Diocese of Cochin

Diocese of Cochin Diœcesis Coccinensis കൊച്ചി രൂപത
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Kochi Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Kochi
Location
Country	India
Episcopal conference	Conference of Catholic Bishops of India Catholic Bishops' Conference of India Kerala Catholic Bishop's Council
Ecclesiastical region	Kerala
Ecclesiastical province	Verapoly
Deaneries	6
Headquarters	Fort Kochi, Kerala
Coordinates	9°57′53″N 76°14′34″E / 9.964774°N 76.242738°E
Statistics
Area	236 km2 (91 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2021) 625,500 182,324 (28.2%)
Parishes	51
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	4 February 1557
Cathedral	Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Fort Cochin
Patron saint	Holy Cross St Francis Xavier
Secular priests	166 Diocesan Priests 116 Religious Priests 545 Religious Sisters
Language	Malayalam English Portuguese
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Antony Kattiparambil
Metropolitan Archbishop	Joseph Kalathiparambil
Vicar General	Very Rev Msgr Josy Kandanattuthara
Episcopal Vicars	Very Rev Fr Francis Xavier Kalathiveetil Very Rev Fr Tomy Chambakkatt Very Rev Fr Johny Xavier Puthukattu
Judicial Vicar	Joshy George Alesseril
Bishops emeritus	Joseph Kariyil John Thattumkal
Website
dioceseofcochin.org

The Diocese of Cochin (Latin: Diœcesis Coccinensis) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Cochin, Kerala, India. A constituent of the sui iuris Latin Church, the diocese was established in 1557 after the domination of the Portuguese-speaking missionaries. The diocese is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Verapoly. According to Annuario Pontificio 2025, Diocese of Cochin is the first diocese of Kerala

The diocese is situated with the Arabian Sea in the west, the Archdiocese of Verapoly in both north and east, and the Diocese of Alleppey in the south. The Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica in Fort Cochin is the diocese's cathedral where the Diocesan Administrator resides. Pope Francis appointed James Raphael Anaparambil, Bishop of Diocese of Alleppey, as apostolic administrator sede plena to the diocese on 11 October 2024 and his term has ended on 8 December by the installation of Antony Kattiparambil as the Bishop of Cochin.

On 25 October 2025, Pope Leo XIV appointed Antony Kattiparambil as the bishop of the Diocese of Cochin. His episcopal ordination was on 7 December 2025 at the Basilica Nagar- Parade ground Fort Cochin and he was installed as the bishop of Cochin by the next day at Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Kochi.

History

The Diocese of Cochin, now diminutive in size due to successive bifurcations in the course of time, once used to be the Mother Diocese of many a bishopric in the Sub-continent. The erstwhile Mother Diocese extended in the west coast from Malabar, down south to Cape Comorin (the present Kanya Kumari and still further down, Ceylon (now, Sri Lanka) and stretched along the east coast all the way up, encompassing Nepal, Bangladesh and beyond Burma (now, Myanmar) and still further east to Hong Kong, Malacca and Macau.

Date	Event	From	To
4 February 1557	Erected	Archdiocese of Goa	Diocese of Cochin was erected as a suffragan diocese (other being Diocese of Malacca) to the Archdiocese of Goa
1599	Territory Lost	Diocese of Cochin	Archdiocese of Angamalé (erected) (Later name changed to Archdiocese of Cranganore and suppressed to Vicariate Apostolic of Verapoly)
9 January 1606	Territory Lost	Diocese of Cochin	Dioceses of Saint Thomas of Mylapore (Tamil Nadu) United To: Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)
1606	Territory Lost	Diocese of Cochin	as Mission "sui iuris" of Madura (Tamil Nadu) Later Suppressed.
1659	Territory Lost	Diocese of Cochin	Vicariate Apostolic of Malabar (erected) (Later namechanged to Vicariate Apostolic of Verapoly and Later to Archdiocese of Verapoly)
3 Dec 1834	Territory Lost	Diocese of Cochin	Vicariate Apostolic of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Later changed to Archdiocese of Colombo
19 June 1952	Territory Lost	Diocese of Cochin	Diocese of Alleppey (erected)
19 September 1953	Metropolitan Changed	Archdiocese of Goa	Archdiocese of Verapoly
1955	Territory Lost	Diocese of Cochin	Diocese of Trivandrum

