Damage caused by Portuguese
Missionaries to St. Thomas
Christians
A Franciscan Friar started
a seminary to train St. Thomas
candidates to priesthood. The
idea was good. Systematic
training was necessary for the
candidates to priesthood. But
if it was done to facilitate
Latinization, as it looks to
be, it could do more harm than
good. The Friar did not
understand or respected the
religious background of
candidates. The priests who
came out of the seminary did
not differ from the western
missionaries. Even their
parents felt sorry to find
them being estranged from the
community ’s way of life.
These Latinized priests were
never assimilated into the
community. The systematic
training of the candidates to
priesthood was a welcome
initiative. But those who took
the initiative should have
known what kind of pastoral
work was required of them, and
among whom the new priests
have to do the ministry. Today
the Rite of the candidate is
taken care in the seminary,
even when a candidate is
studying in a seminary of a
different rite. The Syro-Malabar
Church has today half a dozen
major seminaries. More damages
were done to St. Thomas
Christians in The Synod of
Diamper. |
