit General St. Ignatius and the emperor for more missionaries from Portugal. Francis Xavier visited Cochin several times and stayed more than 120 days. He used to offer mass at St. Antony's Church. This church is still at Cochin, known as Lenthapally (Dutch church). At present this church is under the department of the Archaeological Survey of India as an historical monument.
Jesuits, Dominicans, Augustinians and Carmelites followed them. At the arrival of the Portuguese, the Christians in Cochin area joined the Roman Latin rite.
A monastery of the Franciscans "Santo Antonino" was established in Cochin in 1518 and two others of the Jesuits in 1550 and 1561. In 1553 the Dominicans founded their college and monastery in Cochin.
The whole of the east was under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Lisbon. On June 12, 1514, Cochin and Goa became two prominent mission stations under the newly created Funchal diocese in Madeira. Pope Paul III by the Bull Quequem Reputamus raised Funchal as an archdiocese and Goa as its suffragon, deputing the whole of India under the diocese of Goa.
When the diocese of Goa was established in 1534, Cochin became part of the new diocese.
The diocese of Cochin was erected on Febr. 4, 1557 by Pope Paul IV in his Decree Pro Excellenti Praeeminentia. The Pope also declared the magnificent Portuguese Church of Santa Cruz as the Cathedral of the new diocese. At that time, Cochin was the second diocese in India and had the jurisdiction over the whole of South, East India, Burma and Ceylon.
The first bishop of Cochin was a Dominican priest Dom George Temudo (1557-1567).
In 1663 the Dutch conquered Cochin and destroyed all the catholic churches and institutions except the Cathedral and the church of St. Francis Assisi. During the British conquest of Cochin, the cathedral was destroyed.
The diocese of Cochin stood witness to many important historical events including the Synod of Diamper which was held on June 10 1599, conducted by the Archbishop, Alexis De Menezes of Goa.
Since 1646, the administration of the diocese was difficult. It was often affected by the conquests of Cochin by the Dutch. Bishops who were consecrated as the bishops of the diocese could not reach here. As a result fractions, rebellions and schisms erupted in the diocese. In order to bring the dissidents back to the mother church, Holy See sent Carmelite Missionaries. Thus was established the Vicariate of Malabar in 1657. In 1709 it was changed into the Vicariate of Verapoly. In 1838 the diocese of Cochin was annexed to the Vicariate of Verapoly. From 1838 and 1886, the diocese of Cochin was governed by the Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly.
On June 23, 1886, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the famous Concordat called Humane Salutis Auctor by which the Diocese of Cochin was restored to its original condition and placed again as a suffragan under the Diocese of Goa. Simultaneously, the Vicariate of Verapoly was raised to archdiocese and the Diocese of Quilon was erected as its suffragan.
After the reorganization in 1886, five Portuguese bishops ruled the diocese. In 1950 the diocese was handed over to the native clergy. Dr. Alexander Edezhath (1951-1975) was the first Indian bishop. He was succeeded by Bishop Joseph Kureethara (1975-1999). After his demise, in 2000 Bishop John Thattumkal was appointed as the bishop of the diocese and he was suspended from his responsibilities over a scandal. Bishop Joseph Kariyil was appointed as the new bishop of Cochin on May 8, 2009 and was installed as the bishop of Cochin on July 5, 2009
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
located in the city of Cochin in the Ecclesiastical province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
of Verapoly in India.
The territory of the diocese of Cochin covers 235 square kilometers in the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. It is situated between the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
in the west, the Archdiocese of Verapoly in the north and in the east, and the Diocese of Alleppey in the south.
The Diocese's Cathedral church and thus, seat of its Bishop, is Santa Cruz Basilica, Fort Cochin. The current Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Cochin is Bishop Joseph Kariyil
Joseph Kariyil
Dr. Joseph Kariyil B.A., S.T.D was born on Jan. 11, 1949 in Arthunkal, near Alleppey. He was ordained a priest on Dec. 19, 1973. He was appointed as the Bishop of Punalur on March 12, 2005 and was ordained Bishop of Punalur on May 3, 2005. He was appointed as the Bishop of Cochin on May 8, 2009...
, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on May 8, 2009.
Historical summary
The Diocese of Cochin, now diminutive in size due to successive bifurcations in the course of time, once used to be the Mother Diocese of many a bishopric in the Sub-continent. The erstwhile Mother Diocese extended in the west coast from Malabar, down south to Cape Comorin (the present Kanya Kumari and still further down, Ceylon ( now, Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
) and stretched along the east coast all the way up, encompassing Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and beyond Burma ( now, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
) and still further east to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
and Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
.
