{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 115,
  "chapterName": "1862. Memorial of the Catholics of Madras to the King of Portugal",
  "pageFrom": 194,
  "pageTo": 195,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 194,
      "ocrText": "194\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nGovernor of Madras, under the date of 25th April last, exposing the\nfalse allegations in the petitions sent to Your Holiness and to the\nSecretary of State for India by the followers of the Vicar Apostolic\nof Madras, are enclosed herewith for the information of Your\nHoliness.\n115. MEMORIAL OF THE CATHOLICS OF MADRAS TO\nTHE KING OF PORTUGAL, 1862 A.D.\nThis memorial sent by the Catholics of Madras to the King of\nPortugal represents the continuing efforts of the Padroado missionaries\nand Christians loyal to them to have the terms of the Concordat between\nthe King of Portugal and the Pope implimented in their favour. This\nimplies filling vacant positions and strengthening institutions under the\nPadroado; thus refuting the charge levelled by the Propaganda that\nthe Portuguese Crown was not fulfilling its responsibilities. Cited in\nJno. Godinho, The Padroado of Portugal in the Orient (1454-1860), pp.\n194-196.\nTo His Most Faithful Majesty Dom Luis, King of Portugal and\nAlgarves and the Royal Patron of the Church in the Orient.\nSire, We the undersigned Roman Catholic inhabitants of the\ncity of Madras, and the humble subjects of our noble Queen of\nGreat Britain and Ireland, crave permission to place this represen-\ntation before Your Most Faithful Majesty. With a profound\nsense of gratitude for having by the sacrifice of much money and\nblood of your your subjects introduced the Catholic Faith in these regions,\nand equally, for the continuous aid and protection given to our Holy\nReligion up to this date, we offer our sincere and cordial acknow-\nledgements as also for the benefit secured to us in the terms of the\nConcordata, recently adjusted between Your Majesty and the Holy\nSee with the pious intention to promote the interest of religion and\nthe well-being of the Catholic Church; and also to remedy the evil\nfrom which the Indian Churches have been suffering for the last\n27 years; and thus to restore to us the peace and tranquility, of\nwhich we have been deprived by the ministers of the Sanctuary.\nBorn under British dominion and enjoying all the privileges of\nBritish subjects, we are bound by inseparable ties, to the British\nnation, and as persons instructed in our Holy Faith, to give Caesar\nwhat is his, and to God what is His, neither the difference in creed,\nnor any other influence swerves us from the respect, obedience and\nfidelity which we owe to our August Sovereign, Queen Victoria.\nAs however, for successive centuries, we have been under the\necclesiastical discipline of the Churches, and under the spiritual\nguidance of the prelates of His Most Faithful Majesty, we shall\nhumbly attend and follow the voice of those Pastors in spiritual\nmatters.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 195,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n195\nYour Majesty is no doubt well informed of the disorganised\nstate of the Roman Catholic Society and for the disorders intro-\nduced in these regions by the missionaries of the Sacred Congre-\ngation De Propaganda Fide. It is also obvious that the long and\nprotracted vacancies of the Sees of India have given occasion for\nthe perpetuation of these disorders. Convinced of the necessity to\nfill up these vacancies, and more adequately to provide for the\nnecessities of religion, the Royal predecessor of Your Majesty\n(Dom Pedro V) stipulated a new Concordata, but although it was\nratified on the 20th September 1859, His Majesty had not the\nhappiness of seeing it put into execution in India. We have no\ndefinite news, if this delay is due to the Government of Your Majesty\nor to the Holy See of Rome. Whatever may be the cause, or the\nmotives of this delay, we most respectfully bring to the notice of\nYour Majesty the afflictions and miseries we are suffering in the\npresent state of affairs. We supplicate Your Majesty, that in con-\nsultation with His Holiness, to put into execution the new Concor-\ndata, to nominate Prelates to the vacant Sees, especially to those\nwhere we are subjects, and to send missionaries capable of attending\nto the spiritual needs of the different races composing the Roman\nCatholic Community in India.\nHowsoever excellent the provisions of the Concordata, yet we\nare afraid that the interests of the religion will suffer, if the churches\nin India have always to be dependent on Europe for the supply of\nmissionaries, who have to be sent at great cost and who, after their\narrival have to learn the Indian vernaculars and study the customs\nand habits of the country, before they can render any service.\nWithout local colleges and seminaries this vast region will always\nbe dependent for missionaries on the little territory of Goa. Nor\nin any other manner, can the various needs of India be satisfied,\nif we have at heart the interest of religion, the propagation of the\nCatholic Faith and the conversion of the pagans. Apart from the\neconomy of this plan, the Catholic population of India will always\nbe grateful to Your Majesty for planting such institutions in this\nsoil. We, however, submit to the benign consideration of Your\nMajesty the necessity of establishing, as soon as possible, a college\nin this See of St. Thome, wherein instruction may be imparted in\narts and sciences, in theology and canon law, with the object of\nfinding among many, some who may enter the sacred orders.\nThose who have no vocation for the ministerial office, will be better\nqualified to serve the churches and the State. The funds available\nin Madras are too little for such an enterprise. The Catholics are\njust recovering from their civil and religious inhabilities, and have\nhardly enough for the sustenance of life. However they will gladly\ncontribute what they can. But as the advantages from such an\ninstitution will be more to the benefit of the British State, and of\nBritish subjects, we are quite hopeful that if Your Majesty enters",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}