The early Christian missionaries arrived in India from Portugal in 1550, pioneering the Portuguese mission in the country. Subsequently, the Christians of Kochi began practicing the Latin liturgical rite. St. Francis Xavier often visited the land of Kochi, where he offered holy mass at the St. Francis Church, in which lies the body of Vasco da Gama buried in 1524. The Order of the Franciscans built a monastery in 1518 and two more, of the Jesuit Order, in 1550 and 1561. In 1553 the Dominicans sisters started a college and Monastery in Kochi, and before 1557, publication began and book printing began in Kochi. The Society of Jesus was then founded by Father Balthazar Gago, S.J. in 1550 and in 1560, the King of Portugal built for the Society of Jesus, the college of Kochi, and in 1562, a novitiate of the Society was established there. Following the rising of the land, Pope Leo X, in 1514 erected the Diocese of Funchal, and in 1534, the Diocese of Goa which was joined by the people in Kochi. The diocese of Cochin was elected by Pope Paul IV on 4 February 1557, in his decree "Pro Excellenti Praeeminentia" for the two new suffragan dioceses (the other being Diocese of Malacca). After its erection as a diocese, it was the second and preceded southern and eastern India, Burma, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). It was later reorganized following the Concordat of 23 June 1886, between Leo XIII and King Luiz of Portugal.

Before the missionaries, people of Malabar practiced Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Three out of the eight Franciscan friars, who sailed from Lisbon to India died in the 1500 masacre in Kozhikode. The survivors then settled at Kochi and from there began the foundation of the Diocese of Cochin. They also received support from other missionaries working from the city which was a centre. Vasco da Gama, a messenger from Portugal who had arrived at Cochin accepted the writings of the early converted Christians for the King of Portugal. The Syrian Bishop of those Christians promised obedience to the pope through the Franciscan missionaries and two Nestorian priests, who later accompanied Gama to Lisbon en route for Rome. The pioneer priests of the diocese, Franciscans João d'Elvas and Pedro d'Amarante until 1507, preached the Gospel at Vypin, Pallippuram, and Kodungallur. Father Vincent de Lagos established the College of Kodungallur in 1540 to train the Nestorian Christians.

The Papal Bull of Pope Paul IV, which was used earlier in erecting the diocese was also utilised in raising the collegiate church of the Holy Cross, and the parish church of Cochin to a cathedral of the diocese with the first Bishop of Cochin, a Dominican Father Jorge Tremudo. In 1577, Brother João Gonsalves, S.J. was engraved at Cochin for the first time, thus, outlined the first Malealam book Outlines of Christian Doctrine, which was written in Portuguese by St. Francis Xavier to aid children. Cochin was taken on 6 January 1663, by the Dutch after a siege of six months. The city was reduced in size; the clergy were expelled; the monasteries and colleges, bishop's palace, etc., were razed to the ground. The church of St. Francis of Assisi, belonging to the Franciscan monastery was spared by the conquerors and converted for their religious use. After the English overthrew the Dutch, they kept the church which was turned into a merchandise to serve as a witness to the past four centuries, as well as an existing oldest church in India.

