Roman Catholic Diocese of Cochin

Diocese of Cochin Dioecesis Coccinensis കൊച്ചി രൂപത
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
Location
Country	India
Episcopal conference	Catholic Bishops' Conference of India Kerala Catholic Bishop's Council
Ecclesiastical province	Verapoly
Residence	Bishop's House Bp Joseph Kureethara Road, P.B. No. 11 Fort Kochi, Kochi - 682001
Headquarters	Fort Kochi, Kerala
Coordinates	9°57′53″N 76°14′34″E / 9.964774°N 76.242738°E / 9.964774; 76.242738
Statistics
Area	236 km2 (91 sq mi)[1]
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2021) 625,500[a] 176,680[a] (28.2%)
Parishes	51[a]
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	4 February 1557; 467 years ago (4 February 1557)
Cathedral	Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Fort Cochin
Patron saint	Holy Cross St Francis Xavier
Secular priests	163 Diocesan Priests[citation needed]
Language	Malayalam English
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	Joseph Kalathiparambil
Apostolic Administrator	Bishop James Raphael Anaparambil
Vicar General	Msgr Shaiju Pariathussery
Episcopal Vicars	Very Rev Fr Antony Kattiparambil
Judicial Vicar	Very Rev Fr. Antony Kattiparambil[2]
Bishops emeritus	Joseph Kariyil John Thattumkal
Website
dioceseofcochin.org

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cochin (Latin: Dioecesis Coccinensis) is a Roman Catholic Diocese in Kochi, 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 church to the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Latin Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly, and serves the Latin Catholics of Malabar.^[3][4]

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. The diocesan administrator was Msgr. Shaiju Pariathussery after the retirement of Joseph Kariyil till Pope Francis appointed Bp James Anaparambil as apostolic administrator [sede plena].^[5]

On 11 October 2024, Pope Francis has appointed Bishop James Raphael Anaparambil (Bishop of Diocese of Alleppey) as the apostolic administrator to the diocese of Cochin. Bishop James continues as the apostolic administrator till Pope Francis appoints new Bishop to the diocese.^[6]

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.^[7] 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"^[7] for the two new suffragan dioceses (the other being Diocese of Malacca).^[8][1] 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[7]

• Pope: Francis
• Apostolic Administrator: Bishop James Raphael Anaparambil
• Vicar General : Very Rev Msgr Shaiju Pariathussery
• Episcopal Vicar For Religious & Judicial Vicar: Very Rev Fr Antony Kattiparambil
• Chancellor: Very Rev Dr Johney Xavier Puthukkattu
• Procurator: Very Rev Fr Maxon Kuttikattu
• Minor Seminary Rector: Very Rev Dr Antony Santhosh Veluthedath

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

In 9th century there were only three parishes in West Kochi: St. Lawrence Church Edakochi, Our Lady Of Life Church Mattancherry, and St. Louis Church Mundamveli.^[9]

PILGRIM AND NOVENA CENTERS

IMAGE	NAME OF THE CHURCH	VENERATION	LOCATION
	HOLY CROSS PILGRIM CENTER (COONAN KURISU) MATTANCHERRY	HOLY CROSS	<mapframe> problems: Attribute "latitude" has an invalid value Attribute "longitude" has an invalid value
	OUR LADY OF VELANKANNI SHRINE,MARUVAKAD, CHELLANAM	OUR LADY OF HEALTH
	ST JOSEPH'S MIRACULOUS SHRINE KANNAMALY	ST JOSEPH
	ST SEBASTIAN'S CHURCH EDACOCHIN,TOMB OF SERVANT OF GOD MSGR.LAWRENCE PULIYANATH	MSGR.LAWRENCE PULIYANATH (Servant Of God)

• 
  St Francis Xavier
• 
  St John De Britto
• 
  St Joseph Vaz
• 
  St Theresa Of Culcutta
• 
  St Devasahayam
• 
  Venerable Matteo Ricci

• 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, widley 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.

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