The Hindu : Church truce going awry

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 28, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Church truce going awry

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI DEC. 27. The Government-brokered ceasefire between the Orthodox and Jacobite faction seems to be on the verge of a collapse.

Ten days after the December 17 truce, the Orthodox faction on Friday alleged that the Cabinet sub-committee, which had facilitated the three-month truce, had itself violated the terms of the understanding. It said the Ministers had acted in an `insincere and deceitful' way as regards the implementation of the terms.

The UDF convener, Oommen Chandy, has been blamed for the truce going awry as he was partial to the rival faction.

At a news conference here, the Metropolitan Yoohanon Mar Melitius, who had led the Orthodox faction at the talks with the Cabinet sub-committee, served an ultimatum on the Government that it should keep all the promises made at the tripartite agreement by January 8 evening. Otherwise, the Orthodox Church's managing committee which would meet on January 9 morning would take a `critical decision.'

He alleged that one of the Ministers on the sub-committee had tried to pressurise his faction to let a Jacobite Metropolitan to lead the prayer service last Sunday at the disputed St. Peter's and St. Paul's Church, Kolencherry. On the Minister's instruction, the district officials had `threatened' the church vicar and others. Since the demand was outside the understanding, the Orthodox faction had rejected it following which the police had kept the church closed.

The Metropolitan said the closure of the church for nearly five years, was a violation of the understanding. The church, according to him, was in the possession of the Orthodox faction. The understanding had only provided that a Jacobite vicar could conduct prayers service once every third Sunday. Again, he said, violating the truce, the rival factions had encroached upon, and disturbed prayers service at many churches. Even Christmas mass was disturbed.

The Metropolitan also alleged that the announcement in some newspapers that an award would be presented to Mr. Chandy by the Orthodox Catholicos was false and mischievous. There was no such award and the Catholicos or the Orthodox faction had nothing to do with it, he said.

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