CHAPTER VII

THE RESEARCH DESIGN 1. The Objectives

The General Objective

To ascertain the Role of Roman Catholic priests in Kerala.

Specific Objectives:

(i) To study the Role Played by Roman Catholic priests in Kerala during the

period 1991 - 2000.

a) To discover the significant Areas in which Roman Catholic

priests work;

b) To enqulre into the nature (the style and the extent) of the work

of Roman Catholic pr~ests,

c) To arrive at a better understanding of the nature of the influence

of Roman Catholic priests in Kerala, and to examine the reasons

which account for it,

d) To search for underlying patterns in the Role Played by Roman

Catholic Drlests

(ii) To propose Sociological Models for the Roman Catholic priesthood in Kerala.

a) To survey the understanding of the concept of priest in

sociology of rel~g~on,

129

b) To study the official Role Prescriptions of the Roman Catholic

Church for its priests,

c) To discover the Role Definition of Roman Catholic priests by

themselves,

d) To find out the Role Demands of the Roman Catholic

pr~esthood by the la~ty,

e) To compare the Role Played by Roman Catholic priests, their

own Role Definition, and the Role Demands of Roman Catholic

priests by the laity.

2. Hypotheses

a) The Role Definition by priests and the Role Demands by the

laity, to a large extent, converge.

b) There is a cor~siderable divergence between the Role Defined

by priests, and the Role Played by them.

c) The differences arising from the fact of their belonging to

diverse Rites (Syro-Malabar or Latin) have a significant impact on

the Role of priests in Kerala

d) Roman Catholic priests perform more in the secular than in the

sacred Areas of Work.

e) Society enjoys more than it esteems the Role of Roman

Catholic priests in Kerala today.

3. Definition of Concepts

3.1 Role

Role is a pattern of behaviour, commensurate with a given status. Role

Performance is the way a person actually plays one's role in society. Role

C'oRnition is the understanding that the occupants of a role have of their own

role in society It is differentiated from Personal Role Definition that denotes

only an individual's defiriition of one's own role. It differs also from Role

Perception which denotes the Role Expectations that a person believes others

have of him or her in a situation. Role Demand is the actual expectation of

others with reference to the Role Played by one or more role occupants in a

situation.366

In this study, Role Performance denotes the Role Played by Roman

Catholic priests in Kerala during the period 1991-2000, as disclosed by priests

and as understood by Roman Catholic laity. Role Definition connotes the role

of Roman Catholic priests in the Future in Kerala as understood by priests

themselves. Role Demands means the role of priests in the Future in Kerala

as expected by Roman Catholic laity. Role Prescriptions signify the role of

priests as officially defined and taught by the Roman Catholic Church.

~- . ..

""Role.' Didior~ary of Sociology, William Scott (ed.), (New Delhi: Goylsaab, 1999).

131

3.2 The Roman Catholic Church

The Church denotes a religious organization of people who profess

publicly faith in Jesus and his teachings. The gospel Jesus Christ entrusted to

his disciples was disseminated by them among peoples in various places who

received and expressed it in the diversity of their religious, social and cultural

backgrounds. As a result. while professing faith in Jesus and his gospel, certain

differences in tnterpretatior~ and expression arose among the followers of Jesus

Christ. This in turn gave rise to the reality of the many Churches, both in the

east and in the west. Today the Church of Jesus Christ includes a variety of

Ch~rches.~~' The individuality of the Churches is marked by distinctiveness in

aspects such as the belief and practice of sacraments, administrative systems,

hierarchical set-up, discipline, ecclesiastical calendar, vestments, and the like.

The Churches are grouped mainly on the basis of the traditions and practices

of their rites of worship, known as

The Roman Catholic Church itself is a communion of Christian

Churches in communion wil.h the Church of Rome that has the Roman Pontiff,

the Pope as its supreme visible head, and source of unity. It is called Roman

due to its allegiance to the Pope, who is the Bishop of Rome. The term Catholic

means universal, and denotes complete doctrinal integrity. Since such

completeness is claimed by more than one Church, the Church in communion

=For ~ ~ S C U S S I O ~ on the dlstrrbution of the Christian population according to the Churches, at the world level and the national level Cf, above, Tables 1 , 2 and 5.

'64Xavier Koodapuzha. "The One Church and Many Churches," Indian Christian Directory for the New Millennium, pp. 44-7

132

with the Pope is often known as the Roman Catholic Church in the English-

speaking In this study, Catholic Church denotes the Roman Catholic

Church. a communion of 22 Individual Churches.

3.3 The Rite

According to the Oxford dictionary, rite is a religious or some other

solemn function. In common parlance, it denotes customs and approved

traditions followed in sacred functions. The Rite, in Christian and more

specifically Roman Catholic terminology, denotes "the liturgical, theological,

spiritual and disciplinary patrimony, distinct by the culture and circumstances of

history of a people, by which its own manner of living the faith is manifested in

each Church sui juris." ((:CEO 28: 1 )

The Roman Catholic Church in lndia is comprised of three Rites

(Individual Churches), namely, the Syro-Malabar Church, the Latin Church, and

the Syro-Malankara Church. The Syro-Malabar Church traces its origin to

Saint Thomas,, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Historical tradition

holds that he founded Christianity in Kerala in A.D. 52.3" Today, the Syro-

369Leonard Fernando, "The Catholic Church," Indian Christian Directory for the New Millennium. p. 48

370According to Mundadan, till the advent of the Portuguese in 1498, the Syrian Christians lived in two worlds at the same. time: the geographical, political and social world of Kerala from which the Church assimilated many elements, such as the languages, customs, rituals and ceremonies of lndia; and the ecclesiastical world of the East Syrian Church or the Chaldean Church, whose bishops governed the Syrian Christian Church of Kerala, and whose faith, law and mode of worship they shared. (3f. A. M. Mundadan, The Ammval of the Pottuguese in lndia and the Thomas Christians under Mar Jamb, 1498-1552 (Bangalore: Dharmaram Publications, 1967), p. I.