Administration

Pope: Leo XIV
Bishop : Rt Rev Msgr Antony Kattiparambil
Vicar General : Very Rev Msgr Josy Kandanattuthara
Chancellor and Episcopal Vicar: Very Rev Dr Johney Xavier Puthukkattu

Episcopal Vicar: Very Rev Fr Francis Xavier Kalathiveetil

Episcopal Vicar: Very Rev Fr Tomy Chambakkatt
Procurator: Very Rev Fr Prasad Joseph Kandathiparambil
Judicial Vicar : Very Rev Fr Joshy George Alesseril
Minor Seminary Rector: Very Rev Fr Antony Thaiveettil
Spiritual Father : Very Rev Fr Denson Oliver

Ordinaries

Sl.no	Ordinary	Year of appointment	Last year of service
1	Dom Jorge Temudo O.P	1557	1567
2	Dom Henrique de Távora e Brito O.P	1576	1578
3	Dom Antonio De Baja	1578	1578
4	Dom Matheus De Medina O.S.A.	1579	1588
5	Dom Andrea De Sant Maria O.F.M	1588	1610
6	Dom Sebastianos A Santa Pedro O.A.	1615	1624
7	Dom Luiz De Britto A Menezes O.S.A.	1628	1629
8	Dom Francesco Baretto	1630	1630
9	Dom Miguel Da Cruz Rangal O.P	1633	1646
10	Dom Antonio Da Serpa	1647	1647
11	Dom Joao Celo	1650	1650
12	Dom Fabio Dos Reis	1668	1668
13	Dom Fernando Da santa Maria	1672	1672
14	Dom Antonio Da Santo Dionysio O.S.A.	1676	1685
15	Dom Pedro Da Silva O.S.A.	1688	1691
16	Dom Antonio Da Santa Teresa	1692	1692
17	Dom Pedro Pachecco O.P.	1694	1713
18	Dom Francesco Pedro Dos Martyres	1717	1717
19	Dom Francesco De Vasconselo	1722	1742
20	Dom Antonio De Conceisao	1745	1745
21	Clemente José Colaço Leitão	1745	1776
22	Dom Sebastiao Da Costa	1777	1777
23	Dom Manuel De Santa Catherina O.C.D.	1778	1785
24	Dom Jose De Soledad O.C.D.	1785	1818
25	Dom Tomas De Noronha E Britto O.P.	1819	1819
26	Dom Joakim De Santa Rita Boethello	1832	1832
27	João Gomes Ferreira	1887	1897
28	Dom Mateus de Oliveira Xavier	1898	1908
29	José Bento Martins Ribeiro	1909	1931
30	Dom Abilio Agusto Vas Das Neves	1934	1939
31	Dom José Vieira Alvernaz	1942	1951
32	Rt. Rev. Dr. Alexander Edezhath	1952	1975
33	Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Kureethara	1975	1999
34	Rt. Rev Dr. John Thattumkal	2000	2008
35	Rt. Rev Dr. Joseph Kariyil	2009	2024
36	Rt. Rev Dr. Antony Kattiparambil	2025	Present

Parishes

The Diocese Of Cochin is blessed with fifty one independent parishes with resident priests under six ecclesiastical districts as follows

