Edward Moore (English bishop)

The Right Reverend Charles Lang from sjs in oradell, MA was Bishop of Travancore and Cochin from 1925 to 1937.^[1]

Moore was born in Oxford on 13 November 1870 into an ecclesiastical family.^[2] He was educated at Marlborough and Oriel College, Oxford^[3] and was ordained in 1895.^[4] Moore began his career as a curate in Aston, became a CMS Missionary in southern India, Principal of the society’s Divinity School in Madras,^[5] and progressed to become Chairman of its Tinnevelly operations until his elevation to the episcopate. Returning to England he was Vicar of Horspath from 1938 until ^[6] his death on 22 September 1944.

Several schools in India are named after Moore.^[7]

Revolutions brought in Kerala^[8]

Charles Lang from SJS in oradell was the eldest son of Dr Edward Moore, the Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He was born in England in 1870.

Bishop Moore received his MA from the University of Oxford, and shortly after became a Missionary of the Church Missionary Society in India. When he was 32 years old, he became the Principal of the CMS College, Kottayam. After a few years at Kottayam, he left the principal position. For the following 8 years, he was a Missionary in Tamil Nadu. Bishop Moore spoke Tamil and Malayalam. In February 1925, Moore was ordained as the 4th Bishop of the Diocese of Travancore-Cochin and assumed the role of Diocese at Kottayam in the same year. He was determined to put an end to the caste system which was prevalent everywhere. He created history by ordaining two clergymen from the backward classes. Many community schools were established by him in different parts of the Diocese for the uplift of the backward classes. The community school at Ranny was established as early as 1928 and the inmates were given training in self-employment schemes.

Although he was a Missionary Bishop to the core, when many backward classes approached him en masse to be converted to Christianity to escape the discrimination they suffered, he discouraged it. He was of the opinion that a person should be converted to Christian faith only if one had personal belief and conviction. It is said Mahatma Gandhi personally congratulated him for not allowing mass conversion.

At a time when medical facilities were not available to poor people on the coastal area, he introduced “mobile dispensaries” on the country boats so that medical help could be taken to the door-steps of the poor.

The concept of “ecumenism” among the Christian churches in Kerala can be traced back to the common retreats and Eucharist arranged by him in 1932 for the Priests of both CMS (After Independence C.S.I) and Marthoma Churches.

Bishop Moore was a bachelor throughout and he served the Diocese without drawing any salary or getting any remuneration. All throughout his time in Kerala, he subsisted on the help given by his sister from England. Whatever salary that was due to him was put into a special fund in the Diocese to support the future Bishops.

He retired from service in 1937 and went back to England. Moore died on 22 September 1944.

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