133

Malabar Church has a stl-ength of 26 di~ceses,~'' of which 13 are in Kerala, 12

are in the other States of Indian Union, and 1 in the United States of America,

with its headquarters at Chicago. The Latin Church in lndia had its origin in

1291. It was later continued by the Portuguese who first arrived in lndia in

1498.~~' Today 75% of the Catholic population of lndia is of the Latin Rite

Church. The Syro-Malankara Church had its origin 1930. It was originally

constituted of a section of the Jacobites who under the leadership of Archbishop

Mar lvanios entered into rlegotiations with Rome since 1926 to effect a re-union

with the Catholic Church, and was received into the communion of Catholic

Churches by Bishop Maria Benziger of Kollam, as a deputy of Pope Pius

37'Diocese is a portion of the Catholic population, entrusted to the pastoral direction of a Bishop (CIC 369).

372The Portuguese who arrived in lndia since 1498 sought to introduce the customs and the practices of the Latin Church of the West to the Syrian Christians of Kerala. Cf. A.M. Mundadan, History of Christianity in lndia, Vol. I - From the Beginning up to the Middle of the Sixfeenfh Century (Bangalore: Church History Association of lndia, 2001), pp. 483-6. The Synod of Diamper (1599) is oflen seen as a landmark in this process. Cf. Joseph Thekkedath, History of Christianity in hdia, Vol II - From the Middle of the Sixteenth Century to the End of the Seventeenth Century (Bangalore: Church History Association of lndia, 2001), pp. 64-90. The Syrian Christians of Kerala protested the Portuguese move. Their representatives gathered at the church of Mattanchery (Ernakulam District) on January 3, 1653, and took a solemn oath - known as Coonan Cross Oath - renouncing allegiance to Archbishop Garcia of Goa, and the Jesuits, and thereby rejecting the Latinization attempts of the Portuguese. On May 22, 1653, twelve of these priests met andl 'ordained' Archdeacon Thomas Parampil as bishop. Later, on June 30. 16% Archdeacon Thomas admitted that he and hi followers had been misled in the performance of the ceremony of ordination. In spite of efforts both by poliical and ecclesiastical authorities, no reunion could be effected. This led to the permanent division of the Thomas Christian community into the Syrian Catholics who recognize the Roman Pope as the legitimate head of the Church and the Jacobites who do not recognize the supremacy of the Pope. Cf. Thekkedath. pp. 91-104.

"3For the present numerical strength of these Churches in Kerala as well as in lndia Cf. below, Table no.8.

134

3.4 The Roman Catholic Priests

The Roman Catholic Church speaks of two forms of priesthood. The term

common priesthood denotes the priesthood of all the baptized. It is

distinguished from ministerial priesthood !hat connotes a special body of

professional priests. In the Roman Catholic Church, and in our study, Catholic

priests are male members of the Roman Catholic Church who, through a

religious rite known as the priestly ordination, performed by an authorized

Catholic bishop, are officially commissioned for the services of preaching,

administering of sacraments,374 and leadership of the community. It is in

communion w~th the Church organization that they exercise their ministry.

Roman Catholic priests, viewed from the perspective of their service, are

of two categor~es. Diocesan priests, at times referred to also as secular

priests, are those incorporated into a diocese (Particular Church), and ordained

to serve the people of the diocese, usually in a specific area called a parish.

Religious priests belong to Religious Orders, such as the Jesuits, the

Dominicans, the Franciscans, the Salesians, and the Carmelites of Mary

Immaculate, which are approved by the Catholic Church. They exercise their

priesthood accord~ng to the spirit and mission of their Religious

They ordinarily live in communities. Their work is as wide as the mission of their

institute. They serve wherever the superior assigns them. There are 58 groups

37%acrarnenk are visible religious rites, believed according to the self-understanding of the different Christian Churches, to communicate invisible grace.

375Cf. Paul J. Philibert, "Pniesthood Within the Context of Religious Life," Donald Goergen, (ed), Beinga Priest Today (Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1992), p. 79~

135

(Congregations or Orders) of religious priests working in Kerala.376 The

diocesan and the religious priests have the same powers, but differ in their way

of life, type of work, and the Church authority to which they are responsible.

Clerics, diocesan or religious, are bound by celibacy (CIC 277), but the religious

priests also vow chastity, poverty and obedience (CIC 573).

3.5 The Lay people (Laity)

The term laity comes from the Greek word, laikos which means common

or belonging to the people. In the Roman Catholic Church, and in this study, the

laitylthe lay people are all the baptized members of the Roman Catholic Church

except those in ministerial priesthood and those who belong to a Religious State

approved by the Church ( L G 31).