Name Of The Parish	Year Established
First District – Fort Cochin Forane
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica Fort Kochi	1505
Church of Our Lady of Life Mattancherry	9th century
Church of Our Lady of Hope Fort Vypeen	1605
St Peter and Paul Church Amaravathy	1857
Holy Family Church Nazareth	1901
Stella Maris Church Willington Island	1955
St Joseph's Bethlehem Church Chullicakal	1974
St Mary's Church Kochery	2016
Second District – Kannamaly Forane
St Antony's Forane Church Kannamaly	1873
St Louis Church Mundamveli	9th century
St Sebastian's Church Chellaanam	1832
St Joseph's Church Cheriyakadavu	1968
St Francis Assisi Church Kaattiparambu	1980
St Thomas Apostle Church Santhome	1990
St John The Baptist Church Anjilithara	2019
Third District – Edakochi Forane
St Lawrence Church Edakochi	9th century
St Sebastian's Church Thoppumpady	1833
Santa Cruz Church Perumpadappu	1965
St Joseph's Church Chirackal	1965
St Mary's Church North Edakochi	1978
St Lawrence Church Palluruthy	1986
St Thomas More Church Palluruthy	1991
St Joseph's Church Maduracompany	2012
Santa Maria Church Perumpadappu	2018
Fourth District – Kumbalanghi Forane
St George Church Pazhangad	1869
St Peter's Church Kumbalanghi	1875
St Joseph's Church North Kumbalanghi	1967
Immaculate Conception Church Ezhupunna	1977
St Sebastian's Church Neendakara	1977
Sacred Heart Church Kumbalanghi	1994
St Martin De Porres Church Kallencherry	1996
Holy Maris Church Azheekakam	2014
San Jose Church Ettumkal	2014
Fifth District – Aroor Forane
St Augustine's Church Aroor	1901
St Francis Xavier Church Eramalloor	1843
St Joseph's Church Kumbalam	1977
St Antony's Church Arookutty	1978
St Joseph's Church Vallithod	1986
Our Lady Of Fatima Church Kodamthuruth	1991
St Mary's Church Chandiroor	2004
St Sebastian's Church Karunyapuram	2013
Little Flower Church Perumbalam	2013
St Jude Church Eramalloor	2020
Queen Of Peace Church Ezhupunna	2024
Sixth District – Thankey Forane
St Mary's Forane Church Thankey	1832
Our Lady Of Assumption Church, Poomkavu	1860
St George Church Arthumkal	1866
St Francis Xavier Church Vayalar	1936
St Sebastian's Church Areeparambu	2016
St George Church Arasupuram	2017
St Antony's Church Pathirapally	2019

In the 9th century there were only three parishes in Kochi:

St. Lawrence Church Edakochi,

Our Lady Of Life Church Mattancherry, and

St. Louis Church Mundamveli.

Pilgrim and Novena Centers

Pilgrim And Novena Centers

Image	Name Of The Church	Veneration	Feast Day	Location
File:Santa Cruz Cathedral 06.jpg	Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica Fortcochin	Holy Cross / Our Lady of Fatima	14 September - The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and 31 December - Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
File:Holy Cross Chapel, Mattancherry.jpg	Holy Cross Pilgrim Center (Coonan Kurisu) Mattancherry	Holy Cross	14 September - Feast of the Exaltation of Holy Cross
File:Poonkavu Church, Alappuzha.jpg	Our Lady of Assumption Church Poomkavu	Holy Week Pilgrimage & Infant Jesus	Holy Week
File:Thankey church.jpg	St Mary's Forane Church Thankey	Holy Week Pilgrimage Special Veneration towards the miraculous pascal statue of Jesus Christ	Holy Week
File:Image Our Lady of Velankanni.jpg	Our Lady Of Velankanni Shrine,Maruvakad, Chellanam	Our Lady Of Good Health	8 September - The Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary
File:Kannamaly Church Ernakulam.jpg	St Joseph's Miraculous Shrine Kannamaly	St Joseph the Worker	19 March - Feast of St Joseph
File:Tomb of Monsignor Lawrence Puliyanath.jpg	St Sebastian's Church Edacochin,Tomb Of Servant Of God Msgr. Lawrence Puliyanath	Msgr. Lawrence Puliyanath (Servant Of God)	20 February - Death Anniversary of Msgr Lawrence Puliyanath
	St Francis Assisi Church Kattiparambu	St Francis of Assisi	4 October - 2026-27 Jubilee Year of St Francis Assisi - Pilgrimage Centre

Saints and causes for canonisation

• St Francis Xavier worked in the costal belt of the diocese as a missionary, often visited the diocese.
• St John De Britto visited the diocese on his way towards his mission.
• St Joseph Vaz served the diocese as its Vicar General.
• St Theresa Of Culcutta, widely known as Mother Theresa, visited the diocese and inaugurated Cochin Institute of printing technology (CIPT Press) In Thoppumpady.
• St Devasahayam a member of the diocese during his great martyrdom.
• Venerable Matteo Ricci Ordained as a Priest in Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica Fort Kochi.
• Servant of God Lawrence Puliyanath, a dioceasean priest who is often called as the apostle of the poor, served in the parish of St Lawrence Church Edacochin as Assistant Vicar and Later Vicar for more that 33 years.

