{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 95,
  "chapterName": "1838. Padroado Propaganda Controversy: The Multa Praeclare",
  "pageFrom": 136,
  "pageTo": 140,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 136,
      "ocrText": "136\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n95. PADROADO PROPAGANDA CONTROVERSY: THE\nMULTA PRAECLARE (1838 A. D.)\nOn 24th April 1838 Pope Gregory XVI published a brief, Multa\npraeclare, in which he sought to settle the serious jurisdictional con-\nflicts between representatives of the Portuguese padroado and the\nPropaganda in India. It supported the Propaganda in removing\nthe diocesan areas of Cranganore, Cochin and Mylapore from the\njurisdiction of the Archbishop of Goa. Henceforth those areas\nwould be under the jurisidition of Vicars-Apostolic directly subject\nto Rome. This is to replace all past bulls regarding jurisdiction\nin India. Cited in Ernest R. Hull, Bombay Mission-History with a\nSpecial Study of the Padroado Question, Vol. I, pp. 239-244.\nThe Apostolic Letter of His Holiness Pope Gregory XVI\nConcerning the institution of Vicars-Apostolic in the East Indies.\nGregory XVI Pope\nFor Perpetual Memory Hereof\nThe Roman Pontiffs, Our Predecessors, in accordance with the\nobligations of the Pastoral Office, have determined many things\nvery expressly that, in the most extensive regions of the East Indies,\nthey might provide for the increase of the Catholic Religion. For\nwhereas, on account of the very great distance of those countries\nfrom the Apostolic See, and on account of the length of journeys\nand the difficulties of places, the cultivation of that extensive portion\nof the vineyard of the Lord must be very arduous, the Roman\nPontiffs have earnestly demonstrated their solicitude to sanction\nby their authority, and order to be accurately observed, whatever,\naccording to the different changes of the times, might seem likely\nto be useful to religion among those nations.\nWe omit to make mention of the care, never neglected by the\nApostolic See, that priests should be encouraged everywhere to\nperform the duties of the sacred ministry in those places. We say\nnothing of the singular favour and benignity exhibited by Our\nPredecessors, that, in order not to retard the progress of the\nCatholic religion in those places, they made almost innumerable\nconcessions, by which they suffered those nations to be treated\nmore gently than the institutes of the canons and a more severe\ndiscipline required. We will only mention herein that indication\nof gratitude which in accordance with their dignity, the Roman\nPontiffs showed to those who, it appeared, were useful to religion\nthroughout those places.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 137,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n137\nThe privilege of patronage, granted by the Apostolic See to the\nMost Faithful Kings of Portugal, that the Bishops of some dioceses\nin those regions might be elected upon their nomination, contains an\nevident proof of this matter. For, For, whereas the piety and munifi-\ncence of those Princes had contributed much to the founding of\ncertain bishoprics in those most extensive regions, our Predecessors,\ndesiring to reward their merits by a testimony of their gratitude,\nhave granted that the Apostolic See would choose, as Bishops of\nthose Dioceses, the persons whom, being worthy, they had nomi-\nnated. Moreover, by the concession of this privilege the Apostolic\nSee expected that the vacancy of those Episcopal Sees would not be\nof long duration; that those places would secure suitable Bishops\nmore easily, and that due assistance would be at hand for the\nBishops themselves, such as would accord with their dignity. But\nit has come to pass from the vicissitudes of the times that this, which\nwas for a long time a benefit to religion in those countries, could\nnot remain in that state which the decrees of Our Predecessors,\npublished under circumstances entirely different, and commanded\nto be observed.\nOften times, whilst as yet we presided over the Council for\npropagating the Christian Name, We felt it to be Our duty to weigh\nthe importance of the reasons which demonstrated that those\ncountries, so widely extending, which constitute a very great part\nof the vast peninsula on this side of the Ganges, necessarily require\nthat the Apostolic See should succour religion in danger therein,\nand should modify the form of ecclesiastical government in such\nmanner as would be consistent with the safety of religion. It was\nknown to us that those regions are comprehended within the limits\nof the Dioceses of Cranganore, Cochin, and Mylapore or St. Thomé.