3.6 Sociological Models

Model is a pattern designed for imitation or emulation. Sociological

model is one based on the ernp~rical data der~ved from a study of human soc~ety '

In th~s study, proposal of socrological model denotes the delineat~on of the what,

the when, the why, the how, and the for whom of the role of prlests in the Future '

in Kerala

3.7 The Sacred and the Secular

According to Durkheim, "Sacred things are those things protected and

isolated by prohibitions; profane things are those things to which such

- - - .-

''=The number is complied from Indian Chrishan Directoryfor the New Millennium

136

prohibitions apply and which must keep their distance from what is sacred."377

In this study in a very strict sense the sacred denotes those the lay people are

prohibited to do, and the secular refers to those which both the priests and the

lay people, or only the latter may do.

Enjoyment denotes an action or process that gives pleasure. It is more

popularly calculated in terrns of physicallmaterial advantage or benefit. Esteem

implies having a high opinion of someonelsomething. It results from a

recognition of the internal or spiritual worthlvalue.

4. Identification of Variables

The role of Catholic priests does not operate in isolation, but in

association with other socioeconomic variables. According to the priestly or lay

status of the respondents, there are differences in the significance of these

variables. In the case of priests, the variables identified are the Year of Priestly

Ordination, the Rite, the Ecclesiastical and Secular Educational Qualifications,

Work Experiences and the nature of the Places of work. In the case of lay

people, the Age, the Gender, the Educational Qualification, the Economic

Status, the Place of Residence, and the Range of Association with priests have

been identified as significant.

~ ~

"'Ernile Durkheirn, The Elementary Forms ofReligious Life, p. 40

5. The Methodology

5.1 The Universe

The universe of the study is the Roman Catholic community of Kerala,

consisting of three Rites - the Latin, the Syro-Malabar, and the Syro-Malankara.

For the field-work, however, the Latin and the Syro-Malabar Roman Catholic

communities of the clvll district of Ernakulam have been selected, for the

reasons given below

Statistics reveal the density of Christian as well as of Roman Catholic

Table No. 7

Districtwise Distribution of Christian Population in Kerala (1991 Census)378

Arranged according to the size of Christian Population

population in the district of Ernakulam. According to Table No. 7, the district of

Rank No.

01

02

03

04

05

06 - 07

08

W

10

11

12

13

14

- --

378Census of lnd~a 1991, Ser~es 12, Kerala, Part IV B (ii), C-9 Table, Staterl~ent - 4

-- , - . . Ststel District Total Popuiation

~ ~~

KERALA ~ ~~ ~ --- ~ I 29,098,518

~ - ..

Ernakulam 2,877,236 ~ .-- ~. ~~

Kottayam 1,828,271 .~ 1 Thrissur 2,137,311

-

Thiruvananthapurani 2,946,650 .--

Pathanamthlna 1.188.332 ~ -- ~

ldukki 1,078,066 ~~~ ~ . . .~~

Alappurha 2.W1.217 ~ ~- ~

Kollam 2,407,566 ~ ~ ~ . ~ 1

Kannur 2,251,727

Wayaned 672.128 - . . . .-I ~:-~~ ~

Kozhikode I . . , 2,619,941

~

Paiakbd 2,382,235 -~ ~

Malapputam 3,096,330 . ~ -~ ~p 1 Kasargod 1,071.M8 ___ ~ -

--

Chrielan Population

5,621,510

1,055,681

837,914

670,701

508.755

479,468

455,295

434.287 -.

409.256

241.296

157.212

121,383

S.953

72.2W - 71,100

-.

X to the Tots1 Population

19.32

37.83

45.83

24.50

17.27

40.35

42.23

21.70

17.M

10.72

23.38

-- 4.63

4.07

2.33

6.64

138

Kottayam has the highest percentage (45 83%) of Christian population, but the

district of Ernakulam leads the state of Kerala in the size of the Christian

population (1,065,681). According to even later estimates, as depicted in Table

No.8, the Roman Catholic population constitutes about 31.3% of the 3,098,378

of the population of Ernakulam District, i.e. almost every fourth person of the

district is a Roman Catholic. Its territory is shared by eleven Roman Catholic

dioceses.379 Furthermore, the district has 20.15% of the Roman Catholic

population and 14 63% of the Roman Catholic priests of Kerala I - / . > %

' . . I ' ,

The district of Ernakulam is unique also for the . close -. ~ proportion between - .

the Latin and the Syro-Malabar communities. Both these communities have in

the district their inter-diocesan headquarters, namely the Archdiocese of

Verapoly of the Latin Rite, and the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the

Syro-Malabar Rite. In the case of the latter, on 16th December 1992, it was

declared by Pope John Paul II, as the See of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-

Malabar Church. Thereby the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Major

Archiepiscopal Church is also the Archbishop of Ernakulam-~ngamaly.~~~ This

study has been restricted to the Latin and the Syro-Malabar Roman Catholic

communities as they together constitute 99.56% of the Catholic population of the

district of Ernakulam.

37PThe Labn Rite dioceses of Alleppey, Cochin, Kottapuram. Verapoly, and Vijayapuram; the Syro-Malabar Rite dioceses of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Irinjalakuda, Kothamangalam, Kottayam and Pala; and the Syro-Malankara diocese of Muvattupuzha have members and institutions in the district of Ernakulam

390Direcfory 2002 - Archdiocese of Emakulam-Angamaly (Ernakulam: The Archdiocesan Curia). p. 19.

Table No. 8

Roman Catholic Church in India, in Kerala, and in the district of Ernakulam -.

