The Christian Church, which is distinct from the old Israel, developed out of the events described in the central portion of the Apostles’ Creed, i.e., birth, passion and resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ. It is happened in the small country of Palestine in the first century A.D.
The historical social and geographical conditions in South India in the 1st century were favorable for the introduction of Christianity in India. South India was divided into three kingdoms at the beginning of the Christian era.
The Christians from West or the Latin Christianity from Europe did not know much about the Christians of India during the early centuries. They have obtained the knowledge, perhaps, indirectly through the Persian Church or directly through some contacts like occasional visitors from Europe to India and India to Europe.
The arrival of Vascode Gama from Portugal in 1498 May 20th in Calicut via Cape of Good Hope is a very significant event in the history of India as well as in the history of Church of India. Calicut was the capital of the land of Zamerin who was a friend of Muslims.
The Syrian Christians were rejoiced at the time of the Portuguese’s arrival in South India. They maintained a good friendship with Portuguese. But it did not last long. Both of them have realized that there were differences between them.
The Jesuit missionaries had their presence in the Mugal court by late 16th century. Akbar, the emperor, invited the Jesuit scholars to his court for the conversation regarding Christianity. Three Jesuit missionaries, Rudolfo Aquaviva, Antonio Monserrate, and Francisco Heriques, were chosen to go to the court of the Emperor.
HISTORY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN INDIA SINCE 1800
After the period of the earlier Jesuit missions in the Catholic Church in India, there was a period of Dark Age of decadence, which reached its lowest point in the early years of the nineteenth century.
Until the 18th century, we had in India the trading companies, only from Portugal. But during the 18th century trading companies from other European nations such as Dutch, Danes, English, etc came to India. These new comers were all Protestants.
As we have seen in the previous chapters the Church of St. Thomas gradually divided into different denominations partly because of the internal politics and partly because of the influence of the foreign missions and Churches.
The American Baptists initiated the permanent mission work in North East India during 1836. Roman Catholic missionaries made the earliest Christian contact to this region in 17th and 18th centuries. Some of them were looking for a route to Tibet; others were visiting the Portugese Christian soldiers and Christian community in Assam.