Udayamperoor Soonahados

Synod of Diamper, held at Udayamperoor ((Diamper)), is a diocesan synod (council) that formally united the ancient Christian Church of the Malabar Coast (modern Kerala state),India, with the Roman Catholic church.^[1] It was convened on June 20, 1599, under the leadership of Aleixo de Menezes, 

In 1597, Mar Abraham, the last metropolitan archbishop appointed by the Chaldean Patriarch, died. His Archdeacon, George (of the Cross) according to the custom and by virtue of appointment of Mar Abraham, took up the administration of the Archdiocese of Angamaly. But Menezes hastened to Nominate Fr. Francis Ros SJ as Administrator. In the end since the Archdeacon George (of the Cross) was well accepted by the people, Menezes had unwillingly reversed his decision and confirmed the Archdeacon as Administrator. Archdeacon called together an assembly of the Saint Thomas Christians at Angamaly, in which a solemn oath was taken that they would act only according to the wishes of Archdeacon, and that if the Pope sent them as their Bishop, not their Archdeacon, but a Latin, that they would plead their case with Rome.^[3]

Menezes undertook a visit to all the Churches of Saint Thomas Christians in February 1599, which lasted for few months and slowly earned the good will of people. After having won over a considerable number of people and priests, Menezes threatened to depose Archdeacon, George (of the Cross) and appoint in his place Thomas Kurian, another nephew of former Archdeacon whose claims had been ignored in 1593. In order to prevent a division, Archdeacon, George (of the Cross) yielded to the demands of Menezes.^[3]

This void in leadership in India cleared the way for the Portuguese to impose their own customs, hierarchy, law, liturgy and rites among the Saint Thomas Christians. Many of the local customs were officially anathematised as heretical and their manuscripts were condemned to be either corrected or burnt.

Dom Alexis Menezes, Archbishop of Goa, was leading this schism summoning all the priests, other clerics and four lay men elected from each church, even from the churches he had not visited under the pain of excommunication. About 130 ecclesiastics and 660 laymen ( elected and specially invited) met at Diamper in the territory of Kingdom of Cochin.^[4]

The Syond solemnly began on the third Sunday after Pentecost, 20 June 1599. It was held in the church of Diamper ( Udayamperoor) from June 20 to 26, 1599.^[5] Archbishop Menezes presided the Syond. The Chaldean Patriarch was condemned as a heretic and schismatic, and they were made to swear that they would not accept any bishop except the one immediately nominated by Rome.^[3]The controversial Syond of Diamper canonized Romanization of the Church of Saint Thomas Christians.^[6] Aleixo de Menezes, laboring under the shadow of the Protestant Reformation and the Council of Trent, was unwilling to give an inch to the customs of the Saint Thomas Christians.

Social influences of the Synod

Synod of Diamper condemned multitude of Hindu beliefs, especially those related to Transmigration, Fate and Astrology. Hindu ceremonies and customs related to matrimony, death, birth and purification on touching lower castes which were prevalent among the Christians of St. Thomas, were abandoned altogether. They were even banned from frequenting to Hindu Festivities including Onam. The Synod also condemned the belief that every man might be saved by his own Laws, all which are good and lead to heaven, irrespective of his religion. The Synod banned Christian teachers from installing or using any Hindu idols in their schools. Polygamy and Concubinage were forbidden and clergymen were banned from marital relations, military services to Hindu Princes and other secular indulgences. Hindu Musicians used to conduct programmes in Christian churches and the Synod banned it out rightly.^[8]