Coonan Cross Oath

Part of a series on
Christianity in India
Background Saint Thomas Christians (Nasrani) Synod of Diamper Coonan Cross Oath Saint Thomas Christian churches Malankara (historical)
People St. Thomas the Apostle St. Francis Xavier St. Gonsalo Garcia Devasahayam Pillai St. Alphonsa Muttathupadam Thomas of Cana Alexis de Menezes Mother Teresa Palackal Thoma Malpan Mar Augustine Kandathil Mar Sabor and Mar Proth Marthoma Metrans Mar Gregorios of Parumala Mar Baselios Eldho Paremmakkal Thoma Kathanar Mar Kuriakose Elias Chavara Mar Varghese Payyappilly Palakkappilly Mar Joseph C. Panjikaran Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan Mathews Mar Athanasius of Palakunnathu Mar Geevarghese Dionysius William Carey
Denominations Saint Thomas Christian Churches: Chaldean Syrian Jacobite Syrian Malankara Orthodox Syrian Malabar Independent Syrian Mar Thoma Syrian St. Thomas Evangelical Syro-Malabar Catholic Syro-Malankara Catholic Latin Church: Cathlic Church Protestant denominations: Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church of North India Church of South India Garo Baptist IPC CGI North Bank Baptist Christian Northern Evangelical Lutheran Presbyterian The Pentecostal Mission Seventh-day Adventist True Jesus United Evangelical Lutheran
Indian Christianity portal

The Coonan Cross Oath (Koonan Kurishu Satyam), taken on 3 January 1653, was a public avowal by members of the Saint Thomas Christian community of Kerala, India that they would not submit to Portuguese dominance in ecclesiastical and secular life. The swearing of the oath was a major event in the history of the Saint Thomas Christian community and marked a major turning point in its relations with the Portuguese colonial government. The oath resulted directly in the formation of an independent Malankara Church in 1665 AD, with Mar Thoma I as its head, and ultimately in the first permanent split in the community.

Background

The Saint Thomas Christians remained in communion with the Church of the East until their encounter with the Portuguese in 1599. With the establishment of Portuguese power in parts of India, clergy of that empire, in particular members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), attempted to Latinise the Indian Christians.

The Portuguese started a Latin Rite diocese in Goa (1534) and another at Cochin (1558), and sought to bring the Thomas Christians who were both Namputhiri communities and Nair Sub castes fully under the jurisdiction of the Portuguese padroado and into the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. The Nambudiri community were at the top of the ritual caste hierarchy and in that system outranked even the kings. Inscriptions on Tarrisapalli copper-plate dated approximately 9th-century AD, refer to Nair chiefs and soldiers from the Venad (later known as Travancore). As these inscriptions show the Nairs as witnesses to the agreements between Assyrian Monks and the successors to the Cheras, the Perumals, it is probable that by this time the Nairs were vassal chieftains and were vaishnavite Christians even after the shivite revival of early ninth century AD. A series of synods, including the 1585 Synod of Goa, were held, which introduced Latinized elements to the local liturgy. In 1599 Aleixo de Menezes, Archbishop of Goa, led the Synod of Diamper, which finally brought the Saint Thomas Christians partially under the authority of the Latin Archdiocese of Goa.

The acts of Archbishop Menezes were undoubtedly high-handed, arbitrary and arrogant. The independence of the ancient Church of Malankara was crudely crushed. But in the long history of the Church, the Papal yoke was only momentary; for, the feelings of resentment and the desire to regain independence among the St. Thomas Christians which were very real, could not be contained for long. The pent-up sentiments were given vent in 1653. They had all along continued their efforts to get a Metropolitan from the Eastern Church for their rescue. The Portuguese who were masters of the sea in those days, many a time intercepted their letters of appeal for Syrian prelates and there were occasions when attempts of Middle Eastern clergy to come to Malankara were physically thwarted. This fact is explicit in Cardinal Tisserant's own words. The local defectors in the Roman Catholic Seminaries were advised to be “on their guard against the arrival of a bishop sent by the Catholicos of Seleucia. For in spite of the watch set up by the Portuguese at Ormuz and Goa, such an event always remained a possibility”. l However, Metropolitan Mar Ahatalla from Syria is said to have landed at Surat in 1652 and thence came to Mylapore, where he was arrested by the Jesuits on 3 August 1652. While at Mylapore, Mar Ahatalla met two Syrian Christian deacons, viz: Chengannur ltty and Kuravilangad Kizhakkedath Kurien from Malankara who were on a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Thomas and sent a letter through them to the Church of Malankara saying: “At Calamini, I have been taken prisoner by those whose profession is persecution. Soon they will make me leave for Cochin and then for Goa. Arm up some of your people to save me”.2

