Theological Studies on Saint Chāvara 6 DARŚANAVĪṬ A Theology of Inclusive Home in Saint Kuriākōse Ēlias Chāvara Dharmaram Publications No. 460 Theological Studies on Saint Chāvara 6 DARŚANAVĪṬ A Theology of Inclusive Home in Saint Kuriākōse Ēlias Chāvara Jojo Parecattil CMI 2020 Chavara Central Secretariat Kochi 680 030 Kerala, India & Dharmaram Publications Bangalore 560029 India Darśanavīṭ: A Theology of Inclusive Home in Saint Kuriākōse Ēlias Chāvara Jojo Parecattil CMI Email: [email protected] © 2020: Saint Chāvara’s 150th Death Anniversary Edition Chavara Central Secretariat, Kochi Cover: Joji Puthirickal CMI & David, Smriti, Thrissur Layout: Chavara Central Secretariat, Kochi Printing: Viani Printings, Kochi ISBN: 978-81-944061-6-7 Price: Rs. 180; US$ 15 Chavara Central Secretariat CMI Prior General’s House Chavara Hills, Kakkanad Post Box 3105, Kochi 682 030 Kerala, India Tel: +91 484 2881802/3 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.chavaralibrary.in/ & Dharmaram Publications Dharmaram College, Bangalore 560029, India Tel: +91-8041116137; 6111 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Web: www.dharmarampublications.com CONTENTS Theological Studies on Saint Chāvara xi Foreword: Cosmic Family xiii Benny Thettayil CMI Acknowledgements: Namaḥ xix Abbreviations and Meanings xxi Introduction: The Genius of an Inclusive Vision 1 Chapter 1 9 Darśanavīṭ A Home with an Inclusive Vision 1.1. Vasudhaivakuṭuṁbakam: An Indian Family 12 Consciousness on Humanity 1.2. Vasudhaivakuṭuṁbaka Spirit of Darśanavīṭ 14 1.3. Darśanavīṭ: An Adaptation of the Holy Family 19 1.4. Broadness and Inclusiveness of the Holy Family 20 1.5. Church as a Family of God 22 1.6. The Familial Inclusiveness of Darśanavīṭ 27 1.7. The Family Consciousness of Saint Chāvara 28 1.8. Transcending the Chāvara Family 31 1.9. Kūṭapirappukaḷ: Co-borns 35 1.10. Kūṭapirappukaḷ: A Word Full of Spirit and Life 36 1.11. Kūṭapirappukaḷ: Members of Darśanavīṭ 39 1.12. Adelphoi: The Biblical Spirit of Kūṭapirappukaḷ 42 1.13. Darśanavīṭ: A Heavenly Abode in a Vision 44 Darśanavīṭ vi Chapter 2 51 Akuṭuṁbakam A Home of Exclusiveness 2.1. Lion’s Backward Look (A Siṁhāvalokanam) 51 2.2. Akuṭuṁbakam (Non-Family) 54 2.3. The Non-Familial Families (Akuṭuṁbaka- 57 Kuṭuṁbams) 2.4. The Non-Familial Church (Akuṭuṁbaka-Sabha) 58 2.5. The Non-Familial State (Akuṭuṁbaka-Rājyam) 60 2.6. The Non-Familial World (Akuṭuṁbaka-Viśvam) 63 2.7. Anātmakam (Soulless) 64 2.8. “Lost Its Soul” 65 2.9. “The Corrupt and the Corrupting World” 67 2.10. Bhēdam (Division) 69 2.11. Caste-Division (Jāti-Bhēdam) 71 2.12. Slavery in Travancore 74 2.13. The Breast-Cloth Repression (Māru Marakkal 78 Samaram) 2.14. Non-Entry to the Temples and Public Roads 80 2.15. Conversion of Low Castes to Christianity 82 2.16. Caste Division within Christianity 83 2.17. Cultural-Division (Saṁskṛti-Bhēdam) 86 2.18. Religious Division (Mata-Bhēdam) 87 2.19. Religious Division within Christianity 91 2.20. Rite-Division (Rite-Bhēdam) 91 2.21. Division between Padruado and Propaganda Fide 95 2.22. Division between Saint Thomas Christians and 99 Jesuit Missionaries 2.23. Division between Saint Thomas Christians and 103 Carmelite Missionaries 2.24. Division among the Carmelites 106 2.25. Division between Anjūttikkār and Ezhunūttikkār 107 2.26. Division between Pazhayakūr and Puthenkūr 108 Contents vii 2.27. Economic Depression (Dāridrya-Kuṭuṁbakam) 113 2.28. Another Dead Sea (Akuṭuṁbakam) 114 Chapter 3 119 Kuṭuṁbakam The Familial Inclusiveness 3.1. Tie of Family Bond 120 3.2. The Same DNA of the Heavenly Father 123 3.3. “Our Father”: A Family Prayer 124 3.4. Inclusive Spirituality of “Our Father” 126 3.5. Appa Consciousness: Source of Saint Chāvara’s 12y Inclusivity 3.6. Human Family (Mānava-Kuṭuṁbakam) 128 3.7. Harmonious Blending of Spiritualities (Sanyāsa- 133 Kuṭuṁbakam) 3.8. One Family of Different Churches (Sabhā- 137 Kuṭuṁbakam) 3.9. God’s Own Family in God’s Own Country 143 (Kerala-Kuṭuṁbakam) 3.10. Search of a Suitable Site for Darśanavīṭ 145 3.11. “Pass on and Find another Well” (Gen 26:16-33) 147 3.12. “Meek Could Inherit the Land” (Mt 5:5) 150 3.13. A School of Indian Saṁskṛti (Saṁskṛta- 155 Kuṭuṁbakam) 3.14. A Lover of Languages (Bhāṣā-Kuṭuṁbakam) 158 3.15. A Mystical Family of Oneness (Ēka- 160 Kuṭuṁbakam) 3.16. Darśanavīṭ: A Sea of Galilee 166 Darśanavīṭ viii Chapter 4 171 Darśana-Kuṭuṁbakam Theological Inclusiveness 4.1. Assimilation with Discernment 172 4.2. Indian Implications are Missing in the 174 Translated Text 4.3. The Inclusive Theology of Ātmānutāpam 174 4.4. Poetry: Transformation of Śoka into Śloka 175 4.5. Indian Names for Jesus: Brahmanāthan, Gopālan, 177 Nandanan, Āṇdavar, etc. 4.6. The Worship of the Brahmacāriṇis 180 4.7. Indian Offerings (Pūjā-Dravyas) 182 4.8. Śānti an Aged Shepherdess 183 4.9. Saint Joseph as a Muni and Tāpasan 184 4.10. Kamala-Tirupādam and Pāda-Paṅkajam 186 4.11. Tiru-Vedam, Veda-Nādhan, and Śravaṇam 188 4.12. Kaliyugam 189 4.13. Āddhyātmika Kṛtikaḷ (Spiritual Works) 190 4.14. Dhyānasallāpaṅal: An