Endogamy Among Members of the Knanaya Christians of India

Thomas of Cana who led a migration of Syriac Christians
from the Middle East to India between 345 and 800 A.D.

Image courtesy: www.wikipedia.org/

The Knanaya, also known as the Tekkumbhagar or 'Southists', are an endogamous group in the St. Thomas Christian community of Kerala, India. 

Syrian merchant Thomas of Cana, in between 345 and 800 A.D., led a migration of a group of these Christians from the Middle East to India. They use a kind of Syriac (a variety of middle Aramaic) language, related to Palestinian Aramaic that Jesus Christ spoke in his time.  

There are about 300,000 Knanaya Christians in India and other countries including the USA. Majority of these people belong to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and the Malankara Churches. 

Traditionally, they engage into endogamous marriage -- the custom of marrying only in one's own community, clan, caste, or ethnic group (tribe). They refuse to marry anyone coming from a different group. 

To learn more, please click on the following:

• Knanaya [Also known as 'Southists' or 'Tekkumbhagar,' are an endogamous group in the St. Thomas Christian community of Kerala]
• Knanaya Region
• What is the Knanaya community?
• Knanaya Catholics and Endogamy
• Knanaya Origin
• History [Of the Knanaya community]
• History of Knanaya [Video]
• Thomas of Cana
• Arrival of Thomas of Cana (Bishop Thomas of Cana?), History and References About Southist Community
• The Cultural Heritage of the Knanaya Christians
• Who destroys Indian Christian families? [by Dr. James Kottoor] (April 2015)
• An open letter to Indian bishops on Endogamy (July 2015)
• Stop Endogamous Marriages in India & USA: President, Knanaya Association of Norlth America (KANA) Appeals to Pope Francis (Sept. 25, 2015)
• Pope asked to stop endogamous marriages among Indian Catholics (September 2015)
• Knanaya Church 'no' to ending endogamy (Jan. 20, 2018)
• Knanaya Church says 'no' to ending endogamy (Janury 2018)
• Rome refuses to soften stand on Knanaya endogamy (Feb. 27, 2018)
• Knanaya Christian DNA Test 

Related Items:

• Endogamy in India (Aug. 31, 2013)
• 'Genetic ailments among Indians due to endogamy' (Sept. 25, 2009)

Philippine President Duterte Calls God 'Stupid' For Allowing Adam and Eve To Commit Original Sin

President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines
Photo courtesy: www.washingtontimes.com

President Duterte (front) praying at a wedding Mass in a Manila church on Sept. 16, 2017
Photo courtesy: www.philstar.com

Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, a Roman Catholic, in a recent televised speech in Davao, condemned the Original Sin story of Adam and Eve and termed God 'stupid' for doing that. 

 "Who is this stupid God? You [God] created something perfect and then you think of an event that would tempt and destroy the quality of your work," he said.

Criticizing the concept of the Original Sin, that automatically taints all human beings because of their descent from Adam and Eve, he told his audience:"You weren't born yet, but now you have original sin." He then added: "What kind of religion is that? I can't accept it."

His comments on God generated widespread adverse reactions, but President Duterte said what he spoke about God was his personal belief and that "not in a million years" would he apologize for blaspheming God this way.

This President, in the past, criticized Pope Francis in a crude language. He also cussed against and cursed Catholic priests in the Philippines. He claimed that he and another boy were abused by a foreign Jesuit priest when they were studying in a Catholic school.

For more on this issue, please read the following: 

• Philippine president blasts creation story, calls God 'stupid' (June 25, 2018)
• Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Blames 'Stupid' God for Adam and Eve's Original Sin (June 25, 2018)
• Philippine President Duterte calls God 'stupid,' (June 26, 2018)
• Philippine president slammed for calling God 'stupid' (June 25, 2018)
• Bishops hit Duterte for calling God stupid [video] (June 26, 2018)
• Philippines' Duterte under fire for calling God 'stupid' (June 26, 2018)
• Cardinal Tagle breaks silence on Duterte remarks: Don't be distracted (June 27, 2018)
• Duterte seeks collaboration with Philippine bishops after calling God 'stupid' (June 27, 2018)
• 'Not in a million years!': Duterte defiant amid calls to apologize over 'stupid' God remarks (July 2, 2018)
• Palace: Evangelicals offer to wash Duterte's feet 'out of humility' (July 3, 2018)
• Duterte: I believe in God, but prove his existence -- via a selfie (July 7, 2018)
• Rodrigo Duterte says he'll resign as Philippine president if someone can prove God exists (July 7, 2018)
• Duterte: Show me proof that God exists and I'll resign (July 7, 2018)
• Duterte vows to resign if anybody can prove God exists (July 7, 2018)

(Updated on July 7, 2018)

Pope Francis Reaches Out to Divorced and Remarried Catholics

Pope Francis meets with newlywed couples in an audience in the Vatican

Photo courtesy: CNS photo via The Catholic Herald, London

Pope Francis, in his August 5 general audience in the Vatican, continued his catechesis [teaching] on the family, touching on the situation of the civilly divorced and remarried Catholics, reports the Vatican Radio.