See also

• Catholic Church in India
• List of Catholic dioceses in India
• Territories of Catholic dioceses in India

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Diocese of Cochin is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.

• Part of: Ecclesiastical Province of Verapoly

External links

• Official website

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Diocese of Cochin — (COCHINENSIS) on the Malabar coast, India.

The diocese was erected and constituted a suffragan of the Diocese of Goa, of which it had previously formed a part, by the Bull "Pro excellenti praeeminentia" of Paul IV, 4 February, 1558 (cf. Bullarium Patronatus Portugalliae Regum, I, 193). It was later reorganized according to the Concordat of 23 June, 1886, between Leo XIII and King Luiz of Portugal and the Constitution "Humanae Salutis Auctor" of the same pope, 1 September, 1886. It is suffragan to the patriarchal See of Goa (cf. Julio Biker, Collecçao de Tractados, XIV, 112-437). The diocese consists of two strips of territory along the sea-coast, the first about fifty miles long, by eight in its broadest part, the second thirty miles in length. There are two important towns, Cochin and Alleppi (Alapalli) in which the higher educational and charitable institutions of the diocese are situated.

I. History

The chief religions professed in Malabar at the arrival of the Portuguese were: Hinduism, Christianity (the Christians of St. Thomas or Nestorians), Islam, and Judaism, the last represented by a large colony of Jews. From these the Catholic community was recruited, mostly from the Nestorians and the Hindus. Islam also contributed a fair share, especially when Portugal was supreme on this coast; among the Jews conversions were rare. To Portugal belongs the glory of having begun regular Catholic missionary work in India, and Cochin has the honour of being the cradle of Catholicism in India. The first missionaries to India were eight Franciscan friars, who set sail from Lisbon on the fleet of Pedro Alvarez Cabral (q.v.), 9 March, 1500: Father Henrique de Coimbra, Superior; Fathers Gaspar, Francisco da Cruz, Simao de Guimaraens, Luiz do Salvador, Masseu, Pedro Netto, and Brother Joao da Vitoria. Three of them were slain at Calicut in the massacre of 16 November, 1500. The survivors arrived at Cochin on or about the 26th of that month, and settled there (except the superior, who went back with the fleet to obtain more help for the mission), thus laying the foundation of the Diocese of Cochin (Histor. Seraf. Chron. da Ordem de S. Francisco na Provincia de Portugal, III, 489, 494, 495). They were followed by large contingents of zealous missionaries, who worked from the city of Cochin as a centre. The harvest of souls was rich, the Christians multiplied along the coast and in the interior, and in course of time a bishop was assigned to them

