Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
Encyclopedia
The Santa Cruz Basilica not only happens to be one of the oldest churches in Cochin, but also in the whole of India
. It is one of the eight Basilicas
in the country. Counted as one of the heritage edifices of Kerala
, this church is one of the finest and impressive churches in India and visited by tourists the whole year round. It is a place of devotion as well as a center of historic significance, endowed with architectural and artistic grandeur and colours of the gothic style.
The basilica serves as the Cathedral church of the Diocese of Cochin, the second oldest Diocese of India. It is closely located to St. Francis Church.
It was built originally by the Portuguese
and elevated to a Cathedral
by Pope Paul IV
in 1558, was spared by the Dutch
conquerors who destroyed many Catholic buildings. Later the British
demolished the structure and Bishop D. João Gomes Ferreira commissioned a new building in 1887. Consecrated in 1905, Santa Cruz was proclaimed a Basilica
by the Pope John Paul II
in 1984. This magnificent church is a must see destination for tourists who come to Cochin.
on December 24, 1500. The King Unni Goda Varma Tirumulpadu (Trimumpara Raja ) of Kingdom of Cochin
received them very warmly. This caused the Zamorin of Calicut to declare war against Kingdom of Cochin
. But the Portuguese army under Commander Dom Afonso de Albuquerque
who reached Cochin in 1503, defeated the enemies of the King of Cochin and in return he gave them permission to build a fort in Kochi.
In 1505, Dom Francisco de Almeida
the first Portuguese Viceroy got permission from the Kochi Raja to build a church edifice using stones and mortar which was unheard of at that time as the local prejudices were against such a structure for any purpose other than a royal palace or a temple. The foundation stone of the Santa Cruz church was laid on May 3, 1505, the feast day of the Invention of the Holy Cross, hence the magnificent edifice when completed was named Santa Cruz. This church was located on the eastern side of the present Children’s Park, Fort Cochin.
The Basilica belongs to the Diocese of Cochin, erected in 1558 A.D. as a suffragan diocese
(other being Diocese of Malacca) to the Archdiocese of Goa.
, raised the Santa Cruz church to the status of a Cathedral
along with the erection of the Diocese of Cochin as the second diocese in India. The Cathedral was originally located on the eastern side of the present Children’s Park, Fort Cochin. The Dutch who conquered Cochin in 1663, destroyed all Catholic buildings. Only the St. Francis Church and the Cathedral escaped this fate. The Dutch made the cathedral their arms storehouse. Later it fell into the hands of the British who demolished it when they took over Kochi in 1795. One of the decorative granite pillars of the destroyed Cathedral is still kept as a monument at the southeastern corner of the present Basilica premises.
About 100 years later, Bishop D. João Gomes Ferreira (1887–1897), a missionary, Bishop of Cochin, took initiative to erect the Cathedral and commenced the construction but it was the next Bishop, Bishop D. Mateus de Oliveira Xavier (1897–1908) who completed the edifice. The cathedral was consecrated on November 19, 1905 by Bishop Dom Sebastião José Pereira, Bishop of Damao. Considering its antiquity, artistic dignity and historical importance, Pope John Paul II raised the Cathedral as a Basilica through a special decree in 9 December 1984.
The church has two lofty spires and a remarkably bright, white-washed exterior and a pastel-colored interior. The interiors of the church are mostly Gothic, with the main altar decorated by the famous Italian painter Br. Antonio Moscheni
, S.J.
, and his disciple De Gama of Bangalore
. The columns decorated with frescoes and murals, the seven large canvas paintings on the passion and death on the Cross, especially the painting of the Last Supper
, modelled on the famous painting of Leonardo da Vinci
and the beautiful stained glass
windows add to the artistic grandeur of the place. The paintings that adorn the ceiling depict scenes from the life of Christ.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is one of the eight Basilicas
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
in the country. Counted as one of the heritage edifices of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, this church is one of the finest and impressive churches in India and visited by tourists the whole year round. It is a place of devotion as well as a center of historic significance, endowed with architectural and artistic grandeur and colours of the gothic style.
The basilica serves as the Cathedral church of the Diocese of Cochin, the second oldest Diocese of India. It is closely located to St. Francis Church.
It was built originally by the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and elevated to a Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
by Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV, C.R. , né Giovanni Pietro Carafa, was Pope from 23 May 1555 until his death.-Early life:Giovanni Pietro Carafa was born in Capriglia Irpina, near Avellino, into a prominent noble family of Naples...
in 1558, was spared by the Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
conquerors who destroyed many Catholic buildings. Later the British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
demolished the structure and Bishop D. João Gomes Ferreira commissioned a new building in 1887. Consecrated in 1905, Santa Cruz was proclaimed a Basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
by the Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 1984. This magnificent church is a must see destination for tourists who come to Cochin.
