Chapter V Negotiating Compromises: Inscribing the Community Through Canons and Regulations
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CHAPTER V NEGOTIATING COMPROMISES: INSCRIBING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH CANONS AND REGULATIONS Introduction The conflicts among the Puthencoor Christians had begun in Kerala church with the intervention of colonial powers as seen in the previous chapters. This chapter attempts to look at the outcome of conflicts throughout eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It also examines how the Puthencoor faction reacted to the conflicts. As part of reactions towards conflicts or as part of negotiations and compromises they prepared various Padiyolas and Chattavariyola. Some of these documents were set up to ascertain their loyalty or belief and some others were composed to form code of laws for the Puthencoor Christians. Thus they tried to mould their community. Through these documents they tried to put into effect the regulations and to unite the devotees jointly under the church. Changing Ecclesiastical Affiliations In the pre - Portuguese period, the life of Syrian Christians was bound by a set of social rules along with their own customs. They have contacts with the churches in West Asia and they used Syriac liturgiesin their prayers. The advent of Portuguese brought many changes in the religious as well as political history of Kerala. The Synod of Diamper initiated by the Portuguese enacted changes in the deep rooted customs and practices of the Syrian Christians. They denied the ‘Law of Thomas’and forced them to accept the 'Law of Peter'.1 The Law of Thomas denotes the faith, liturgy and the social customs of Christians in Kerala. On the other hand, Law of Peter symbolizes the customs and practices of the western church. They also detached their connection with the West Asian churches and tried to change Syrian customs. The introduction of Roman Catholic elements made the traditions of Syrian Christians a complex one. They forced them to use images in church, prayers in sitting position, celibacy of 1 Scaria Zacharia, Acts and Decrees, Op. cit., pp. 42 - 43. 206 priests and so on. Thus it lost its homogeneous nature.2 Even though the Roman laws were imposed over them during the Synod of Diamper, the Puthencoor faction tried to reject them. But some elements remained among them throughout centuries. The arrival of the Syrian Bishop Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel in 1665 led to the change in ecclesiastical tradition. The shift in the religious connection from East Syrian to West Syrian, the ecclesial elements also undergo swift changes. The primary change was on account of liturgical script i.e. West Syriac. He restored some of the old Syrian customs eradicated by Synod of Diamper. This process was continued by the other prelates who came from Syria later. In 1685 the West Syrian Patriarch sent two Bishops named Mar BaseliosYaldo and Mar Ivanios. They propagated the faith and traditions of West Syrian Jacobite church and completed the work started by Mar Gregorios. The arrival of the prelates from West Syrian tradition saw more of their ecclesial elements and practices being strengthened. Mar Ivanios introduced the official code of canons of the West Syrian Church in the late seventeenth century. Mar Ivanios introduced Nomo Canon or Hoodaya Canon of Mar Gregorios Bar Hebraus, in the late seventeenth century.3 It is an undisputed fact that Nomo Canon in Syriac was the known collection of canon laws that has got universal acknowledgment as a code. The report of the Travancore Christian Committee states that the highest authority of the Puthencoor church in ecclesiastical and secular matters was this Nomo Canon.4 It also pronounces that the bishops and priests relied upon these canons to settle disputes among the factions. The first ten chapters of Nomo canon deals with matters like Church administration, baptism, Holy Qurbana, 2 After the Synod the customs and practices followed by the Syrian Christians varies from place to place. 3 Yacoob Mar Julius, Hudaya Canon (Mal.), Ernakulam, 2003, p. X. In the thirteenth century Mar Gregorios Hebraeus, Catholicos of Edessa (A. D. 1226 -1286), the Catholicos of Tigris under the Holy Throne of Antioch, collected and codified canon Laws. He collected and edited the verdicts of the Church Fathers and the decrees of the provincial and ecumenical councils.The original work in Syriac contains forty chapters and is called by the name ‘Hoodaya canon’. The word ‘Hoodaya’ means “explanations”. The scholars usually called it as Nomo - canons or ‘Book of the Guidances’. A copy of this ancient canon was recovered from Konat Library at Pampakuda, which was translated by Konat Mathan Malpan in 1908 and from the Chaldean church Thrissur (13th century). The original Syriac canon contains forty chapters. Each chapter is divided into sections or divisions. The first ten chapters have been translated into Malayalam by Abraham Konat during 20th century. This translation was mainly done to look for inheritance issue. He mentioned that the remaining thirty chapters contain matters connected with the West Asian society of that period. 