-1 . - ~p ~~~ - -

r i India Kerala -- .- T-.p- +~ . + Ernakulam District - - r . - ~ 4

I ; Roman Catholic 1 Roman Catholic Prlasts 1 Roman Cathollc 1 Romen Cathallc Priesls I Roman Cetholic ! Roman Catholic Priests 1 7 - -7

~ ! I Pop~laiion Population I -- Populatim r , > - -+

! A- I Diacesan ! Religious ) Total k--~ , .L .. ..L ~ ~ ~

i Dloc-n Religious Total / Dtocesan I Religious 1 Total i -- __t - - , I 1

1 I I I ! Total ! 1.55.49.218 11.622 ( 9,462 ( 2 1 , W . L . 47,96,223 1 3,823 I 3,527 i 7.360 I 9,66,796 : 6 4 4 L 4 3 2 1 1076 1 -- ___i ~~ -- - ~d

The Sample has been drawn from the Roman Catholic community, taking

into account certain pertinent factors about the nature of the theme of study.

Priests, unlike some other social role types, function essentially in association

with an organization, in our case, the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic

community may be called the primary reference group in which the Catholic

priests perform their role. The pilot study revealed that at least a minimum

understanding of Roman Catholic Religion is mandatory to ascertain the role of

the priest: when the tool was served to people of other religions, they readily

admitted their inability to speak about the role of priests in Church related

activities and structures such as liturgy, family units, and pious associations. In

such matters their opinions had to be based merely on hearsay.

Table No. 9

Population of Ernakulam District According to Religion (1991)381

Population

Percentage . - 4- 1.353.115

Muslims ~ ..

394,976 1402

Sikhs - ~

1.279 0.04

-----

~ -. - Mher Reiog~ons and Persuartons

~-~ ~ ~ -~

Religion not Stated 0.03

However, in spite of these deliberate choices about the specific

population, the researcher did attempt to find out the estimate of the role of

'''Census of India 1991, Series 12, Kerala, Part IV B (ii), C-9 Table

priests among and according to those outside the Latin and the Syro-Malabar

Roman Catholic communities of the district of Ernakulam. In every place of field

work the researcher used interviews, informal discussions, observation, etc. to

know the mind of the members of the Syro-Malankara Church, the members of

other Christian Churches, and the followers of religions other than Christianity

5.2 The Samples and their Distribution

Two Samples have been selected for the purpose of study. Sample A

consists of 101 Catholic priests, obtained from diocesan priests of the Syro-

Malabar Archdiocese of E!rnakulam-Angamaly, and the Latin Archdiocese of

Verapoly, having ten or more years of work experience as priests, and working

mainly as parish priests in the district of Ernakulam at the time of the study. It

has been confined to the diocesan priests because in the organisational

structure of the Catholic Church, dioceses and parishes form important and

basic units, and other structures work in association with them.382 Differing from

parishes and parish priests offering services that are rather comprehensive in

nature, the relig~ous priests customar~ly perform specific works, often

specialized, according to the nature of their institute; it may be in social sectors

such as educat~on or health care, or with a specific group such as children or

y o ~ t h . ~ While in power they differ little from diocesan priests, religious priests

382"A house of a religiou!; institute is established, with the prior written consent of the diocesan Bishop, by the authority competent according to the constitutions" (CIC 609:l). "In directing the apostolic works of religious, diocesan Bishops and religious Superiors must proceed by way of mutual consultation" (C1C 678:3).

=When in the pilot study parish priests were asked to indicate their preferences by way of fields or groups of work, they felt quite uncomfortable as they could not entertain any such preferences while working in parishes. They have to work for all. Cf. below, Table nos. 77 & 79.

142

work mostly in non-partsh settings, having facilities different from parishes.384

Furthermore, while there is much heterogeneity among the religious priests, the

diocesan priests enjoy much homogeneity. The sample has been obtained from

priests who have at least ten years of work experience as priests, because the

study is focused on the Role Played by Catholic priests during the period 1991

to 2000, and ten years of experience was found by the pilot study, and by

knowledgeable persons, as required by the depth of the research.

Sample B consists of 250 Catholic lay people. It was arrived at by

following a stratified random sampling. At first, the Roman Catholic parishes in

the district of Ernakulam were stratified according to their Rite of affiliation,

namely, the Latin Church or the Syro-Malabar At the next stage, all

the parishes in these two groups were stratified according to the location of their

headquarters in the Corporation, the Municipality or the Grama panchayat

areas. Then, following the method of random sampling, one parish each was

chosen from the parishes in each of these locations. Thus six Catholic parishes,

three each from the Latin and the Syro-Malabar Rites, and two each from the

Corporation, the Municipality and the Grama panchayat limits were arrived at.

The nature of the habitat has a say on opinions and attitudes of people.

However, in the case of Kerala, and particularly in the case of the district of

Emakulam, the urban-rural continuum created by the quick means of transport

=Though there are religious priests working as parish priests, the researcher found those too rare an exception to be included in the sample.

385The Rite has been chosen as the basis for the first stage of stratification as this has been found by earlier scholars and experts as a relevant variable for study of the Roman Catholic community in Kerala. Cf. George Koilparampil, Caste in the Catholic Community in Kerala (Cochin: St. Teresa's College, 1982.)

and communication lowers the significance of this variable. However, it is

comparatively more significant in the case of lay people than of priests because

the latter change their residence according to transfer orders issued from time

to time by legitimate authorities. As the distinction between the urban and the

rural was found more complex but less precise, the local self government units

of the Corporation, the Municipal~ty and the Grama panchayat were utilized.