"In these decades, in truth, the Church has been neither insensitive nor lazy. Thanks to the in-depth analysis performed by Pastors, led and guided by my Predecessors, the awareness has truly grown that it is necessary to have a fraternal and attentive welcome, in love and in truth, of the baptized who have established a new relationship of cohabitation after the failure of the marital sacrament; in fact, these persons are by no means excommunicated — they are not excommunicated! — and they should absolutely not be treated as such: they are still a part of the Church," he said. 

For further news on  and analysis of this topic, please visit the following:

• Pope: divorced and remarried people not excommunicated (Vatican Radio)
• Pope Francis on the divorced and civilly remarried (YouTube video) 
• Pope Francis: GENERAL AUDIENCE (Wednesday, 5 August, 2015) (w2.vatican.va) 
• Pope: Divorce and remarriage contradicts the sacrament, but Church always reaches out (Catholic News Agency)
• Pope: 'By No Means Excommunicated,' but Divorce and Remarriage Contradicts the Sacrament (National Catholic Register)
• Pope Francis: The Divorced and Remarried Are Not Excommunicated (aleteia.org)
• Pope: Divorced and Remarried Are Not Excommunicated, Should be Welcomed (America magazine) 
• Divorced and remarried Catholics are not 'excommunicated,' says Pope (The Catholic Herald)
• Francis: Divorced and remarried are not by any means excommunicated (National Catholic Reporter)
• Pope: "No closed doors" to divorced and remarried, they are part of the life of the Church (AsiaNews) 
• Pope Francis Urges Priests to Welcome Remarried Catholics (The New York Times)
  
• Pope Francis: Church Should Welcome Divorced, Remarried Catholics (TIME magazine)
• Pope Francis Says Remarried Divorced Catholics Still in Church (The Bloomberg News)
  
• Pope Francis Says Church must welcome divorced, remarried Catholics (Religion News Service)
• Pope Francis's embracing of divorced Catholics still needs to overcome divine law (CBC News)
  
• Stop shunning divorced Catholics, Pope Francis tells his flock (The Telegraph)
  
•  Pope Francis on the Divorced and Remarried: 10 Things to Know and Share (National Catholic Register)

Catholics in Politics

                                                   Artwork by Jerome D'Costa

Pope Francis, on April 29, gave a call to Catholics all over the world to engage in politics no matter how 'dirty,' frustrating and fraught with failure it is, reports the Catholic News Service. The Pope said individual Catholics must get involved and "embroiled" in politics because it is one of the "highest forms of charity" since he seeks the common good.

For more on this, read the following:

• Catholics must be active in politics, no matter how 'dirty,' pope says
• Lay Catholics should be involved in politics, Pope says

Almost two years ago, on September 16, 2013, Pope Francis gave a similar call to Catholics to participate actively in politics for the common good. You may read the following for details:

• Pope Francis on the Reason Catholics Should Be Involved in Politics
• Pope calls faithful to pray, participate actively in politics
• Pope Francis Was Telling Catholics to Stay Politically Engaged, But Avoid Turf Battles
• Pope Francis is Correct: A Good Catholic Meddles in Politics

Some persons see Pope Francis as a skilled politician, others see him as a "leftist" one. Some others express their apprehension on in which direction his politics will lead the Catholic Church to. On this you may read the following:

• The Pope is One of the Most Skilled Politicians on Earth
• Pope Francis Is More Than a Politician
• With New Pope, a More Open Catholic Church? 
• Pope Francis, Radical Leftist?
• Don't Pick Political Fights With Pope Francis
• The Pope and Politics: Messaging Francis' Hope and Justice 
• Will Pope Francis Break the Church?

