Church that spun congregations

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The Synod Church of Udayamperoor, a whitewashed old-fashioned church on Vaikom Road on the outskirts of Kochi, may not look like a treasure-trove of history.

This church is one of the oldest religious structures in the entire state, with a splendid history of hosting the Synod of Diamper, between June 20 and 26 in 1599, which eventually led to the division of Syrian Church and formation of different Christian congregations in Kerala.

The Udayamperoor Church, termed by the Portuguese as the Church of Diamper, was built in AD 510, according to scripts.

It was the official church of Christian Kings of Villarvattom dynasty. Studies done by Fr Joseph Puduva in 1929 say three Metropolitans and two kings were buried inside this church.

The Synod of Diamper was convened by the Portuguese Governor and Archbishop of Goa, Dom Alexis de Menezes, to formally unite the ancient Christian Church of the Malabar Coast with the Roman Catholic Church.

Diamper is the Portuguese version of the name of the place Udayamperoor.

In the synod, Archdeacon George was forced to comply with the wishes of Archbishop of Goa. This separated Thomas Christians from the Chaldean Patriarch and brought them directly under the Latin Archbishopric of Goa.

The Archbishopric of Angamaly was downgraded to a Bishopric under Goa in 1600. Portuguese Padroado rule was thus imposed and the Bishops for Saint Thomas Christians were appointed by Portuguese Padroado.

The Church has been conserved as a historical museum.