Thus Sample B has been constituted of 125 cases each from the two Rites, and

85 (34%) from the Corporation, 67 (26.8%) from the Municipal, and 98 (39.2%)

from the Grama panchayat areas

Table No. 10

Distribution of Sample 13 According to Parishes, Rite, and Civic Location

Name of the Parish 1 Rlte I Church / Civic Lmatiw Sample from Pafishes

I NO. of Samples % oftotal sample B i , Corporation

St. Francis Xaaeis. Kaloor Corporalion t-- Munlcipal'q

~~ ~

;--I ~+-..

37 14.8%

Sacred Heart, Aimury Syra-Maiabar 1 Grsma Panchayat I 60 24%

In Sample 6, the Syro-Malabar Rite parish of St. Martin De Porres,

Palarivattom, and the Latin Rite parish of St. Francis Xavier, Kaloor were

selected from Kochi Corporation limits. Kochi is the commercial capital and the

most cosmopolitan city of Kerala Palarivattom and Kaloor are important

junctions along the National Highway No. 47. The Syro-Malabar Rite parish of

St. Dominic's, Aluva and the Latin Rite parish of St. Xavier's, Aluva, were

selected from Aluva Municipal limits, and are situated within the heart of Aluva

144

town, which is about 20 kilornetres north-east of Ernakulam. It is well linked with

the city of Kochi by very frequent and quick transport facilities through the

National Highway no. 47 as well as by train. The Syro-Malabar Rite parish from

Grama panchayat limits is Sacred Heart's, Aimury. The village, colloquially

known also as Kaiyuthiyal, is in Koovappady Grama panchayat, and is situated

about five kilometres to the east of Perumbavoor town. This agrarian belt is

linked to the town by infrequent transport facilities. Besides agriculture, work

in granite quarries serves as a source of livelihood to people. The Latin parish

of St. Antony's, Panangad is situated in Kumbalam Grama panchayat under

Kanayannur Taluk. The area is a low-lying coastal belt. Agriculture and fishing

are the two main sources of livelihood.

The pilot study revealed that at least a minimum of maturity, and a certain

frequency of acquaintance with priests and their work was necessary to answer

the questionnaire completely and meaningfully. Therefore Sample B was

obtained from those above 18 years of age, and those who associate with

priests at least once a month.

To sustain the method of the selection of the sample by random method,

no attempt was made to equalise the size of the samples from the different

sectors of society. Nevertheless, as seen below in the distribution of the

samples, a cross-section of the society has been obtained.

General Characteristics of Sample A

Of the 101 Catholic priests that constitute Sample A, 38 are from the Latin

Rite, and 63 are from the Syro-Malabar Rite. As Table no. 8 depicts, it is a fact

that the numerical slze of the priest population in the district is not equal

Nevertheless in percentage the sample size of priests is very close to the actual

size of the priest population

Sample A comprises of an Age Group extending from 1924 to 1966: ,,-i,,i,g,. .~~ ~

~.~

while 55 were born betore 1950, 46 were born in or after 1950 According to' , 1,: :

ecclesiastical laws, minirnum age for priestly ordination is 25 (CIC 1031). As the . -

candidates on the whole undergo similar training prior to their ordination, most

of the candidates are ordained during the ages of 26 to 28. Due to additional

and specialized training, religious priests are ordained comparatively at a later

age than the d~ocesan plriests. Though no retirement age has been strictly

adhered to, priests have been found to retire as and when they have been

incapacitated due to old age, or illness. On an average about ten priests each

have been added to the Latin as well as the Syro-Malabar communities of the

district during each year of the last decade.