| Date | Event | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 February 1557 | Erected | Archdiocese of Goa | Diocese of Cochin was erected as a suffragan diocese Suffragan Diocese A suffragan diocese is a diocese in the Catholic Church that is overseen not only by its own diocesan bishop but also by a metropolitan bishop. The metropolitan is always an archbishop who governs his own archdiocese... (other being Diocese of Malacca) to the Archdiocese of Goa |
| 1599 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Archdiocese of Angamalé (erected)(Later name changed to Archdiocese of Cranganore and suppressed to Vicariate Apostolic of Verapoly) |
| 9 January 1606 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Dioceses of Saint Thomas of Mylapore (Tamil Nadu) |
| 1606 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | as Mission “sui iuris” of Madura (Tamil Nadu) |
| 1659 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Vicariate Apostolic of Malabar (erected) (Later name changed to Vicariate Apostolic of Verapoly) |
| 03 Dec 1834 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Vicariate Apostolic of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) |
| 19 June 1952 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Diocese of Alleppey (erected) |
Brief History
History of the Diocese of Cochin begins with the arrival of the Portuguese Missionaries in India. These neo-apostles reached Kappad near Kozhikode on May 20, 1498, along with Vasco Da Gama.A second expedition under Captain Alvarez Cabral, comprising 13 ships and 18 priests, anchored at Cochin on Nov. 26, 1500. Cabral soon won the goodwill of the Raja 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.
During the reign of Catholic emperor of Portugal John III, more Franciscan friars and priests reached Goa. Along with them a highly trained team of Jesuit missionaries led by Father Francis Xavier reached Cochin. Later, he requested the help of Jesuit General St. Ignatius and the emperor for more missionaries from Portugal. Francis Xavier visited Cochin several times and stayed more than 120 days. He used to offer mass at St. Antony's Church. This church is still at Cochin, known as Lenthapally (Dutch church). At present this church is under the department of the Archaeological Survey of India as an historical monument.
Jesuits, Dominicans, Augustinians and Carmelites followed them. At the arrival of the Portuguese, the Christians in Cochin area joined the Roman Latin rite.
A monastery of the Franciscans "Santo Antonino" was established in Cochin in 1518 and two others of the Jesuits in 1550 and 1561. In 1553 the Dominicans founded their college and monastery in Cochin.
The whole of the east was under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Lisbon. On June 12, 1514, Cochin and Goa became two prominent mission stations under the newly created Funchal diocese in Madeira. Pope Paul III by the Bull Quequem Reputamus raised Funchal as an archdiocese and Goa as its suffragon, deputing the whole of India under the diocese of Goa.
When the diocese of Goa was established in 1534, Cochin became part of the new diocese.
The diocese of Cochin was erected on Febr. 4, 1557 by Pope Paul IV in his Decree Pro Excellenti Praeeminentia. The Pope also declared the magnificent Portuguese Church of Santa Cruz as the Cathedral of the new diocese. At that time, Cochin was the second diocese in India and had the jurisdiction over the whole of South, East India, Burma and Ceylon.
The first bishop of Cochin was a Dominican priest Dom George Temudo (1557-1567).
In 1663 the Dutch conquered Cochin and destroyed all the catholic churches and institutions except the Cathedral and the church of St. Francis Assisi. During the British conquest of Cochin, the cathedral was destroyed.
The diocese of Cochin stood witness to many important historical events including the Synod of Diamper which was held on June 10 1599, conducted by the Archbishop, Alexis De Menezes of Goa.
Since 1646, the administration of the diocese was difficult. It was often affected by the conquests of Cochin by the Dutch. Bishops who were consecrated as the bishops of the diocese could not reach here. As a result fractions, rebellions and schisms erupted in the diocese. In order to bring the dissidents back to the mother church, Holy See sent Carmelite Missionaries. Thus was established the Vicariate of Malabar in 1657. In 1709 it was changed into the Vicariate of Verapoly. In 1838 the diocese of Cochin was annexed to the Vicariate of Verapoly. From 1838 and 1886, the diocese of Cochin was governed by the Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly.
On June 23, 1886, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the famous Concordat called Humane Salutis Auctor by which the Diocese of Cochin was restored to its original condition and placed again as a suffragan under the Diocese of Goa. Simultaneously, the Vicariate of Verapoly was raised to archdiocese and the Diocese of Quilon was erected as its suffragan.
After the reorganization in 1886, five Portuguese bishops ruled the diocese. In 1950 the diocese was handed over to the native clergy. Dr. Alexander Edezhath (1951-1975) was the first Indian bishop. He was succeeded by Bishop Joseph Kureethara (1975-1999). After his demise, in 2000 Bishop John Thattumkal was appointed as the bishop of the diocese and he was suspended from his responsibilities over a scandal. Bishop Joseph Kariyil was appointed as the new bishop of Cochin on May 8, 2009 and was installed as the bishop of Cochin on July 5, 2009
Leadership
- BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s of Cochin (Latin Rite)- Bishop Joseph KariyilJoseph KariyilDr. Joseph Kariyil B.A., S.T.D was born on Jan. 11, 1949 in Arthunkal, near Alleppey. He was ordained a priest on Dec. 19, 1973. He was appointed as the Bishop of Punalur on March 12, 2005 and was ordained Bishop of Punalur on May 3, 2005. He was appointed as the Bishop of Cochin on May 8, 2009...