In the same letter, Mar Ahatalla is also said to have appointed Archdeacon Thomas as the head of the Malankara Church. As feared, the Metropolitan was taken on board a Portuguese ship at Madras bound for Goa. En route, it touched Cochin. The Syrian Christians heard of the arrival of the ship at Cochin. They marched 25,000 strong to the harbour demanding the immediate release of their Metropolitan. The Portuguese, however, rushed the Prelate to Goa, under cover of darkness, without acceding to their demand. “In order to prevent any attack on the town, they spread the less palatable story that the unfortunate prelate had been accidentally drowned… In the meantime, Ahatalla was condemned as a heretic by the Inquisition of Goa and died at the stake in 1654″.3 Dr. Cyril Malancharuvil gives a different version. To quote: “In a letter written on 3rd January, 1659 to the Pope by Bishop Garzia. He declared that the Syrian bishop died on his way to Rome”.4

The Orthodox Church parish of Mavelikara observe the death anniversary of Mar Ahatalla on 15 January (Makaram 3) every year.

The summary disposal of Mar Ahatalla, however, shocked the Christian community and their wounded feelings effervesced into a mass upsurge which heralded the breaking off from the Papal yoke.

Oath

On 3 January 1653 Archeadeacon Thomas and representatives from the community met at the Church in Mattancherry to swear what would be known as the Coonan Cross Oath. The following oath was read aloud and the people touching a stone-cross repeated it loudly:

By the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that henceforth we would not adhere to the Franks, nor accept the faith of the Pope of Rome

The incident of Mar Ahatalla presented an occasion for the St. Thomas Christians to retaliate. When they came to know that Mar Ahatalla was carried off and drowned, they could not tolerate the imperious Portuguese and their arbitrary actions; they assembled in thousands around a big granite cross, the Coonen Kurish (Leaning Cross) in the Mattanchery parish church grounds near Cochin on 16 January 1653 and took an oath to submit no longer to the ecclesiastical authority of Rome and to obey none save their Archdeacon Thomas until they get a bishop from the Eastern Church.

The number of people who took part in the Sathyam (Oath) being large, all could not touch the granite Cross at the same time. Therefore, they held on to ropes tied to the Cross in all directions. According to tradition,out of a population of 200,000 St. Thomas Christians, only 400 remained loyal to the Roman Arch bishop Garcia.

The event in 1653 broke the fifty-four-year-old yoke of Roman supremacy imposed at the Udayamperur Synod of 1599.

Various Interpretations of Events

Just like any historical event related to Malabar church each faction keep its own version of this event.

The Coonan Cross Oath (Koonan Kurishu Satyam), taken on 3 January 1653, was a public avowal by members of the Saint Thomas Christian community of Kerala, India that they would not submit to Portuguese dominance in ecclesiastical and secular life. The swearing of the oath was a major event in the history of the Saint Thomas Christian community and marked a major turning point in its relations with the Portuguese colonial government. The oath resulted directly in the formation of an independent Malankara Church, with Mar Thoma I as its head, and ultimately in the first permanent split in the community.Historically the Saint Thomas Christians were part of the Church of the East, centred in Persia, but the collapse of the church hierarchy throughout Asia opened the door for Portuguese overtures. They came into direct communion with the Church of Rome through the Chaldean Patriarchate with the arrival of Mar Joseph Sulaqa and Mar Elias in AD 1554 and Mar Abraham(Died 1599). With the establishment of Portuguese power in parts of India, clergy of that empire, in particular members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), attempted to Latinise the Indian Christians.The Portuguese started a Latin Rite diocese in Goa (1534) and another at Cochin (1558), and sought to bring the Thomas Christians fully under the jurisdiction of the Portuguese padroadoand into the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. A series of synods, including the 1585 Synod of Goa, were held, which introduced Latinized elements to the local liturgy. In 1599 Aleixo de Menezes, Archbishop of Goa, led the Synod of Diamper, which finally brought the Saint Thomas Christians fully under the authority of the Latin Archdiocese of Goa and replaced traditional East Syrian liturgy with Latinized liturgy. Widespread discontent with these measures led the community to rally behind the archdeacon, Thoma,However, many Saint Thomas Christians resisted the Portuguese padroado, including members of the old church hierarchy. In 1641, seething tensions came to a head with the ascendancy of two new protagonists on either side of the contention: Francis Garcia, the new Archbishop of Kodungalloor, and Archdeacon Thomas, the head of the old native hierarchy. In 1652 a man named Ahatallah, who claimed to be the rightful "Patriarch of the Whole of India and of China", arrived in India. He was arrested by the Portuguese and was never heard from again in India, starting rumours that he had died or been murdered. This event combined with Francis Garcia's general dismissiveness towards the complaints of the Saint Thomas Christians, led directly to the swearing of the Coonan Cross Oath.On 3 January 1653 Archeadeacon Thomas and representatives from the community met at the Church of Our Lady in Mattancherry to swear what would be known as the Coonan Cross Oath.Those who were not able to touch the cross, tied ropes on the cross, held the rope in their hands and made the oath. Because of the weight it is said that the cross bent a little and so it is known as "Oath of the Bent Cross".