Table No. I I

Distribution of Sample A according to Rite and Year of Ordination .~

Years of Ordination

~~~

~~

Group il (1968-19761

Group Ill (Before 1968) !I . -~ .-

26.73

TOTI\L 38 ~ ~ . ~~

1W.O

In this study the Year of Priestly Ordtnatlon is more significant than the

Age of priests. Based on the former, Sample A has been grouped into three. ..~

The first group consists of 46 priests ordained during 1977 to 1991. It has

already been stated that a minimum of ten years of experience as priests was

one of the inclusive criterta for the selection of Sample A, and so the upper limit

is 1991. By setting the lower limit as 1977, the group is confined to priests who

fall within ten to twenty-four years of work as priests. According to the popular

understanding, the first group comprises of those before the silver jubilee of their

priestly ordination. The second group consists of 28 priests ordained during

1968 to 1976 1965 marked the end of the Second Vatican General Council

(1963S5), an epoch-making event in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

Its centrality is evident in the division of the history of the Catholic Church into

the pre-Vatican and the post-Vatican. By the time its teachings trickled down to

the Church in lndia it was about 1968. The All lndia Seminar on Church in lndia,

a resolute venture to implement Vatican II in lndia, was held in May 1969 at

Bangalore. The third group consists of 27 priests ordained before 1968. Their

training in seminary has been little influenced by Vatican II.

Table No. 12

Distribution of Sample A according to Educational Qualification

10 5 3

No Degree Graduates

Years of Ecclesiastical

(N = 49)

SM

1968-76 5 10

Post Graduates

3

Secular

(M)

-- Ecclesiastical

( N = 13)

4

Total 27 20 29 16 .>..-

LT

12

1

LT

1

..

Secular

N = 26)

LT denotes Latin Rite, and SM denotes Syro-Malabar Rite. 18

SM

11

3

SM

6

2

LT

4

1

2

SM

8

1 6

11 8

3

18

3 4

147

According to Educational Qualification, Sample A has been grouped

chiefly into three: those with No degree, Graduates, Post-graduates. In each of

these, priests have been further classified into those with ecclesiastical degrees

and those with secular degrees. While ecclesiastical degree denotes those

awarded by ecclesiastical institutes, established as such by the (Pontifical)

Congregation for Catholic education (Rome), secular degree refers to those

awarded by educational instrtutions affiliated to state or national universities. In

the sample, 39 do not have any ecclesiastical degree, and 41 do not have any

secular degree. The No Uegree category under the ecclesiastical column does

not mean that those priests had no seminary training; a minimum of two years

of studies in philosophy and another four years in theology is a must for

Catholic priests (CIC 250). But a university degree in philosophy or theology is

not mandatory.

There is a reason for the fact that several of the more senior priests do

not possess an ecclesiastical degree. Most of the priests in Kerala have their

seminary training either at St. Joseph's Pontifical Seminary, Aluva, or St.

Thomas Apostolic Seminary. Kottayam. While the Pontifical Institute of

Theology and Philosophy, Aluva was erected on February 24, 1972, it was on

July 3, 1982 that the academic wing of St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary,

Kottayam was raised to an independent faculty with the name Paurastya

Vidyapitham (Pontifical Oriental lnstitute of Religious Studies). So the no

degree status of many past pupils of these institutes only denotes that at the

time of their seminary studies these institutes had not been officially affiliated to

148

any university. ecclesiastical or secular. Nevertheless, according to Kuriedath,

on account of the training in philosophy and in theology that all priests undergo,

they may be considered equivalent to degree-holders.=

A few observations may be made here with regard to the Educational

Qualification of priests. In the sample the younger priests have more educational

degrees than the older priests. Of those ordained before 1968, 55.56% and

48.15% do not have ecclesiastical or secular degrees respectively. In the case

of those ordained during 1977 to 1991, only 21.74% and 23.91 % are without

ecclesiastical or secular degrees respectively. In the latter group 15.22% have

ecclesiastical post graduate degrees, and 26.09% have secular post graduate

degrees. 27.85% of all priests of the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Ernakulam-

Angamaly, and the Latin Arch-diocese of Verapoly, have an ecclesiastical or

secular post graduate degree, and those with secular degrees outnumber those

with ecclesiastical degrees. The percentage of priests with doctorate degrees

working in non-parish settings is much higher than that of those working in

parishes. These differences hint that the more educationally qualified priests

are engaged mostly in specific works such as seminary training, educational

institutions and diocesan departments. Frequently their work in parishes, if at

all, is part time too. In other words, higher education does not seem to be

considered as very much required for priests working in parishes.

%Jose Kunedath, Auhorw ~n the Catholic Community in Keraia (Barrgalore: Dharmaram Publications, 1989). p. 69.

149

The Work Experience of Sample A is diverse. 55 of them have worked

for more than 25 years in parishes. Other than parishes, some of them have

worked in renewallretreat houses, seminaries, educational institutions, centres

of social service and diocesan departments. It has been noticed that movement

of priests from parish settings to non-parish settings such as seminary and

educational institutrons, or vice versa is rather infrequent. The specific

qualifications required for working in non-parish settings make few priests

eligible for these.

Characteristics and Distribution of Sample B

Table No. 13

Distribution of Sample B According to Age, Gender and Marital Status

According to Age. Sample B has been classified into three. The first

-~ . -- Female (114)

~~- ~-

M a r r i e d

'

Unmarried ' Married Unmarried

% N %

I8t030 ~~~

2.8 52 20.8

31 to 55 26 0 2 8 13.6

Above 55 3.2 2 0.8 - Total 19.6 66 26

group is classified as 18 to 30. On an average, by the age of 30 those who

Total

%

@4 33.6

117 46.8

49 19.6

ZMI 100.0

intend to embrace marital status do so In fact in Sample B, 91 67% of the age

group of 30 or below are unmarried, while only 15.38% of the age group of 31

to 55 are unmarried The latter certainly includes some who do not intend to

enter marital status at all. Furthermore, in the sample, the age group of 18 to 30

is represented by 70.23 young women as compared to 29.76% young men.

During those years, young men tend to associate less with church activities