4 Report of the Christian Committe Travancore, Trivandrum, 1912, p. 8. 207 fasts, feasts, funeral ceremonies, duties allotted to priests, marriage, and inheritance of property and so on.5 This canon was considered as the one that the churches of West Asia followed. The latinisation process of the Portuguese had its long - lasting influence in the eighteenth century as well. But during this phase, the social traditions of the Puthencoor Christians sustained as in the earlier period. The arrival of a Nestorian bishop named Mar Gabriel in 1708 also caused confusions among the Puthencoor Christians. The difference in theology and liturgy was the basic problem. He began to teach that Christ had two natures and two persons. He began to use leavened and unleavened bread. But with the arrival of west Syrian bishops, the church witnessed another shift in ecclesiastical tradition. The major change was in the liturgical tradition. They introduced various traditions of the Antiochean church. In the later period the Puthencoor Christians continued with many of the social traditions of their past with slight modifications.6 These changes might be due to the influence of the bishops who came from Antioch as well as due to the Protestant missionaries. The CMS missionaries, who cooperated with the Puthencoor in the early decades of 19th century, later tried to liberate this church from customs such as the prayers for the dead, to the saints, the veneration of Mary, vernacularization of the liturgy and so on. This later led to conflicts and divisions. Changing Customs It is evident that the Puthencoor Christians continued some of the Roman customs in the 18th century. As per the provisions of Synod of Diamper, the Portuguese introduced images in the churches which were not prevalent among the ancient Christians of Kerala. When Puthencavu church was sanctified in 1795, a statue of St. Mary was brought from Chengannur church.7 Puthencavu church still keeps the statue of St. George and it is said that it was used during the processions even in the twentieth century. At Cheppadu church, a statue of St. 5 Yacoob Mar Julius, Op. cit., pp. 1 - 118. 6 The sixth canon of the Kandanad Padiyola permits to perform Thirandukuli and Pulakuli without feasts. But it prohibited the Vazhvu (giving of blessings) and Onapudava (giving cloth as gift). Thus certain things were retained while other things considered unchristian were giving up. 7 Kurian Thomas, Op. cit., p. 98. 208 George, brought in during the Roman Catholic rule, is still kept by them. But such statues were kept in few churches and most of the churches forbade these customs. All these indicate the fact that some sort of influence has been made as a result of the interference of Roman Catholics. The oriental prelates, who came here in 18th and 19th centuries tried to remove the Roman customs that prevailed among the Puthencoor Christians. Kerr reported in 1806 that in some churches the service was performed by both Puthencoor and Pazhayacoor, in the Syrian and Latin rite respectively. The Romans used unleavened bread for Eucharist celebration while the Jacobites used leavened bread. When the latter celebrated mass, the former carry away the images from the Church, before the others entered. The use of Arulikka (reliquary) and the celebration of Ash Wednesday are the typical examples for this. Reliquary is used to carry relics or holy host in the Roman Catholic tradition during processions. The Puthencoor Christians still use reliquaries for their processions by inserting a cross instead of relics in it. As per West Syrians, all traditions that were not West Syrian were Roman or pagan practices. They wanted to detach all these traditions. They tried thoroughly to remove the non - Christian customs from Puthencoor Christians. It appears that marriage and demise were considered as equivalent to the sacraments.8 The Puthencoor Christians and Hindus alike celebrated local festivals like Onam.9 The church festival was similar to that of the temples in Kerala during 19th century. In connection with church festival there used to be processions with all kinds of pomps. The paraphernalia used for church processions were the same as the Hindu temples.10 Royal umbrellas (Muttukuta), musical instruments like Thambor, Nakaram, Thakile, Elathalam and so forth were widely used in church festivals. The custom of lending processional paraphernalia and musical instruments by the church for festivals was widespread during 19th century. It was a trend in the past among the Christians. They used to perform drama and different games during church festivals. Elephants decorated with many 8 Ferroli, Op. cit., pp. 154 - 161. According to the hundred and first canon of the Chattavariyola of 1853, the presence of the priests was considered as essential during the social customs related to the marriage ceremony.