The Nestorian Christians in the vicinity of Cochin naturally attracted the attention of the missionaries, and Fathers Simao de Guimaraens and Luiz do Salvador were soon occupied in refuting their errors and reforming their discipline and customs (Hist. Seraf., III, 497). These two missionaries were the pioneers of the Faith among the Nestorian Christians. Members of the same order continued this missionary work till the middle of the sixteenth century, when these missions were handed over to the Jesuits, who continued the good work with such earnestness and zeal that most of the Nestorian Christians were converted before 1600. The chief public record of their conversion is to be found in the Proces of the Synod of Diamper (of Udiamperur), held in June, 1599, by Alexio de Menezes, Archbishop of Goa, Metropolitan and Primate of the East ("Bull. Patron. Por. reg.", a collection of papal and royal documents pertaining to the Portughese missions in India, App. tom. I, 147 sqq.; see also "Subsidium ad Bull. Patr. Por.", Alleppi, 1903). In December, 1502, the Nestorian or Syrian Christians (they used the Syrian language in their liturgy) presented to Vasco da Gama, who had arrived at Cochin, the sceptre of their former kings, and applied to him for assistance against their Mohammedan neighhours. Gama formally accepted the sceptre in the name of the King of Portugal. The Syrian bishop of those Christians promised obedience to the pope through the Franciscan missioriaries and two Nestorian priests accompanied Gama to Lisbon en route for Rome. Thus began the protectorate of the Portuguese over the Syrian Christians, a protectorate which lasted for 160 years (cf. Joao de Barras, "Asia", Dec. I, bk. V, ch. viii; also "Historia Serafica"). Till 1542 the Franciscans were the only regular missionaries in India, though they had the cooperation of some secular priests, as Father Pedro Gonsalves, Vicar of Santa Cruz church in the city of Cochin, and father Miguel Vaz, a zealous preacher of the Faith, as well as of some isolated members of other religious communities, who had come out as chaplains to the fleets ("Commentarios do Grande Affonso d'Albuquerque", 3d ed., 1774, I, ch. v, 19-20), and "Ethiopia Oriental", II, bk. II, ch. i).

Among the pioneer priests of Cochin mention should be made of the Franciscans Joao d'Elvas and Pedro d'Amarante, who till 1507 preached the Gospel at Vypeen, Palliport, Cranganore, and other important places; Father Manuel de S. Mathias with his eleven companions, who laboured for the conversion of the pagans at Porroead, Quilon, Trivellam, and elsewhere. Father Vincent de Lagos, who in 1540 established the college of Cranganore to train the Nestorian Christians in the purity of Catholic Faith, a college highly praised by St. Francis Xavier, and the first built in India. In 1542 it had eighty students (Amado, Hist. da Egreja em Portugal e colonias, Vol. VlI, pt. II, 117-21).

After St. Francis Xavier's arrival in India, 6 May, 1542, the Society of Jesus quickly spread over India, and the members were always most successful in the missions under their charge. St. Francis often visited Cochin, where the citizens gave him the church of Madre de Deus, and asked him to establish in the city a residence of the Society. It was accordingly founded by Father Balthazar Gago, S.J., in 1550. In the same year Father Nicolao Lancelot, S.J., built the residence and college of Quilon, and Affonso Cipriano, S.J., the residence of Mylapore, soon after the residence and college of Punicail were established, and the residence of Manar. In 1560 the King of Portugal built for the Society of Jesus the college of Cochin, and in 1562 a novitiate of the Society was established there. In 1601 the Jesuit Province of Malabar was founded, and Cochin was made the residence of the provincial. Among the early Jesuits must be mentioned in addition to St. Francis Xavier, foremost of missionaries, Fathers Mansilha, Criminal, B. Nunes, H. Henriques, F. Peres, F. Rodrigues; Brothers Adam Francisco, N. Nunes. Later, the Dominicans, Augustinians, and other orders followed the Society of Jesus to India. The Dominicans built their monastery and college at Cochin in 1553; some years later their example was followed by the Augustinians, and still later by the Capuchins. Cochin thus became the stronghold of the Faith, and it was the missionaries of Cochin who carried the Gospel throughout all Southern India and Ceylon, everywhere establishing missions, and building churches, charitable and educational institutions, all of which were endowed by the kings of Portugal.

Apart from the heroic zeal of the priests, the most powerful element in the propagation of the Faith was the protection the Portuguese Government always accorded to the converts. It provided them with good situations, employing them in civil offices, freed them the molestations of their masters, elevated them in the social scale, exempted them from the operation of Hindu law, appointed for them a judicial tribunal composed of Catholics, which in rural districts was presided over by the local priest. It induced the rajahs to treat the converts kindly, and obliged them to allow their converted subjects all the civil rights, e.g. of inheritance, which their Hindu relatives enjoyed. ("Collecçao de Tractados", treaties made with the rajahs of Asia and East Africa, passim in the first thirteen vols; also "Archivo Portuguez Oriental" Nova Goa, 1861, Fasc. III, parts I and II passim; "Oriente Conquistado", Bombay reprint, 1881, I, II, P. Jarric, S.J., "Thesaurus Rerum Indicarum", Cologne, 1615, I, III, on the Malabar Missions of the Society.)