Inclusive Outlook of 190 Salvation 4.15. Borrowed Prayer from a Protestant Woman 191 4.16. Fresh Flowers for Chapel Decorations 194 4.17. Jñānapīyūṣam: Universal Salutations for God 196 4.18. Sarvēśāyanamaḥ (Salutation to Lord of All) 197 4.19. Anādyāyanamostu (Salutation to the Eternal) 198 4.20. The Spirituality of Mantras 199 4.21. Chāvaruḷ: Noble Thoughts from Different 201 Corners of the World Contents ix Chapter 5 205 Viśva-Kuṭuṁbakam A Universal Family 5.1. The Theocracy of Darśanavīṭ 205 5.2. Inclusiveness: An Imperative 208 5.3. A Prophetic Vision of Aggiornamento 209 5.4. Ātmānutāpam: “Living Water in Indian Cup” 212 5.5. Saint Chāvara: A Son of Catholicity 214 Bibliography 219 THEOLOGICAL STUDIES ON SAINT CHĀVARA Saint Kuriākōse Ēlias Chāvara (1805-1871) – a Carmelite religious priest and a professor of theology (Malpan) in the Syro-Malabar Church, who pioneered consecrated life in the Indian Church by founding the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI; in collaboration with Thomas Palackal and Thomas Porukara, in 1831), the first indigenous religious congregation for men and the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC; in collaboration with Leopold Beccaro OCD, in 1866) – is widely recognized for his pioneering efforts to reform the Church in Kerala and the society of the nineteenth century. His credible Christian witness along with the leadership he offered to the Church of Saint Thomas Christians, at a time when it was passing through multiple jurisdictional crises, scripted a spiritual and disciplined growth in the Kerala Church. Canonized on 23 November 2014, Saint Chāvara’s personal sanctity and Christian wisdom are identified to be unique. While the secular society admires his contributions in pioneering a set of revolutionary changes in uplifting people on the margins and those who were socially ostracised through educational and social initiatives, the fundamental core of all his achievements is solidly established in his filial discipleship of Jesus Christ, whom he addressed ‘ente nalla appa’ (my beloved father). Saint Chāvara had a firm foundation in Christian faith, which is clearly visible throughout his life and it is testified by those who knew him. He articulated his views and perspectives primarily based on his personal encounter with Jesus and also based on is readings and theological reflections. They are available to us through his extant writings, which are published in four volumes in the Complete Works of Kuriākōse Ēlias Chāvara Some of these works, recognized as pioneering Darśanavīṭ xii efforts in Indian literary genre, offer us a mine of rich and sound theological insights. Although his access to scientific Christian literature was minimal (if not completely absent), his writings draw from the biblical as well as other Christian traditions, which he had faithfully and creatively interpreted for the enhancement of the faith life of the Christian community that he had catered to throughout his life. Theological Studies on Saint Chāvara – a joint effort of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) and Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) – attempts to promote and publish fruits of scientific investigation into the unique and varied theological insights of Saint Chāvara in the form of monographs. These theological investigations will be instru- mental in appreciating and popularising the sound and solid theological contributions he made to enhance Catholic faith in the nineteenth century, which, in turn, indicate that he deserves titles like ‘Father of the Syro-Malabar Church’ and ‘Doctor of the Church’. As the publication of this series is undertaken with the blessings of the Synod of the Syro- Malabar Archiepiscopal Church, which also had benefitted from the eminent theological acumen, pastoral insights, and ecclesiastical leadership of Saint Chāvara, these studies would bring to light the multifarious theological heritage that he had bequeathed to the Church and the subsequent generations of faithful in India. General Editor Saju Chackalackal CMI ([email protected]) Publishers Chavara Central Secretariat (Kochi) (A Joint Effort of CMI and CMC Congregations) Dharmaram Publications (Bangalore) Foreword COSMIC FAMILY Benny Thettayil CMI Samanvaya Theology College, Bhopal Kuriākōse Ēlias Chāvara of the nineteenth century is generally considered one of the most remarkable icons of the modern Christian spiritual experience in India. He is a man who, despite his alarming speed of life and activities, had a vision for the future, and he worked towards that future. About the various aspects of this vision, he wrote several accounts. In the religious literature of the time and place, these accounts are unparalleled. They explored the most profound mysteries of the Christian faith. The clarity and depth of perception, the precision and accuracy of his theological presentation, and the sincerity and beauty of his expression reveal a mind and personality of exceptional strength and charm.