The Hindu : Orthodox faction ready to cooperate

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Orthodox faction ready to cooperate

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Dec. 15. The Orthodox faction of the Malankara Church has said that it would cooperate with the Cabinet sub-committee, headed by the Kerala Finance Minister, K. Sankaranarayanan, and the KPCC sub-committee to work out a formula to settle the current row in the Church.

The supreme head of the Orthodox faction, Mar Baselius Mathews II, addressing a press conference here today, said that the Government should have taken steps to settle the row as soon as the Supreme Court gave its verdict.

He said that the Orthodox faction was willing to accept any formula which would fully encompass the spirit of the Supreme Court verdict. It was also ready for any kind of reasonable compromise.

The Orthodox faction did not aspire for the assets or churches of the Patriarch faction, but was particular that its assets and churches should not be encroached upon. Mar Baselius Mathews II said that he had made several attempts to directly sort out the issues with his counterpart in the Patriarch faction.

The consecration of Catholicos and new metropolitans were against the constitution of the church and the Supreme Court verdict.

The rival faction was trying to create a smokescreen by alleging that its actions were in line with the verdict of the apex court.

He alleged that the Jacobite Faith Protection Committee was indulging in terrorist activities going by the faction's involvement in the murder of the Malankara Church Managing Committee member, T.C. Verghese, and the attempts on the life of the Church lawyer, P. C. Mathew.

Later, the Malankara Orthodox Church believers' meet, held at the Senate Hall here, adopted a resolution demanding a ban on the Antioch Faith Protection Committee under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

It urged the authorities to end the tendency to give protection to those sections which were undermining the rule of law.

It wanted the State Government to perform its constitutional duties in the aftermath of the Supreme Court verdict.

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