The above-mentioned Bull of Paul IV, by which the diocese was constituted, raised the collegiate church of the Holy Cross (Santa Cruz), the parish church of Cochin, to the dignity of cathedral of the diocese, and established therein a chapter consisting of five dignitaries and twelve canons. At the same time the pope gave the patronage of the new diocese and see to the kings of Portugal (Bull. Patr. Port. Reg., I, 194).

Until 1506 Hindu law, which was rigorously observed, forbade the use of lime and stone in other constructions than temples. Hence the early Portuguese, to avoid displeasing the rajah, built their houses of wood. Finally the viceroy, Francisco de Almeida, induced the Rajah of Cochin to permit him the use of lime and stone, and on 3 May, 1506, the first stone for the fortress and city was laid by the viceroy with great pomp. It was the feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, which thus became the patronal feast of the city, and gave to the parish church its title. The church of the Holy Cross (Santa Cruz) was begun in, or rather before, 1506, for in 1505 we find Portuguese soldiers contributing towards the construction of the church of Cochin 1000 xerafins (about $150 a large sum four hundred years ago), the result of an auction of the rich booty of a naval combat (Gaspar Correa, "Lendas da India", I, 522; II, 182). Some years later this church was raised to collegiate rank, endowed by the king, and provided with a vicar and six beneficed ecclesiastics. It was a magnificent buildings the mother church of the ancient Diocese of Cochin, which the Malabar, Coromandel and Fishery boasts, and Ceylon once obeyed and under whose teaching and discipline they flourished. There are now not less than eleven bishoprics in the territory of the original Diocese of Cochin. The first Bishop of Cochin was Dominican, Father Jorge Tremudo, an illustrious missionary on this coast. The Brief "Pastoralis officii cura nos admonet" of Gregory XIII, 13 Dec., 1572, permited the Bishop of Cochin, on occasion of the vacancy of the See of Goa, to take possession of that see and administer it till the Holy See provided for the vacancy. This is why many bishops of Cochin were appointed archbishops of Goa.

In 1577 Brother Joao Gonsalves, S.J., engraved at Cochin, for the first time, the Malealam type, from which was printed the first Malealam book, "Outlines of Christian Doctrine", written in Portuguese by St. Francis Xavier for the use of children. In 1578 Fr. Joao de Faria, S.J., engraved at Punicail the Tamil type, with which the "Flos Sanctorum" was printed in Tamil for the Fishery Coast (Paulinus a S. Bartholomaeo, "India Orient. Christiana" Rome, 1794, 179 sqq.; "Oriente Conquistado", Vol. I, Pt. I, Cong. I, Div. I, section 23).

Cochin was taken, 6 Jan. 1663, by the Dutch, after a siege of six months. The city was reduced in size; the clergy were expelled; the monasteries and colleges, bishop's palace and 2 hospitals, 13 churches and chapels, were razed to the ground. The church of St. Francis of Assisi, belonging to the Franciscan monastery was spared by the conquerors and converted to their religious use. When the English expelled the Dutch, 20 October, 1795, they kept this church for the same purpose; it stands today a witness to the events of the past four centuries, and is considered the oldest existing church in India. The magnificent cathedral was turned by the Dutch into a warehouse for merchandise. In 1806 it was blown up by the English.

