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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.