Kuriakose Elias Chavara was a
unique blend of a social and spiritual revolutionary whose contribution to the
society in Kerala and the Catholic Church is immense. He was a visionary who
initiated reforms in the Church as well as in the society. From being the
founder of the first Indian religious congregation, Carmelites of Mary Immaculate
to establishing a sanskrit school for students of
all castes in a predominantly caste ridden society, Kuriakose Elias Chavara was
man of faith in action.
Witness to Chavara's Holiness
during his Lifetime
The Tahshildar of Meenachil once said about Kuriakose Elias
Chavara, “Those who complained against
such a great man, a person endowed with divine grace, were very bad people and
reserved the anger of God.” He was not the lone figure who recognized the
saintliness of Chavara. At the sight of this holy person, ordinary people used
to say, “Here goes the man of God.” During his life time people from all walks
of life adorned recognized his greatness by calling him, ‘Servant of God,’
‘Divine person,’ ‘man of divine vision’ etc…
After the Death of Chavara
Two biographies of Kuriakose
Elias Chavara were written after his death in 1871. They were written by his
confessor and spiritual director Fr. Leopold Beccaro OCD and his successor Fr.
Kuriakose Porukara. Being well aware of
the fact that Chavara was a saint, Fr. Leopold distributed the copy of the last
testament along with his cassock, dress etc and asked the monasteries to
cherish them as sacred relics of their holy founder. Fr. Leopold wrote in his
diary on the day of Chavara’s death, ‘O beautiful and holy soul pray for me.’It was he who took the initiative to start the
process of canonization but he had to leave Kerala as a result of a conflict
with the Vicar Apostolic Mellano.
It is also notable that the St. Thomas Christians had sent petitions to
Pope Pius IX extolling the moral authority, prudence etc. of Chavara Kuriakose.
Written in popular poetic style, the purathana
pattukal portrays the greatness of Chavara’s holiness which was well known
to the people of Kainakari.
Servant of God, Venerable and
Blessed
The CMI congregation, still in its early years of growth could not take
forward the cause of Chavara Kuriakose. The turning point was when Eugene
Cardinal Tisserant, the then prefect of Oriental Churches visited Kerala in
1953 and is said to have advised Fr. Maurus Valiyaparampil to begin the process
for Canonization. The process gained momentum with the Congregation for
oriental Churches introducing the cause of Kuriakose Elias Chavara and
authorized the Bishop of Changanaserry, Mar Mathew Kavukatt to institute the
informative process on the life and virtues of Chavara. Fr. Placid Padiapara CMI
was appointed the postulator and Fr. Maurilius Kakkanatt CMI was the vice
postulator at Mannanam. From the time the cause was introduced in diocesan
curia in 1955, Kuriakose Elias Chavara was called ‘Servant of God.’
A Position or a position document
describing the introduction of the cause and virtues of the servant of God Kuriakos
Elias Chavara was prepared. The work on position was completed in 1977 and was
submitted to the consultants whose response can be either positive, negative or
reserved. The response was indeed positive and Pope John Paul II after being
informed of the findings, ordered to prepare a decree, the conclusion of which
reads, ‘It is evident that the Servant of God Cyriac Elias Chavara practiced
the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity towards God and towards brethren and also the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance and
fortitude and those connected with the same, in a heroic degree, in case and
for the effect in question.’ The decree of the heroic virtues was promulgated
in 1984 and from then he was called ‘Venerable.’
The cure of a six year old boy,
Joseph Mathew Pennaparampil, who was born with a club feet was accepted as the
miracle needed for the beatification. On 8 February 1985, Pope John Paul II in his
visit to India to India declared Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Alphonsa
Muttathupadathu blessed.
The Kerala Church
and especially CMI congregation are prayerfully waiting for the moment when
Kuriakose Elias Chavara will be declared a saint.