 On more reflection on the issue of the Catholics and Politics, please read the following:

• Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
• The Participation of the Catholics in Political Life (The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith)
• Catholics in Political Life (U.S. Bishops' Conference)
• How are Catholics participate in political life?
• Religion and political affiliation
• Politics: Issues, Politicians and Holy Communion, and Voting (Catholic News Agency)
• Catholics and Politics and the J.F.K. Effect
• Catholics and Politics: The Dynamic Tension Between Faith and Power (A book by Kristin E. Heyes, Mark J. Rozell, and Michael A. Genovese, Editors)
• America's Catholic Moment, and Its New Breed of Catholic Politicians

Dr. Benedict Gomes Is No More

Dr. Benedict Gomes (1933-2010)

Photo courtesy: The Pratibeshi weekly (Dhaka: May 30, 2010)

I received the belated news that Dr. Benedict Gomes, a retired professor of the University of Dhaka, research fellow, social worker and mentor of the youth died in Dhaka on May 15, 2010 at the age of 77. After the funeral service at St. Mary's Cathedral, he has been buried at the Christian cemetery at Wari. He left his wife, two sons and two daughters.

After retiring from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dr. Gomes was spending his time with his family in his Eastern Housing apartment on the Circuit House Road, Dhaka.

Birth and Education

Dr. Benedict Gomes was born on May 22, 1933 at the Bhoora bari (house) of Deotola Village under Golla parish of Dhaka District. His parents were Domingo and Sabina Gomes. The economic situation of the family became more acute at the death of his father when he was six years old.

In spite of financial difficulties, he continued his studies and successfully passed the Matriculation Examinations (Grade 10) in 1953 from nearby Holy Cross High School at Bandura. After two years, he passed the I.Sc. (Intermediate Science) from Notre Dame College, Dhaka, in the first division.

In 1959, he passed M.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Dhaka and acquired first class second place. He then joined the Department of Chemistry as a lecturer. After his research in enzymology, in 1968, he received his Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Hawaii, USA.

Dr. Benedict Gomes was the second person in the entire Christian community -- both Catholic and Protestant -- of Bangladesh to receive a doctoral degree. The first Ph.D. holder was Father Theotonius Amal Ganguly, CSC, (later Archbishop of Dhaka), who had received it in 1951 in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA.

More Researches

Dr. Benedict Gomes taught and did more research at the University of Hawaii and Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in 1975-1977. He also did some research at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) in Dhaka.

In 1981, he rejoined the University of Dhaka as a professor. In 1985, he did more research on nutrition at the Dunn Nutritional Laboratory of the University of Cambridge, England.

After serving as the Head of the Department of Biochemistry in 1983-1986, he retired from teaching. Yet, he was involved with some teaching at the same Department as the 'Professor Emeritus.'

Social Worker and Mentor

Dr. Benedict Gomes in his spare time was involved in social development in different villages. He also encouraged youth by patronizing various youth organizations both in Dhaka and rural areas near his place of birth. He also served in advisory committees of Caritas Bangladesh, CORR -- The Jute Works, and other NGOs and welfare organizations.

Other Achievements

In 1987, the Nobel Committee, among others, invited Dr. Benedict Gomes to name a candidate for the that year's Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

He was also a member of different Chemistry, Medical and Nutrition Societies at home and abroad. Once he served as the co-editor of the Bangladesh Journal of Nutrition of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka.

Besides, he as a writer of many research papers, amateur singer and drama artist, and an accomplished card player.

Named in Author Shankar's Epar Bangla Opar Bangla Book

Renowned Calcutta writer Shankar devoted a number of pages in his enormously popular travelogue Epar Bangla Opar Bangla on Dr. Benedict Gomes and his wife Martha Niru Gomes. The writer was exceptionally impressed at the sincere hospitality and friendly behaviour of this couple during his visit of Hawaii.

A Tribute from A Student-cum-Colleague

Dr. Ashrafuddin Ahmed, who now resides in Maryland, USA, was first a student of Professor Benedict Gomes. Later he taught at the same department with him as a professor. At the death of Dr. Benedict Gomes, he published a tribute to him -- Gomes Sirer Shoroney Srodhyanjali (A Tribute in Memory of Gomes Sir) -- in Bangla (Bengali).

Dr. Benedict Gomes, a gregarious, humble and ever-smiling professor, is no more. Many will cherish his memory for time to come.

Sources: l. The Pratibeshi (weekly) (Dhaka: May 30, 2010).
2. Bangladeshey Catholic Mondoli (The Catholic Church in Bangladesh) by Jerome D'Costa,
(Dhaka: Pratibeshi Prakashani, 1988), p.284.