\nIt was also manifest to Us that our predecessors had granted to the\nmost Faithful Kings of Portugal, patronage with respect to those\nDioceses, and the privilege of nominating the Bishops. For this is\ncontained in the Apostolic Letter of Paul IV of happy memory, of\nthe 4th day of February in the year 1557, which begins Pro excellenti,\nby which he founded the Diocese of Cochin likewise in that of\nClement VIII, of the 4th of August 1600, beginning In supremo,\nand of Paul V, of the 6th day of February 1616, beginning Alias\npostquam, concerning the erection of the Archbishopric of Cranga-\nnore; and finally, in the Apostolic Decree of Paul V, of the 9th day\nof January 1606, by which the Bishopric of Mylapore or St. Thomé\nwas established. We have never omitted, from that time, to make\nevery endeavour for promoting the welfare of religion which the\ncircumstances of the times allowed.\nBut since that we, though unworthy, have been raised to the\nchair of Peter, we have been incited much more frequently, and by\nrecords of the utmost importance, to aid religion labouring under",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 138,
      "ocrText": "138\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nvery great difficulty in those nations. Weighing those things\ndeliberately, and bearing in mind the obligations of Apostolic\nsolicitude, we have therefore been induced to constitute, by\nApostolic Letters of the 18th day of April 1834, beginning Latissimi\nterrarum tractus, a Vicar-Apostolic depending from the Apostolic\nSee alone, who would have subject to him the populous city of\nCalcutta and its political prefecture. Whereas, however, some\npersons were found to resist the jurisdiction of the Vicar-Apostolic\ninstituted by Us, and to contend that obedience ought not to be\npaid to our Apostolic Letters, because in them We had not, by an\nexpress mention, derogated from those things which Paul V, on\nthe 9th day of January 1606, had decreed concerning the boundaries\nof the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Mylapore or St. Thomé; We,\nby another Apostolic Brief, on the 4th day of August 1835, the\nbeginning of which is Commissi Nobis, have rejected all this pretext\nof dissention, and have declared many things which would tend to\nestablish more firmly the authority of the Vicar-Apostolic of Bengal.\nFor the same reason it was that We determined that another Vicar-\nApostolic should be instituted at Madras, by a letter on the 25th\nday of the April 1834, beginning Ex. debito pastoralis. This was\nalso the reason why We published on the 23rd day of December\n1836, another Apostolic Brief beginning Ex munere pastoralis, by\nwhich We committed the most extensive Island of Ceylon to be\ngoverned by a Vicar-Apostolic instituted by Us. For this reason\nfinally it was that, desiring to provide for the necessities of religion\namong those people who inhabit that part of the peninsula which\nlies towards the East of the Ghaut Mountains, and extends from the\nRiver Cauvery into Cape Comorin, We have committed the entire\ntract of country which comprehends the kingdoms of Madura,\nTanjore, Morava, and Mysore, through our Congregation de\nPropaganda Fide, on the 3rd day of June 1837, to the care and\njurisdiction of our venerable Brother Clement, Bishop of Drusipare,\nVicar-Apostolic of the Coromandel Coast, in a provisional way,\nand until it may be otherwise decreed by the Holy See.\nWe understand that by these things, which have been hitherto\ndecreed by Us concerning this country of the Indies, the advantage\nof religion in a very large part of India has been provided for.\nBut, besides those places which have been given to be governed by\nVicars-Apostolic, several countries yet remain, for the spiritual\ngood of which We are bound to provide, and which are situated\nwithin the boundaries of the Dioceses of Cranganore, Cochin, and\nMylapore or St. Thomé. We know that ecclesiastical discipline,\nthe morals of the people, the Catholic faith in those countries, which\nso long lack a Pastor, have suffered great injury; and we are well\naware that many use the pretext of defending and preserving the\nrights of those dioceses in order to resist the Vicars-Apostolic whom\nthe Apostolic See has constituted, to oppose their authority, and",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 139,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n139\nendeavour to excite a pernicious schism. We sensibly feel that We,\nby reason of the office which God has committed to Us in succession\nto St. Peter, are wholly obliged to have a care of the Church, even\nin every scattered portion of the world, and to decree all things\nwhatsoever that we see would contribute to the support of religion\neverywhere.