Kariattil Mar Ousep

His Beatitude
Kariattil Mar Ousep
Metropolitan of Archeparchy of Kodungalloor

St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Church, Alangad houses the tomb of Kariatil Mar Ousep
Church Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
Diocese Kodungalloor
Installed 1783
Term ended 1786
Predecessor Parambil Mar Chandy
Successor Mar Thoma Paremmakkal
Orders
Ordination 1783
Personal details
Birth name Ousep
Born 5 May 1742
Alengad
Died 1786
Goa
Buried St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Church, Alangad
Nationality Indian

Kariattil Mar Ousep (5 May 1742 – 10 September 1786) was the first native Indian to be appointed as Archbishop of the Syrian Catholics in the territory now comprising Kerala, India.[1]

Kariattil was born at Alengad, near Aluva in present day central Kerala. He had his initial religious education at the Seminary at Alengad. Later he was sent to the Propaganda College of Pontifical Urban University, Rome, in 1755 when he was barely 13 years old. There he was ordained as a priest, and he took Doctorate in Philosophy and Theology from there.[2] He returned to India in 1766. He was then appointed as a Malpan at Alangad Seminary.

Kariattil Malpan took great efforts for the reunion of the Saint Thomas Christians (also known as Syrian Christians or Nasrani) who had split following the Coonen Cross Oath. He made the historic journey to Rome in 1778 together with Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar to represent the matter with the church authorities there.[3] Kariattil Malpan was consecrated at Lisbon in 1783 and was appointed as Archbishop of Cranganore (Kodungalloor). However, on his way back to India, he died at Goa on 10 September 1786. He was initially buried there and later his mortal remains were transferred to Alengad and were re-interred at St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Alangad in 1961.

He is the author of two books, viz. Vedatharkkam (Dialectics on Theology) (1768) and Noticias do Reino do Malabar (1780).[4]

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