Mar Abraham had solicited the Jesuits to appoint the Archdeacon as his successor. They did not oblige..21 22 They wanted to appoint a Latin bishop over the St. Thomas Christians and bring them under the Padroado jurisdiction.

Archbishop Menezes of Goa had obtained from Pope Clement VIII authorization to appoint a vicar apostolic for Angamali after the death of Mar Abraham. Archbishop Menezes who rushed to Angamaly had to confirm the Archdeacon George of thew cross as the administrator. Menezes ordained priests to muster support and convoked a Synod at Diamper. Studies have revealed that the Synod was totally manipulated by the Archbishop. Menezes composed in anticipation the Acts of the Synod in Portuguese and got it translated into Malayalam. However this Portuguese text was very much different from the Malayalam text used for collecting the signature. The Portuguese manuscript is almost twice as long as the Malayalam one.

In Europe much publicity was given to the story of the Synod of Diamper. The literature published in this connection together with what was said to be the Acts of the Synod spread the false idea that for more than thousand years St. Thomas Christians had been living out of the Roman communion, and that they have been “reduced ” ((brought back)to the obedience of Rome by the efforts of the zealous Archbishop Menezes. Even today many do not know that St. Thomas Christians have always remained faithful and loyal to Rome for twenty centuries In place of “Reducing the St. Thomas Christians to the obedience of Rome ” Menezes should have written the truth,, namely, he removed the St. Thomas Christians from under the jurisdiction of the East Syrian prelates and brought them under the Latin jurisdiction and the Portuguese Padroado. The false propaganda has done permanent damage to the St. Thomas Christians. These manipulations have gone to creating animosity between the two communities.

Two Jesuit Fathers, Ros S.J who became bishop, and Campori S.J., who were present in the Synod, wrote to the Jesuit General that the Synod was not “in forma ”.According to their letters the St. Thomas Christians were not consulted in the Synod; they understood nothing of what was decided upon there. Precomposed regulations were read out which according to Archbishop Menezes, was done to avoid any hindrance to show the way of salvation to the assembled. Menezes made additions to the acts of the Synod after the Synod was over. Menezes obtained from Ros S.J. the signatures of the assembled detached from the original and attached them to the copy he prepared to be sent to Rome for approval.

Though Archbishop Menezes succeeded in establishing Latin hegemony and the Portuguese Padroado over the St. Thomas Christians, the Latin prelates and Latinization were never accepted by the Thomas Christians.