A lodestone of Kerala's only Christian dynasty

ANY mention of Udayamperoor, a suburb nestled between Poothotta and Tripunithura in Ernakulam, is often accompanied by references to the famous Synod of Diamper – an epoch-making event in 1599 that shaped the region's church history.

- LILIYA ROSE

The Synod brought the ancient Nasrani Christians of modern-day Kerala, who trace their origins to St Thomas the Apostle, under the Catholic fold. Led by the Portuguese Archbishop of Goa, Dom Aleixo de Menezes, it passed a series of decrees aimed at purging so-called "un-Christian practices" among the Nasranis while restructuring their centuries-old liturgical traditions and belief systems to align with the Roman Rite.

Reflecting on the event, which took place from June 20 to 26, 1599, Fr Yesudas Pazhampilly, director of PRD, Archdiocese of Verapoly (Latin Catholic Church), says, "The Udayamperoor Synod was held at a time when injustice, superstitions, caste divisions, untouchability, and other social evils were prevalent in Kerala. It was a historic moment that heralded the advent of a 'New Kerala.'"