Coonan Cross Oath information

The Coonan Cross Oath, also known as the Great Oath of Bent Cross, the Leaning Cross Oath or the Oath of the Slanting Cross, taken on 3 January 1653 in Mattancherry, was a public avowal by members of the Saint Thomas Christians of the Malabar region in India, that they would not submit to the Jesuits and Latin Catholic hierarchy, nor accept Portuguese dominance (Padroado) in ecclesiastical and secular life.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The Portuguese, aiming to exert greater political control over the region through colonialism and church authority, labeled their Christian adversaries as Nestorians. The Portuguese did not accept the legitimacy of local ecclesiastical traditions and began to impose Latin usages upon the local Christians.^[4] At the Synod of Diamper in 1599, presided over by Aleixo de Menezes, the Padroado appointed Latin Catholic Archbishop of Goa and the Primate of the East Indies, a number of such latinisations were imposed, including the preference for Portuguese bishops, changes in the liturgy, the use of Roman vestments, the requirement of clerical celibacy, and the setting up of the Portuguese Inquisition in Goa and Bombay-Bassein which exercised ecclesial jurisdiction in Portuguese Cochin.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

In 1653, after half a century of the increasing influence of the Latin Church, the majority of the Saint Thomas Christians resisted Padroado Jesuits, and took the Coonan Cross Oath (1653) at Mattancherry, pledging to liberate themselves from latinisation and Portuguese domination. They elected Thoma I as the archdeacon and head of their community and decided to re-establish intercommunion with older Eastern Churches.^[9]^[2]^[10]

^ Brown 1956, p. 100.
^ ^a ^b Baum & Winkler 2003, pp. 115–116.
^ Neill 2004, p. 316.
^ Mundadan 1967, pp. 115–116.
^ Mechery, Antony (2018). "Archbishop Aleixo de Menezes OSA, A Portuguese Fidalgo: Behind the Curtain". Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection. 82: 8–34.
^ Brown 1956, p. 32.
^ Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 115.
^ Neill 2004, p. 208.
^ Brown 1956, pp. 100–101.
^ Neill 2004, pp. 316–321.

[FOOTNOTEBrown1956100-1] Brown 1956, p. 100.

[FOOTNOTEBaumWinkler2003115–116-2] Baum & Winkler 2003, pp. 115–116.

[FOOTNOTENeill2004316-3] Neill 2004, p. 316.

[FOOTNOTEMundadan1967115–116-4] Mundadan 1967, pp. 115–116.

[5] Mechery, Antony (2018). "Archbishop Aleixo de Menezes OSA, A Portuguese Fidalgo: Behind the Curtain". Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection. 82: 8–34.

[FOOTNOTEBrown195632-6] Brown 1956, p. 32.

[FOOTNOTEBaumWinkler2003115-7] Baum & Winkler 2003, p. 115.

[FOOTNOTENeill2004208-8] Neill 2004, p. 208.

[FOOTNOTEBrown1956100–101-9] Brown 1956, pp. 100–101.

[FOOTNOTENeill2004316–321-10] Neill 2004, pp. 316–321.

Coonan Cross Oath information

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Saint Thomas Christians
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Saint Thomas Thomas of Cana Mar Sabor and Mar Proth Tharisapalli plates Synod of Diamper Coonan Cross Oath
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Abraham Malpan Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar Kayamkulam Philipose Ramban Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly Mar Thoma I Saint Alphonsa Sadhu Kochoonju Upadesi Kariattil Mar Ousep Geevarghese Dionysius of Vattasseril Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala Geevarghese Ivanios Euphrasia Eluvathingal Thoma of Villarvattom
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Christianity in India
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Communities Bengali Christians Bettiah Christians Bombay East Indians Marathi Christians Meitei Christians Mizo Christians Naga Christians Punjabi Christians Saint Thomas Christians Tamil Christians Telugu Christians
People Saint Thomas the Apostle Saint Alphonsa Saint Francis Xavier Saint Gonsalo Garcia Saint Euphrasia Eluvathingal Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara Saint Mother Teresa Bl.Devasahayam Pillai Mar Sabor and Mar Proth Mar Baselios Eldho Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar Thomas of Cana Ignatius Elias III Mar Gregorios of Parumala Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly Mar Joseph C. Panjikaran Mathews Mar Athanasius Metropolitan Mar Geevarghese Dionysius Abraham Malpan Giuseppe Maria Bernini Sadhu Sundar Singh Palackal Thoma Malpan Mar Augustine Kandathil William Carey
Denominations Saint Thomas Christian denominations Catholic Syro-Malabar Catholic, Syro-Malankara Catholic, Latin Catholic Oriental Orthodox Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Independent Oriential Orthodox Malabar Independent Syrian Church Church of the East Chaldean Syrian Oriental Protestant Christian Mar Thoma Syrian, St. Thomas Evangelical Protestant denominations Andhra Evangelical Lutheran, Assemblies Jehovah Shammah, Christian Revival Church, Church of North India, Church of South India, Garo Baptist, Indian Brethren, Indian Pentecostal Church of God, Church of God (Full Gospel), North Bank Baptist Christian, Northern Evangelical Lutheran, Methodist Church, Presbyterian, The Pentecostal Mission, Seventh-day Adventist, United Evangelical Lutheran
Organisations National Council of Churches in India All India Conference of Indian Christians All India Catholic Union
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