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CONTENTS. Introduction.......................................................... 150 PART I. A Review of `Some Elucidations' by the Bishop of Cochin on the history of the Syrians of Malabar. pp. 1-16.(Omitted here, as in most original copies.) PART II. `Some Vatican Documents'. The sketches of several letters, reproduced in this pamphlet will, we hope, enable the readers to have an idea of their Latin and Italian originals, which declare the orthodoxy of the Syrians of Malabar and their Pastors. I. (=xii) A letter of Pope Pius IV dated 23 Feb. 1565, to Mar Abedjesus, Patriarch of Babylon, makes mention of Mar Abraham, the Chaldean Archbishop of the Syrians in Malabar, of his arrival, viz. in Rome, diligently warms him to divide the Malabar See and to assign this Mar Abraham a diocese and another to Mar Joseph giving each a definite residence that each one may thus recognise his own flock without interfering one with the other. This self- same letter recommends to the Patriarch the Nuncio of the Apostolic See, lately sent hither with the view of reforming some ecclesiastical disciplinary points. 151 II. (=XIII) A letter of the same Pope Pius IV dated 28th. Feb. 1565, to the Archbishop of Goa written in praise of the aforesaid Mar Abraham heaps on him merits for his great reverence towards the Apostolic See, for his orthodox belief and integrity of life. The Pope again makes mention of the division of the Malabar See between Mar Joseph and Mar Abraham himself, and exhorts him (the Archbishop of Goa) to stick closely to what the Patriarch of Babylon shall ordain in respect of both, and see that his orders are carried out. 151 III. (=XIV) Again Pope Pius IV in a letter dated 28 Feb. 1565, addressed to the Bishop of Cochin, strongly exhorts him to see that Mar Abraham is molested by nobody that he may safely and without any irksomeness live where his Patriarch has placed him, and that he may be enabled to administer the diocese assigned to him by his Patriarch free from all annoyance and obstacle.. 152 IV. (=XV) An exposition or proposal written in Italian and brought before the Holy See asks for the sacred Pallium for Mar Abraham, Archbishop of Angamale. 152 V. (=XVI) The King of Cochin, writing to Pope Gregory XIII a letter dated Cochin 2 Jan. 1576 meant for recommending the Christians of St. Thomas to him, especially informed the Pope the oppressions that Mar Abraham suffered from the Portuguese. The King suppliantly beseeched the Pope to concede indulgences to the Church dedicated to Blessed Virgin Mary and erected by George the Archdeacon of Angamale. 152 VI. (=XVII) A letter of Pope Gregory XIII sent to the King of Cochin by way of a reply under date 21st. December 1576 in which the Pope praises the King's benevolence regarding the Christians and assures him that he would in no way tolerate the Portuguese to oppress Mar Abraham, and informs him that he has ordered to grant the indulgences requested by the Archdeacon George. 152 VII. (=XVIII) Another letter of Pope Gregory XIII dated 21st Dec. 1576, to the Legate of the King of Cochin in which the Pope again praises the King's benevolence regarding the Christians and he says that he has ordered the requested indulgences. 153 VIII. (=XIX) A letter of the King of Cochin dated 6th January 1579 sent in reply to the one of Pope Gregory XIII in which the King expresses his joy on receiving the Pope's reply and he assures the Pope that he would always favour the Christians as his Holiness commands. 153 IX. (=XX) A petition (the author of the petition is supposed to be a Jesuit missionary) sent over to the Roman Pontiff in which the petitioner highly commends to the Pope the Archbishop, Mar Abraham and George the Archdeacon of Angamale earnestly beseeching him to recommend the above mentioned Prelates to the Kings of Portugal and Cochin and the Viceroy of Goa as well as to the ordinaries of the Latin Rite residing in India. The petitioner would moreover wish very much that the Holy Father grants a plenary indulgence to those who visit the Church of St. Hormisdas Abbot, recently constructed at Angamale by the said Mar Abraham and that Mar Abraham would be highly gratified if some spiritual consolation were given him according to the cravings of his heart. 153 X. (=XXI) The profession of faith drawn up by the same Mar Abraham when in Malabar in the year 1577, afterwards sent to the Sovereign Pontiff Gregory XIII. 154 XI. (=XXII) The chief men among the Syro-Malabar Christians in 1578, petitioning the Roman Pontiff, Gregory XIII, say that they from the primordial ages of the Christian era had their liturgical prayers from the Apostle St. Thomas in Syro-Chaldaic, that they were wont to receive their Bishops and Archbishops from the Assyrians of the East and that they had the orders of priesthood and deaconate from the same. On that account imploring the mercy of the Holy Father they pray that they may not be left orphans, but he may vouchsafe to give the necessary orders to the Patriarch of the Assyrians or Chaldeans, that he may without further delay send out Bishops according to the ancient custom. The petitioners make mention that Patriarch Abedjesus had sent them Mar Elia and Mar Joseph of whom the latter was kept in prison by the Portuguese. Therefore the Syrians requesting to the Patriarch Abedjesus, Mar Abraham was sent to them by the same Abedjesus who also was captured by the Portuguese at Goa, &c. 154 XII. (=XXIII) Pope Gregory XIII by virtue of an indult under date 1st Dec. 1579, grants Mar Abraham the Archbishop of Angamale the faculty for dispensing with the obligation of restitution resulting from filthy lucre. 155 XIII. (=XXIV) A conjoined letter of the Chaldean Prelates sent in 1580, to Pope Gregory XIII, on the occasion of the election of Mar Simon Denaha as their Patriarch, contains many honorific titles for the Supreme Pontiff, whom they style openly as the Father and Head of all Christendom, Successor to Blessed Peter, the Prince of the Apostles and the Vicar of Christ upon earth. They moreover implore with deep respect and submission for themselves and for their faithful the blessings and prayers of the Holy Father. 155 XIV. (=XXV) Mar Elia, the Archbishop of Amida in the year 1580 had taken an account both of the Chaldean Church in Assyria and of the state of the Church in Malabar which he presented to the Holy Father, and the same year he had come to Rome as a representative of the Chaldeans for getting Mar Simon Denaha confirmed as their Patriarch and receiving the sacred Pallium for him. 155 XV. (=XXVI) Mar Abraham, Archbishop of Angamale, in his letter sent on the 13th Jan. 1584 to Pope Gregory XIII. informs him of the Synod convened by him, of the pride his subjects took of being in the Catholic faith, of the necessity of establishing there a
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