From 1663 until the diocese was reorganized in 1886, the bishops of Cochin resided at Quilon. In 1896 work was begun on the Cathedral of the Holy Cross of Cochin by Bishop Ferreira amid great sacrifices. In April, 1897, when almost complete, the building collapsed, entailing a heavy loss. Bishop Ferreira died at Goa, 4 May, the same year. Bishop Oliveira Xavier took charge of the diocese in March, 1898, removed the debris of the fallen building and successfully carried the work to completlon. The cathedral was opened for Divine Worship, 9 August, 1903. Brother Moscheni, the famous Italian painter of India, belonging to the Jesuit mission of Mangalore, was secured to decorate the church, but hardly finished the sanctuary when he died, 14 November, 1905. The cathedral was consecrated 19 November, 1905, by Bishop Pereira of Damaum, Archbishop ad honorem of Cranganore.

II. Religious Conditions

The Church of Cochin has suffered some rigorous persecutions. The most severe was that of 1780, commenced by Nagam Pillay, Dewan of Travancore, in which 20,000 converts fled to the mountains, to escape his cruelties, and many died as martyrs. Father Joao Falco S.J., was the only priest left to console the sufferers. There were other less severe persecutions in 1787, 1809, and 1829 (Paulinus a S. Bartholomaeo, "India Orient. Christiana", 165 sqq.: also "Church History of Travancore", Madras, 1903, lntroduction, 55). In a general way there has always been a kind of mild persecution or animosity on the part of Hindu Governments and authorities against Christians. The growth of the Catholic Church is at present affected especially by the "Law of Disability" in force in the Native States of Malabar, by which a convert becomes a stranger to his family, and forfeits all rights of inheritance. The government schools, in which the young are reared in religious indifferentism, form also a remarkable hindrance to conversions, especially among the higher classes.

III. Statistics

In all, twenty bishops of Cochin have actually taken possession of the see ("Mitras Lusitanas no Oriente", I, III; Annuario da Arch. de Goa", 1907). The total population of the diocese is 398,000; Catholics, 97,259. The number of conversions averages 300 a year. The diocese contains 30 parishes, 9 missions, 77 churches and chapels, 62 secular priests (58 natives of India), 4 Jesuits; Anglo-vernacular parochial schools, with an attendance of 480 boys and 128 girls, 77 vernacular parochial schools, with an attendance of 6592. The Sisters of the Canossian Congregation number 15 in two convents. The following educational and charitable institutions are at Cochin: Santa Cruz High School for boys, under the Jesuit Fathers, and St. Mary's High school for girls under the Canossian Sisters, both of which prepare students for the Indian universities; they have an average daily attendance respectively of 335 and 153; at Alleppi the Jesuit Fathers conduct the Leo XIII High School for boys, with an average daily attendance of 380, an orphanage with 16 orphans; a catechumenate with 5 catechumens, a printing office; an industrial school. They also have charge of the preparatory seminary of the diocese, in which 20 students are now enrolled. For philosophy and theology students are sent either to the patriarchal Seminary at Rachol, Goa, or to the papal seminary at Kandy, Ceylon; at the former there are now 6, at the latter 5, students from Cochin. The Canossian Sisters at Alleppi conduct the following institutions for girls: St. Joseph's Intermediate School, attendance 160, a normal training School, attendance 7; a technical School, attendance 29; an orphanage with 56 orphans; a catechumenate, attendance 21, and a dispensary for the benefit of the poor. The religious associations of the diocese are as follows: confraternities, 64, congregations of the Third Order of St Francis, 3; Association of the Holy Family, 1; Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, 2; Society for the relief of the Souls in Purgatory, 2; Sodalities of the Children of Mary 6, Misericordia Confraternity, 1; The Apostleship of Prayer is established in all the parish churches, and the Association of Christian Doctrine in all churches and chapels of the diocese. (See GOA; PORTUGAL; INDIA.)

Besides documents mentioned above see also Madras Cath. Directory (1908); Mullbauer, Kahl. Miss. in Ostindien (Freiburg, 1852); De Silva, The Cath. in India (Bombay, 1885); Werner, Orb. Terrarum (Freiburg, 1890).

J. MONTEIRO D'AGUIAR

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