.- than young women I ne upper ilmit of the second group is 55, being the

retirement age of government employees. This group, being the most active,

is the best represented in the sample. The active involvement of several retired

people, particularly of men (15.6%) in the activities of churches is indicated by

their 19.6% percentage in the sample.

Sample B has 136 ((54.4%) men and 114 (45.6%) women. In comparison

to the national sex ratio (9'33 females per 1000 males), Kerala has a higher sex

ratio (1058 females per 1000 males). But it is lower in the case of the district of

Ernakulam (1017 females per 1000 males). Though on the whole women

frequent church, their range of association with priests is less in comparison with

that of men. While women attend more the ritual practices of the church, men

have a better edge in other activities of the parish such as its administration.

Table No. 14

Distribution of Sample B

According to Gender. Rite and Educational Qualification i Educational ; Maile (136) Female (114) t ~~ T---.... .~

1 Lath 1 Syro-Malabar

% N %

S.S.L.C 1 Below 3.6 83 33.2

P.~.C.:CI.&,-:~ , , ." 10.4 92 36.8 ~

P.G./+ 4.8 38 15.2

-- 16 6.4

While according to Census of India, 2001, the state of Kerala (90.92%)

leads lndia (65.36%) in literacy rate, Ernakulam (93.42%) was the first literate

district in Kerala. According to educational qualification, the sample has been

divided into five The two bigger groups are those with S.S.L.C. or below (33%)

and P.D.C.1 Graduate (36.8%) qualifi~ation.~~' While in the former the

percentage of men is 24% and that of women is 9.2%, in the case of the latter,

12% is the share of men and 24.8% is the share of women. This reflects the

better examination results that girls obtain in secondary school examinations,

paving way for their easier access to higher secondary and college education

Medical or engineering profession is more popular with men (6%) than women

(0.4%). In all the high educational profile of Kerala has echoed in Sample B

During the field-work the researcher did not come across any illiterate person

Table No. 15

Distribution of Sanlple 8 According to Rite and Economic Status ~~ - -

Economic Status I S y r M l a b a r Rife

Lower Class 16.0

Middle Class 49.6

Upper Class 25 26.0

Total : 125 50.0 i tB 100.0

According to the Economlc Status of the families of the respondents, ,

Sample B has been dlv~ded Into three the lower class, the mlddle class, and the

upper class The reluctance that people show in reveal~ng thew economic status

was addressed by following a classification based on information obtained from

a battery of indirect questions. In the classification here the monthly family

income of the lower class amounts to Rs. 2,500 or below, that of the middle

387S.S.L.C. denotes Secondary School Leaving Certificate. It marks completion of ten years of school education, not counting years spent in nursery schools, and years of repetition of any class. P.D.C. denotes preilegree coum. The course has more recently been termed and organized as +2 or higher secondary education.

class falls between Rs 2,500 and Rs. 5,000 and that of the upper class is above

Rs. 5,000 The researcher found the class~fication of income groups a hard job 1-

due to certain fiscal strains marking the economy of the state. Factors such as

the jolt that the agricultural backbone of the economy experienced in the wake

of globalization, and an increasing return of labour force from the Gulf countries

leave their markm The strain of balancing lower incomes with increasing

expenses is tak~ng a heavy toll of human life. Certain jobs are highly paid, but

does not carry a status symbol. A coolie may be paid a remuneration even of

Rs. 100 to Rs. 125 per day, but still there is an apathy towards the job.389 The

high standards of living as well as of education have created a craving for white

collar jobs. Of the 41.68 lakh who had registered themselves in the employment

exchange in Kerala up to March 30,2000,32.40 lakh (77%) had above S.S.L.C.

education, 2.50 lakh (6%) were graduates, and 58,000 were post-graduates

Table No. 16

Distribution of Sample B According to Rite and Range of Association with Priests

-- - l - . . -- .

Latin Syro-Malabar Total

1 N % N % N - - f

25 10.0 a --J~ 12.0 55 22.0

26.8 Q 25.2 130 52.0 ~

~ -- 13 2 32 12.8 65 26.0

-. -- Total I 125 50.0 125 50.0 260 100.0

~ --- - ~ -~ ~~~~ ~ - - ~-

388According to a study conducted by the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thimvananthapuram, about 50 per cent of the estimated 1.6 million Keralites working in the Gulf countries have returned. Most of those returned are less endowed in human resources and entrepreneurial leadership qualities. Cf. C.J. Punnathara, "Kerala: Greater role awaits return emigrants," The Hindu Business Line, Internet Edition. Wednesday, Jul 03, 2002.

T h e r e are about 4.3 milliori unemployed school and college educated, looking for jobs. As they do not go for manual labcrur, the state is unable to cultivate its fertile land, and fail to produce even 50% of food needed. Cf. Abraham Karammel, "Solutions for Kerala, India, and the World," January, 2003 <ht tp: f~.karammel .coml keralalsolutions.htm~.

151

The Range of Association with priests is a significant factor in the

knowledge about priests and their role in society. It has already been stated that

the sample is restricted to those who have association with priests at least once

a month. Besides frequency of association, elements such as work or study in

institutions run by priests, and having priestls among one's close relations can

further provide knowledge about priests. Therefore, as it was done with regard . ,

to classification of income groups, information obtained from a battery of

questions was used to classify the sample. The group with a low range (22.0%) ...

associate with priests once a month, while the moderates (52.0°h) encounter

priests once a week, and the high range group (26.0%) relate with them at close

quarters and even or1 a daily basis.

5.3 The Process of Data Collection

As for Sample A, every respondent priest was met personally at his own

place of residence. The questionnaire was administered after a session of

orientation, explanation, and motivation, varying from fifteen minutes to an hour

long, according to the respondent's need. Additional clarifications, explanations

and reminders were prov~ded over the phone according to the need or demand.

They were initially given a month to reply the questionnaire. The time was

extended up to November 2002, according to the requests of the respondents.

The replies were made in the stamped and self-addressed envelope provided

by the researcher.

As far as Sample B is concerned, afler finalizing the six parishes, the

parish priests were informed, and co-operation sought for, which they extended

154

very generously. The study was announced in advance in the respective