\nTherefore, having taken advice on so important an affair with\nour Ven. Brethren the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church placed\nover the affairs of Propaganda Fide, the opinion of the same being\napproved of, and a mature consideration of the entire business\nhaving been instituted by Us, in the plenitude of Apostolic power\nWe judge it fit to decree as follows :-\nVidelicet, in a provisional way, and as long as the Apostolic\nSee shall come to no other new determination, We decree that all\nthose countries which are contained within the limits of the Diocese\nof Mylapore or St. Thomé, and which have been up to this time\ncommitted to no Vicar-Apostolic, are to be united to the Apostolic\nVicariate of Madras; and that all jurisdiction and authority,\necclesiastical and spiritual, over those countries belong to our\nVenerable Brother Daniel, Bishop of Salditan and Vicar-Apostolic\nof Madras and to his successors. But with respect to the countries\nwhich are contained within the limits of the Dioceses of Cranganore\nand Cochin, and which up to this time have been delivered to no\nVicar-Apostolic; in the same way We order that they be united\nto the Apostolic Vicariate instituted in the country of Malabar,\nthe seat of which is in the town of Verapoly; and that all juris-\ndiction and authority, ecclesiastical and spiritual, over those\ncountries shall belong to Our Venerable Brother Francis Xavier,\nBishop of Amata, the Vicar-Apostolic residing at Verapoly, and\nto his successors. And that the country of Malacca beyond the\nGanges may also receive the benefit of our Apostolic solicitude,\nand that We may provide for the safety and increase of religion\ntherein, We in the same provisional way subject that entire country\nto the jurisdiction of our Venerable Brother Frederic Cao, Bishop\nof Zama and Vicar-Apostolic of Ava and Pegu.\nWe declare that in the ecclesiastical and spiritual government of\nthose countries the Vicars-Apostolic above named depend immedi-\nately from Us, and from the Apostolic See alone; that they alone\nare to be regarded by all as the true Ordinaries of those countries;\nand that all should obey them, and receive ecclesiastical jurisdiction\nand faculties from them. Therefore We derogate from the Apostolic\nletters above recited of Our Predecessors concerning the erection\nand limits of the dioceses of Cranganore, Cochin, and Mylapore\nor St. Thomé, and likewise from that published by Paul IV, on the\n4th day of February 1557, beginning Pro excellenti, concerning the",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 140,
      "ocrText": "140\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nerection of the Bishopric of Malacca; and moreover, We derogate\nalso from the Apostolic letter of Our Predecessor Paul IV, of happy\nmemory, of the 4th day of February 1557, beginning Etsi sancta,\nconcerning the erection of the Archbishopric of Goa-so that the\nArchbishop of Goa cannot in future exercise any jurisdiction, under\nany title whatsoever, even worthy of special mention, in the countries\nof which we speak.\nThese things being thus determined, We consider that We have\nfully provided for the proper government of religion throughout\nthose places; and we confidently hope that it will come to pass that,\nGod Almighty blessing the design commenced by Us, these things\nmay greatly tend to the increase of the Church. For We feel\nconfident that all will pay to our decrees that obedience which is\ndue to our dignity, to whom through Peter the power of feeding,\ndirecting, and governing the universal Church has been delivered\nby God. Finally, We doubt not that those who hitherto have\nresisted Our will, will be susceptible of more wholesome counsel,\nand become sincerely averse to the most grievous evil of schism.\nFor besides that duty peculiar to every Catholic, by which he is\nbound to obey Peter speaking through Us, We are persuaded that\nthey will now have realised, that those reasons which they have\nalleged in defence of their dissension can by no means excuse their\nopposition.\nFor it is well known to all that the Apostolic See, in conceding\nthat patronage to the Most Faithful Kings of Portugal, never\nintended to place an impediment to its providing for religion in\nthose countries, nor to its having the power to decree those things\nwhich, in consideration of the necessity of the times, the salvation\nof the Christian people might afterwards demand.\nWe think that they will also see how greatly different, and\ndistinct from the present state of things, the times were in which\nthat privilege was granted and observed. We suppose that they\nare also aware that those countries, to provide for the good of which\nWe have turned our attention, are no longer subject to the old\npolitical Government, under which it was easy for the Kings of\nPortugal to exercise their patronage; but that they have come under\nthe sway of a most powerful Sovereign, whose form of government\nand institutions, We are well aware, will not allow it.\nFinally, We remember that the Roman Pontiffs Our Predecessors,\nnotwithstanding the concession of the patronage, have rightly\ndecreed that from the Dioceses comprehended under that privilege\nprovinces should sometimes be separated, and Apostolic Vicariates,\nembracing those provinces, constituted for the benefit of religion.",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}