Devasahayam Pillai

Who was Devasahayam Pillai?

Blessed Devasahayam Pillai, born Neelakanta Pillai in southern India, is a beatified layman of the Latin Catholic church. Born into a Hindu family in the 18th century, he converted to Christianity and is considered a martyr of the Christian faith. Pillai was an official in the court of the king of Travancore, Maharaja Marthanda Varma, when he came under the influence of Dutch naval commander, Captain Eustachius De Lannoy, who instructed him in the Catholic faith. He is believed to have been killed by the then Travancore state for upholding his Christian faith.

In 2004, at the request of the diocese of Kottar, Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India recommended Devasahayam Pillai for the process of beatification to the Vatican. Some Hindu groups objected to this initiative on the grounds that there was no evidence of religious persecution in Travancore during that period, and that Pillai was executed for sedition. However, documents dating back to the period of Devasahayam Pillai show that conversion of court officials to Christianity was not tolerated.

On June 28, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate a decree regarding the martyrdom of Devasahayam Pillai and he was referred to as "Venerable".