parishes. On the specified days the questionnaire was administered to parish

trustees, teachers of Sunday Catechism classes, and members of pious

associations such the Vlncent De Paul Society, Mathru (Mothers') Sangham,

Cherupushpam Mission League (CML), and CYM (Catholic Youth Movement).

It was served individually, after sessions of orientation, explanation, and

motivation, done generally in small groups. By collecting samples from the

pious associations, the researcher accessed the responses of men and women

of different age groups. In :some cases the same persons had membership in

more than one association, but jdduplication was carefully avoided in the

sampling. In the case of parishes with sub-centres, the researcher reached out

both to the main centre and to the sub-centrels as the case may be.

The researcher had recourse to several means to enhance the quality of

the data obtained from the samples. One method was to interview 20% of

Sample A and 10% of Sample B. Other techniques were the method of

observation, and the mainterlance of a diary on a day-to-day basis. Still another

was to organise diswssiorls among knowledgeable people of different walks of

life chosen from the selected parishes. The researcher spent a month each in

each parish to collect back. the duly filled questionnaires, and to obtain other

related and relevant information.

To supplement the Information obtarned from Sample A and B, interviews

were held with 30 knowledgeable persons in society, such as religious leaders,

polit~cal personages, teachers, lawyers, and civil servants. The list of the

155

interviewed included several distinguished personalities from other religions as

well as men who had stepped out of active priestly work. Some of these

interview sessions lasted even two hours.

The actual study took place between 1997 to 2003. For a period of one

and a half years from J~tne 2001 to November 2002, the researcher travelled the

length and breadth of the district of Emakulam several times, and carried out the

entire field-work by hlmself. Before and after this period, the researcher lived

in the field itself, and this facilitated clarifications, and acquisition of many details

at much depth. The priestly identity of the researcher)did serve as a boon in

eliciting frank responses. The researcher was much encouraged by the warm

reception, whole-hearted co-operation and candid responses. Indeed the

experience was overwhelming.

5.4 The Tools of Data Collection

The data used for this study are primary and secondary. The primary

data was collected from 101 Catholic priests and 250 Catholic lay people. The

major tool for its collection was a questionnaire. It had two versions, one in

English meant for priests, and the other in Malayalam, meant for the lay

people.390 Though these are very similar, both carried a few questions specific

to the prlestly or lay status of the respondent During a six-month long period

of its construct~on, the draft of the questionnaire was circulated among several

sociologists, thinkers of other streams of social sciences, and research

156

scholars within the country and abroad. The tool was pre-tested on 15 priests

and 20 lay people. In the light of the remarks made by experts, and opinions

furnished by the respondents, the tool was finallzed.

:.'i"' " r ..

The questionnaire, besides the letter of introduction, has four sections. , :. ), ' ,:,k .:! ,.~, ; < ' , .~.-

The first section, titled Personal Information, enquires about some basic

personal details such as date of birth, educational qualification and the Rite.

The second section is titled as Role Performance and Role Definition. Most of

its questions carry two parts, namely, the Role Played by Roman Catholic priests

in Kerala during the period 1991 to 2000, and the perception of the respondent

about the role of priests in the Future in Kerala. The questions raised are about

the what (Areas and nature of Work), the who (preference group), the how

(style), and the why (reasons ) of the involvement of priests in society. In the

third section, the questionnaire seeks to evaluate the role of priests during the

period 1991 to 2000. The questions seek to note the influence of Catholic

priests in Kerala. The fourth section, titled as Catholic Priesthood in General,

enquires about the qualities expected of Catholic priests, and their drawbacks

The questionnaire is elaborate and detailed so as to make answering easier.

It has both multiple-ended and open-ended questions. The personal identity of

the respondent has not been asked for, so as to encourage frankness in

answering

The secondary data were collected from historical documents, books,

pamphlets, newspapers, magazines as well as the internet. Besides, the

researcher participated in several historically significant gatherings during the

157

time of field-work. The researcher was a participant at the Archdiocesan

Assembly of the Ernakulam-Angamaly, held at Renewal Centre, Kaloor (Kochi),

from April 14th to lath, 2002. The attendance at the All lndia Jubilee

celebration^^^' of the 1950th year of the Arrival of St. Thomas in India, and

450th year of the death of St. Francis Xavier, and especially at the National

Seminar on the History of the Catholic Church in lndia enriched the researcher

in no small way

The major statistical tests and the purpose for which they have been used

are as follows. Chi-square has been mainly used to see the significant

association and difference among the categories and groups that constitute the

two samples. The 't' test has been widely used to compare the scores obtained

by the two samples of A arld B, the priests of the two Rites of the Syro-Malabar

and the Latin, the laity of the two Rites, and the two gender groups of the laity.

ANOVA (analysis of variance) has been employed to understand the association

among the priests according to their years of ordination, and the education

qualification, and srmilarly among the laity according to their age, educational

qualification, economic status, place of residence, and the range of association

with priests. It is by means of two-way ANOVA that the scores obtained by the

four groups of the priests of the Latin Rite, the priests of the Syro-Malabar Rite,

the laity of the Lat~n Rite, and the laity of the Syro-Malabar Rite have been

obtained. The comparison between the Past and the Future has been made by

means of the paired samples 't' test, and Pearson's correlation. To facilitate

. - -

39'These were held from November 15th to 17th, 2002, at Kochi.

158

comparison, it is the Mean Percentage Scores (MPS) that have been employed

through out. The responses were tabulated applying weightage method, as per

the instruction by Allen Edwards (1 969). The ranks too have been provided in

the tables to enable a quicker deciphering of the results.