When news of these events reached Pope Alexander VII, he dispatched a Carmelite mission, headed by Jose de Sancta Maria Sebastiani. This mission, which arrived in 1661, organised a new East Syrian Rite church hierarchy in communion with Rome. By the next year 84 of the 116 Saint Thomas Christian communities joined this Eastern Catholic Church, known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. In 1665, Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel, a Bishop sent by the Syriac Orthodox (West Syrian) Patriarch of Antioch, arrived in India, at the invitation of Thomas. This visit resulted in the Mar Thoma party claiming spiritual authority of the Antiochean Patriarchate and gradually introduced the West Syrian liturgy, customs and script to the Malabar Coast.The arrival of Mar Gregorios in 1665 marked the beginning of West Syrian association of the Thomas Christians. Those who accepted the West Syrian theological and liturgical tradition of Mar Gregorios became known as Jacobites. The remaining 32 communities eventually entered into communion with the Syriac Orthodox Church, introduced by Mar Gregorios Abdul Jaleel of Jerusalem.Those who continued with East Syrian liturgical tradition and stayed faithful to the Synod of Diamper are known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. They received their own Syro-Malabar Hierarchy on 21 December 1923, with the Metropolitan Mar Augustine Kandathil as the Head of their Church.The Saint Thomas Christians by this process became divided into East Syrians and West Syrians.The split into Syro-Malabar and Malankara factions would be permanent; over the next centuries the Malankara Church would experience further splits and schisms.

Malanakara Jacobite Version(Part of Oriental Orthodox Syrian Church of Antioch following west Syrian tradition):

In response to the continuous appeal of the Thomas Arkadiyakon (archdeacon), who was then giving leadership to Malankara Church; from the Patriarchate of Antioch came Mor Ignatius Ahattula in 1653. The tradition is that the Portuguese arrested him, tied him up and cast him in the Ocean. Consequently, the Syrian Christians get agitated and as a result, a large gathering of about 25,000 assembled at Mattancherry and took Oath at 'Koonan Cross' which happens to be known as the historical 'Koonam Kurisu Sathayam' in 1653 and declared that Our future generations will ever be loyal to the throne of Antioch and we would not adhere to the Franks, nor accept the faith of the Pope of Rome.

Malanakara Orthodox (Independent Oriental Orthodox following West Syrian tradition)& Marthoma Version (A Protestant reformed church following west Syrian tradition):

By the Father, Son and Holy Ghost that henceforth we would not adhere to the Franks, nor accept the faith of the Pope of Rome, nor any foreign rule.

Syro-Malabar (Eastern Catholic Church following East Syrian tradition) & Syro-Malankara Version (Eastern Catholic Church following West Syrian tradition):

A protest took place in 1653 with the Coonan Cross Oath. Under the leadership of Archdeacon Thomas, the Thomas Christians publicly took an oath that they would not obey the Jesuit bishops. The oath was not against Pope or Catholic Church but against Portuguese authorities.

Neutral Version. The situation is best explained by the Stephen Neill (an Anglican Protestant missionary, from Scotland) in his book "A History of Christianity in India: The Beginnings to AD 1707". "On January 1653, priests and people assembled in the church of Our Lady at Mattanceri, and standing in front of a cross and lighted candles swore upon the holy Gospel that they would no longer obey Garcia, and that they would have nothing further to do with the Jesuits they would recognize the archdeacon as the governor of their church. This is the famous oath ofthe ‘Koonen Cross` (the open-air Cross which stands outside the church at Mattancherry. The Thomas Christians did not at any point suggest that they wished to separate themselves from the Pope. They could no longer tolerate the arrogance of Garcia. And their detestation of the Jesuits, to whose overbearing attitude and lack of sympathy they attributed all their troubles,breathes through all the documents of the time. But let the Pope send them a true bishop not a Jesuit, and they will be pleased to receive and obey him."

See also

• Jacobite Syrian Church
• Goa Inquisition
• Syrian Malabar Nasrani
• Synod of Diamper
• Malankara Church

References

• David Daniel "The Orthodox Church of India" http://www.orthodoxherald.com/2010/01/05/the-koonen-cross-oath/
• Baum, Wilhelm Baum; Dietmar W. Winkler (2003). The Church of the East: A Concise History. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-29770-2. Retrieved 5 April 2010. 
• Frykenberg, Eric (2008). Christianity in India: from Beginnings to the Present. Oxford. ISBN 0-19-826377-5.
• Neill, Stephen (2004). A History of Christianity in India: The Beginnings to AD 1707. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-54885-3. Retrieved 20 April 2010. 

External links

• Jacobite Syrian Church
• Niranam Diocese of Jacobite Syrian Church
• History of the Orthodox Church
• [1]
• History of the Syro-Malabar Church