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 forces. The oath resulted in the breaking up of 54 years of Portuguese Padroado (Patronage) Jurisdiction over the Malankara Syrian Church, started with the synod of Diamper in 1599 A.D. convoked by the Portuguese Archbishop Dom Alexio De Menezes.