by W.T.A. Leslie Fernando
On July 17, 2002 the Catholics in Sri Lanka commemorate the 260th death anniversary of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, the foremost Catholic writer, poet and musician ever lived in this country. Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, known as the "Father of Catholic Literature in Sri Lanka" passed away on July 17, 1742 and his mortal remains were buried at St. Mary's Church, Bolawatte.
Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez was born in Goa in 1676. He was ordained priest of the Oratorian Order in India in 1700. He came to Sri Lanka in 1706 to join Blessed Joseph Vaz in his missionary activity relinquishing the post of lecturer in the University of Goa.
During the Dutch period as a result of religious persecution, Catholic activity almost disappeared in the island. It was Blessed Joseph Vaz who came to the country in 1687 under the guise of a beggar and them revived the Catholic faith. Saint Joseph Vaz and his fellow Oratorian priests being Easterners were in a better position than European missionaries of the Portuguese times to appreciate indigenous culture.
Oriental worship
Blessed Joseph Vaz wanted to set up Church adapted to the country and suited to its needs and circumstances. He himself introduced oriental forms of worship, some prayers and Passion plays. However he entrusted the main task of providing Catholic prayers, hymns and literature in Sinhala and Tamil to his assistant, companion and successor Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez.
Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, like Blessed Joseph Vaz was a Konkani Brahamin by lineage. He had some knowledge of Tamil when he landed in Sri Lanka. He improved this knowledge by reading Tamil classics. He studied Sinhala under learned Buddhist Bhikkus and educated laymen like Gaskone Adikaram. He mastered Sinhala language in no time.
In his missionary activities Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez travelled far and wide in the country. He moved with the high and the low from the Kings in the Kandyan Court to the humble peasant in the village. He treasured Sinhala and Tamil classics and at the same time could appreciate folk art, literature and music.
Fr. Gonsalvez presented Sinhala and Tamil Catholic prayers in a language and style to suit both the erudite and the commoner. His contributions have stood the test of time.
Books
He is accredited with 22 books in Sinhala, 15 in Tamil, 4 in Portuguese and 1 in Dutch. Although he was a foreigner rather than imitating the Christian works in the West, he produced original works to suit the cultural traits of this country. Sinhala and Tamil Catholics in Sri Lanka owe their Christian vocabulary to Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez.
The most admired work of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez is "Deva Veda Puranaya". In language and style it resembles the graceful prose presentation in "Pujavaliya". "Deva Neethi Visarjanaya" which gives an account of the last judgement is said to have impressed even King Narendrasinghe of Kandy. "Suvisesha Visadyanaya" contains the Gospel for Sundays and feast days with commentary to be recited in the chanting style of Sinhala prose. In the past when there was no Sunday Mass in churches devotees used to chant the Gospel from it.
Passion plays
Blessed Joseph Vaz introduced Passion plays in Sri Lanka on the model of puppet shows he had witnessed in Goa. Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez wrote "Dukprapthi Prasangaya" - a series of sermons to be chanted while the dumb show was on. To break the tedium of listening to sermons he composed "Pasan" or lamentations to be recited in a plaintive tone. Even today Pasan introduced by Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez are sung in churches and in homes during the season of Lent.
"Veda Kavya" is the best Sinhala poetry work of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez. This deals with the creation of the world and the life of Christ. As Christian poets in the West have been influenced by Greek and Latin mythology in this work. Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez denotes the influence of Hindu mythology and Sinhala Maha Kavyas. However in presentation, language and style he has followed popular works like Guttialaya, Budugunalankaraya and Kusajathakaya. It is a splendid attempt at a synthesis between Christian themes and Sinhala poetic diction.
Musician
An accomplished musician Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez composed Sinhala and Tamil hymns set Carantic ragas, folk music and Vannam. His work "Mangala Geethaya" (Canticles for Festivals) contained hymns set to folk music found in Seth Kavi, Pal Kavi and Goyam Kavi' The concluding hymns were composed in the Jayamangala metre. In the past these hymns were sung on feast days in churches to the accompaniment of drums (bera) and cymbals (atthala).
Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez also composed a set of hymns called "Ananda Kallippuwa" on the vanities of the world in Vannam style. Besides he is said to have written sermons similar to Buddhist Pin Anumodanawa that Catholics could chant at funerals to communicate merit to the dead.
The earliest Tamil work of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez was "Christiani Alayam". This is supposed to be the oldest prayer book in our country. His book "Suvisesha Viriturai" contains the Gospel for Sundays and feast days with commentary. It surpasses its Sinhala counterpart "Suvisesha Visadyanaya" in its majestic diction and fuller treatment.
Sermons
"Viyakula Pirasangam" is the most popular of the Tamil works of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez. This comprises of soul stirring sermons on the Passion of Christ to be chanted in a plaintive tone. It was Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez who composed Tamil "Oppari" - passion chants that contain pathos said to be seldom found in prose or verse in any language. At one time Catholic women from Negombo, who used to chant Oppari at funerals were misunderstood as "hired mourners".
During the Dutch times Bolawatte, where Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez stayed most was centre of Catholic cultural activity. During Christmas and more specially at Easter, Catholic rituals were performed there with full solemnity. There were lively scenes of drama, processions and Passion plays with prayers and hymns written by Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez.
The influence of Fr. Jacome Gonsalves is seen in Sinhala Nadagam as well. Some of the themes for early Catholic Nadagams were drawn from the works of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez. His compositions are also found among lyrics and songs of Nadagam.
Amidst all his achievements there is an allegation against Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, that he tried to influence the Kings of Kandy to neutralise the Buddhist resurgence set about by Welivitiye Sri Saranankara Sangha Raja Thera. There is no evidence or proof to that effect.
The Buddhist Bhikkus in Kandy led by Welivitiye Sri Saranankara Sangha Raja Thera resented the subtle activities of Fr. Gonsalvez and protested about them to the Kings of Kandy. Fr. Gonsalvez formed the basis for an indigenous Catholic Church. He presented Catholic forms, prayers and practices in terms of indigenous thought. He made an attempt to bring about a synthesis between Christian concepts and indigenous culture.
Today so much emphasis is placed on indigenisation and cultural adaptation in the Catholic Church. To some indigenisation means just aping Buddhist and Hindu Forms. It should be emphasised that religion is a powerful force in formation and development of culture. A religious doctrine cannot be taken in isolation without the culture that emanates from it.
A universal religion like Christianity has some cultural elements that do not vary from country to country and century to century. These cultural traits in the course of time would intermingle with a native culture in a particular country to give the Church in that country a distinct outlook.
During the Dutch times under the Oratorian priests like Blessed Joseph Vaz, Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez and others the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka witnessed a magnificent cultural adaptation. They made an attempt to bring about a synthesis between Christian concepts and indigenous cultural patterns as far as the doctrines of the Church permitted.
As the late Bishop Edmund Pieris vividly puts. It - "We Catholics must catch up the strand where the real creators of Catholic-Sinhala synthesis had left it to suit the modern conditions in the Church as well as in the country".
(The writer is a former High Court Judge)
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