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HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN CHAPTER SIX OATH ONF THE BENT CROSS AND LATER DEVELOPMENTS AD 1653 The oppressive rule of the Portuguese padroado provoked a violent reaction on the part of the St. Thomas Christian community. In 1652, the Persian Catholicos sent Metropolitan Mar Ahatallah from Syria to India. He was however taken prisoner by the Jesuits at Mylapore and handed over to the Portuguese padroado who put him in a ship at Madras bound to Goa. Enroute the ship stopped by Cochin. Some how the news reached the Thomas Christians who hearing this marched down in protest to the Cochin Harbout with a band of 25000 strong . However hearing this the Portuguese urged the ship off to Goa. No one knows what happenned to this bishop. It was rumored that under the Goan Inquisition he was drowned. This sparked off a massive movement of protest against Rome. This shaking away of the yoke of Roman Catholicism was accelerated by the fact that Portuguese supremacy in the <strong>Indian</strong> Ocean was broken by the Dutch. The first solemn protest took place in 1653. Under the leadership of Malankara Mooppen Thomas, Nazranis around Cochin gathered at Mattancherry church on Friday, January 24, 1653 (M.E. 828 Makaram 3) and made an oath that is known as the Great Oath of Bent Cross. The following oath was read aloud and the people touching a stone-cross repeated it loudly. 116
HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN "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." 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 (Koonen Kurisu Sathyam)’’ Those who kept away from the Synod of Diamper continued as a small separate church in Trichur and were called the Chaldean Church. In 1653, the Nestorian church in Persia sent a bishop to Kerala. Knowing this the Portuguese authorities captured the bishop before he could land in Cochin and was imprisoned there where he died in duress. As soon as this was known, the enraged Christians in Malankara gathered under the leadership of Thomas Archdeacon and a Knanaya priest, Anjilimmoottil Ittythomman Kathanar (Rev. Itty Thomas)at Mattanchery Church in Kochi and the nearby market on 1653 3rd January (Makaram 3rd, Friday). They took an oath proclaiming that "We or our children and their children to all generations to come will have nothing to do with the Roman Catholic Church nor the Pope of Rome from now on." There were over 25,000 Saint Thomas Christians and 633 clergy at the (Church compound. They took the oath touching the cross in the front yard of the Church. Since all the people could not touch the cross, they tied ropes from the church and every one of the 2000 held the rope or touched the cross to take the oath. Since the cross had a slight bent, this historic oath came to be known as the Koonan Kurisu Sathyam. Thus ended the five decades of supremacy of the Roman church in Malabar. Four months after Coonan Kurisu Sathyam, they assembled at Alangatt, and in accordance with tradition of the church, twelve elders of the Syrian Church community laid hands on the Malankara Mooppen Archdecon Thomas of Pakalomattom family and consecrated him the episcopa of Malankara, giving him the name Mar Thoma I (1653 - 1670), the first in the long line up to Mar Thoma bishops. He was thus the first indigenous bishop of Malankara church. (The Catholics considered this illegitimate, because this was not their practice.) They also appointed a four-member council of priests to assist Mar Thoma. They were Anjilimootil Fr. Itty Thoman, Fr Kadavil Chandy, Fr Vengoor Geevarghese and Fr Parampil Chandy. The seat of Mor Thoma I was at Ankamaly. And once again, Malankara Church became the integral part of the Syrian Orthodox Church, adopting its rituals, rites and liturgy as before. 117
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PREFACE This book is the result of
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA :
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According to the Anal Naga Baptist
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Bible Studies Six Enigmas in the Bi
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Indian Christianity

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