(May 8, 2009 – present) - Bishop John Thattumkal, S.S.C. (May 10, 2000 – May 8, 2009)
- Bishop Joseph Kureethara (August 29, 1975 – January 6, 1999)
- Bishop Alexander Edezath (June 19, 1952 – August 29, 1975)
- Bishop José Vieira Alvernaz (later PatriarchPatriarch of the East IndiesThe Titular Patriarch of the East Indies in the Catholic hierarchy is the title of the Archbishop of Goa and Damão in India; another title of his is that of the Primate of the East. Unlike the patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches sui juris, the Patriarch of the East Indies enjoys a purely...
) (August 13, 1941 – December 23, 1950) - Bishop Abílio Augusto Vaz das Neves (December 4, 1933 – December 8, 1938)
- Bishop José Bento Martins Ribeiro (February 28, 1909 – May 21, 1931)
- Bishop Matheus de Oliveira Xavier (later Patriarch) (October 11, 1897 – February 20, 1909)
- Bishop João Gomes Ferreira (1887 – May 4, 1897)
- Bishop Tomas Manoel de Noronha e Brito, O.P. (December 17, 1819 – June 23, 1828)
- Bishop Joseph Kariyil
Churches
Of the thirty onechurches, five district churches namely, Santa Cruz Basilica, St. Joseph's Kumbalam, St. Antony's Kannamaly, Santa Cruz Perumbadappu, St. Mary' Thankey serve as Forane Churches.- 1st District
- Santa Cruz Basilica, (Estd.1505) - Santa Cruz Cathedral, I 317, Cochin, 682001
- Church of Our Lady of HopeChurch of Our Lady of HopeThe Church of Our Lady of Hope, also known as “Nossa Senhora Da Esperança" is a Roman Catholic church in the Diocese of Cochin. It is located at the island of Vypeen - the point where the Vembanad Lake merges with the Arabian Sea, with Fort Cochin on the other side.The church, with an area of 10...
, (Estd. 1605) - Our Lady of Life Church, (Estd. ------)
- St. Peter & Paul, (Estd. 1857)
- Holy Family Church, (Estd. 1901)
- St. Joseph's Bethlehem Church, (Estd. 1974)
- Stella Maris ChurchStella Maris ChurchThe Stella Maris Parish Church, Sliema, Malta is a Roman Catholic parish located in Sliema, Malta. It is the mother parish of all the churches in Sliema and Gzira being the oldest parish church dating from 1878.-History:...
, (Estd. 1955)
- 2nd District
- St. Antony's Church, ( Estd. 1873)
- St. Thomas The Apostle Church, ( Estd. 1990)
- St. Louis Church, (Estd.-------)
- St. Francis Assisi Church, ( Estd. 1980)
- St. Joseph'S Church, ( Estd. 1968)
- St. Sebastian'S Church, ( Estd. 1832)
- 3rd District
- St. Lawrence Church, (Estd.-------)
- St. Sebastian's Church, (Estd. 1833)
- St. Joseph's Church, ( Estd. 1965)
- St. Lawrence Church, (Estd. 1986)
- St. Thomas More Church, ( Estd. 1991)
- Santa Cruz Church, ( Estd. 1965)
- St. Mary's Church, (Estd. 1978)
- 4th District
- Sacred Heart Church, (Estd. 1994)
- St. Joseph's Church, ( Estd. 1967)
- St. George's Church, (Estd. 1869)
- St. Peter's Church, (Estd. 1875)
- Martin D' Pores Church, (Estd. 1996)
- Immaculate Conception Church, (Estd. 1977)
- St. Sebastian's Church, (Estd. 1977)
- 5th District
- St. Augustine's Church, (Estd. 1901)
- St. Joseph's Church, (Estd. 1977)
- St. Antony's Church, (estd. 1978)
- St. Francis Xavier's Church, (Estd. 1843)
- St. Joseph's Church, ( Estd. 1986)
- Our Lady of Fatima Church,
- Our Lady of Ransom Church, (Estd. 2004)
- 6th District
- Our Lady of Purification Church, (Estd. 1832)
- St. George's Church, (Estd. 1866)
- St. Francis Xavier's Church, ( Estd. 1936)
- Our Lady of Assumption Church, (Estd. 1860)
See also
- Christianity in IndiaChristianity in IndiaChristianity is India's third-largest religion, with approximately 24 million followers, constituting 2.3% of India's population. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings and 14th century Portuguese missionaries created an illusion to convert Indians that Christianity was introduced to...
- Roman Catholicism in IndiaRoman Catholicism in IndiaThe Catholic Church in India is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope and the curia in Rome.There are over 17.3 million Catholics in India, which represents less than 2% of the total population and is the largest Christian church within India. There are 157...
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses in India
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view)-Episcopal Conference of India