History
The history of Santa Cruz Basilica begins with the arrival of Portuguese missionaries along with the second Portuguese fleet under Pedro Álvares CabralPedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese noble, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the discoverer of Brazil. Cabral conducted the first substantial exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. While details of Cabral's early life are sketchy, it...
on December 24, 1500. The King Unni Goda Varma Tirumulpadu (Trimumpara Raja ) of Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...
received them very warmly. This caused the Zamorin of Calicut to declare war against Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin
Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...
. But the Portuguese army under Commander Dom Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque[p][n] was a Portuguese fidalgo, or nobleman, an admiral whose military and administrative activities as second governor of Portuguese India conquered and established the Portuguese colonial empire in the Indian Ocean...
who reached Cochin in 1503, defeated the enemies of the King of Cochin and in return he gave them permission to build a fort in Kochi.
In 1505, Dom Francisco de Almeida
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492...
the first Portuguese Viceroy got permission from the Kochi Raja to build a church edifice using stones and mortar which was unheard of at that time as the local prejudices were against such a structure for any purpose other than a royal palace or a temple. The foundation stone of the Santa Cruz church was laid on May 3, 1505, the feast day of the Invention of the Holy Cross, hence the magnificent edifice when completed was named Santa Cruz. This church was located on the eastern side of the present Children’s Park, Fort Cochin.
The Basilica belongs to the Diocese of Cochin, erected in 1558 A.D. as a suffragan diocese
Suffragan Diocese
A suffragan diocese is a diocese in the Catholic Church that is overseen not only by its own diocesan bishop but also by a metropolitan bishop. The metropolitan is always an archbishop who governs his own archdiocese...
(other being Diocese of Malacca) to the Archdiocese of Goa.
Raising to Cathedral
In 1558, Pope Paul IVPope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV, C.R. , né Giovanni Pietro Carafa, was Pope from 23 May 1555 until his death.-Early life:Giovanni Pietro Carafa was born in Capriglia Irpina, near Avellino, into a prominent noble family of Naples...
, raised the Santa Cruz church to the status of a Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
along with the erection of the Diocese of Cochin as the second diocese in India. The Cathedral was originally located on the eastern side of the present Children’s Park, Fort Cochin. The Dutch who conquered Cochin in 1663, destroyed all Catholic buildings. Only the St. Francis Church and the Cathedral escaped this fate. The Dutch made the cathedral their arms storehouse. Later it fell into the hands of the British who demolished it when they took over Kochi in 1795. One of the decorative granite pillars of the destroyed Cathedral is still kept as a monument at the southeastern corner of the present Basilica premises.
About 100 years later, Bishop D. João Gomes Ferreira (1887–1897), a missionary, Bishop of Cochin, took initiative to erect the Cathedral and commenced the construction but it was the next Bishop, Bishop D. Mateus de Oliveira Xavier (1897–1908) who completed the edifice. The cathedral was consecrated on November 19, 1905 by Bishop Dom Sebastião José Pereira, Bishop of Damao. Considering its antiquity, artistic dignity and historical importance, Pope John Paul II raised the Cathedral as a Basilica through a special decree in 9 December 1984.
The church has two lofty spires and a remarkably bright, white-washed exterior and a pastel-colored interior. The interiors of the church are mostly Gothic, with the main altar decorated by the famous Italian painter Br. Antonio Moscheni
Antonio Moscheni
Antonio Moscheni was an Italian Jesuit brother and late baroque painter, mostly famous for decorating the church of the St...
, S.J.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, and his disciple De Gama of Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. The columns decorated with frescoes and murals, the seven large canvas paintings on the passion and death on the Cross, especially the painting of the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
, modelled on the famous painting of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
and the beautiful stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows add to the artistic grandeur of the place. The paintings that adorn the ceiling depict scenes from the life of Christ.
See also
- Diocese of Cochin
- Christianity in IndiaChristianity in IndiaChristianity is India's third-largest religion, with approximately 24 million followers, constituting 2.3% of India's population. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings and 14th century Portuguese missionaries created an illusion to convert Indians that Christianity was introduced to...
- Roman Catholicism in IndiaRoman Catholicism in IndiaThe Catholic Church in India is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope and the curia in Rome.There are over 17.3 million Catholics in India, which represents less than 2% of the total population and is the largest Christian church within India. There are 157...
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses in India
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view)-Episcopal Conference of India