With thanks to Rev. Joseph Velinkar SJ. of the Heras Institute Of
History.
Although India was within the jurisdiction of the Patronage power of the king
of Portugal, Rome and the Office of Propagation of the Faith, or Propaganda,
decided to appoint Vicars Apostolic in areas that were not served spiritually.
The vicarate in Bijapur became the Great Mogul's and stretched south to Burma.
In 1720, the Carmelite priest occupying the position assumed jurisdiction
over Bombay, at the request of the British !THis vicarate of the Moghul would
soon become the vicarate of Bombay Bassein fell to the Marathas and the
churches in Salcette were lost. The closing of Jesuit institutions lead to a
declineof Catholics for lack of education and influence. Restoration would only
begin in 1814. The Italian Carmelites were in Bombay from 1720 to 1745, when
hurdles arose. The archbishop of Goa,insisting on theright of Patronage,
demande they obtain his permission to perform all priestly duties. A state of
disharmony followed,and soon the British got involved. The Carmelite head of
Bombay was expelled, only to return in 1773. After some years, churches under
British jurisdiction were withdrawn from the control of the bishop of Goa and
restoredto the Carmelite bishop of Bombay, a volte face for the governor of
Bombay.
Double Jurisdiction Was introduced in 1794 and four churches were to be
served by the Carmelite mission and two: Gloria and Salvacao along with Cavel
chapel by Portuguese priests. The Company gave the people the right to reject a
vicar named by the bishop. The Bombay government next claimed the right of
sanction in the appointment of parish priests. In the case of Salcette, the
civil regime denied the Goa Archbishop all rights of appointments. In 1823
civil war broke out between the king, Manuel who was supported by religious
orders and the party of Queen Maria Gloria. The latter won and initiated a
process of church persecution. All religious orders were suppressed and
relations with the Holy See broken off. The Portuguese government neglected the
management of church affairs. The Holy See stepped in and created vicarates in
Madras, Bengal, and Ceylon, which Portugal opposed.
ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
