Ruminations at the Church of Saint Francis in Cochin

Fort Cochin (Kochi) is a reminder of the colonial history of Kerala.

While it is perhaps best known for the Chinese fishing nets (see the blog of Gallivanting Isadora for some great photos), it also has the oldest European Church in India.

Church of Saint Francis at Fort Cochin

A visit to this church leads one to ruminate upon the history of colonization and the role played by religion and politics.

Vasco da Gama landing in India (from the Library of Congress)

It is the original burial place of the Portuguese admiral Vasco da Gama, the first explorer to reach India from Europe by rounding the bottom of Africa in 1498.

However, it seems in all ages, those in power want to rebury national figures for their own purposes.  In 2009, President Sarkozy wanted to remove Albert Camus from his simple grave in Lourmarin to rebury him in the Pantheon in Paris, apparently to give the impression that, contrary to popular belief, the President did have some interest in culture.

Tomb of Albert Camus in Lourmarin Cemetry

Unfortunately, Sarkozy had not asked Camus' son and he was completely opposed to participating in such a scheme. As Camus' biographer put it - "Sarkozy may have felt that he needed Camus, but Camus certainly doesn't need Sarkozy".


Incidentally, I suspect Camus would be wryly amused by the couple of robust angels that are on the tomb virtually opposite his.

Tomb opposite that of Albert Camus

John III, "by the grace of God, King of Portugal, of the Algarves, of either side of the sea in Africa, Lord of Guinea, & of the Conquest, Navigation, & Commerce of Ethiopia,Arabia, Persia, & India", needed to convince his people that Portuguese exploration was a great and glorious thing and Vasco da Gama was seen as the national hero.  Vasco da Gama had a simple resting place in Cochin in which he was buried in 1524 ....

Vasco de Gama's gravestone in Fort Cochoin

    ...and where his gravestone is now watched over by that of a Dutch Protestant who died in 1688 and which was shifted from its position on the floor to be stuck on the wall to make way for the British.

The gravestone on the wall of St. Francis' Church

Fifteen years later, da Gama's remains were shipped to the new church of Santa Maria at the Jeronimos monastery in Lisbon which was constructed to be the resting place of the royal family.  This was an obvious move by the King to gain popularity.  

Vasco da Gama's tomb in Santa Maria church, Lisbon.

Unfortunately, the cost of trying to defend Portuguese overseas settlements effectively bankrupted the country.


Vasco da Gama pillaged shipping along the coast of what is now Kerala  in accordance with the Papal mandate given to the Portuguese king "to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens and pagans whatsoever, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever placed, and the kingdoms, dukedoms, principalities, dominions, possessions, and all movable and immovable goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery, and to apply and appropriate to himself and his successors the kingdoms, dukedoms, counties, principalities, dominions, possessions, and goods, and to convert them to his and their use and profit."

One might think that da Gama would have been a little disconcerted to find that there were a significant number of Christian communities in Kerala that had been there since at least the third century A.D. It may be that the apostle St. Thomas brought christianity to India in the first century.

A Saint Thomas Cross

However sensitivity was not part of da Gama's character as he is remembered in India for his horrendous brutality which included burning an unarmed pilgrim ship filled with 400 pilgrims,  many of whom were women and children.  He is also notorious for killing the crews of ships he captured and barbarously cutting off the crew's hands, ears and noses, dispatching them wrapped in banana leaves with an insulting note to the ruler of Calicut suggesting they be used in a curry.  The ruler (Zamorin) had refused to grant him the trading rights he demanded. 


Returning to the church of St. Francis, it is also a monument to the colonial nature of christianity.  Having been built by the Portuguese as a Catholic church in 1503 and rebuilt in 1516 dedicated to Saint Anthony, it was converted to being a Dutch Protestant church when they captured Fort Cochin in 1683.  After the British defeated the Dutch in 1795, the church was ceded to the victors and became an Anglican church, complete with flapping fans operated from outside the church. 

Long fans operated by ropes from outside the church.

As goes the flag, so goes the church!






Many thanks to Wikipedia and its many contributors which enabled me to cross-check locally garnered information (not always fully accurate!).