Thousands of lay people joined Catholicos Baselios Thomas I as well as priests and leaders of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church here on the Marine Drive on Tuesday on a 12-hour fast to protest against “denial of justice” and “violation of human rights”.
The Jacobite Church leaders said they would resist the “aggressive attempts by the Orthodox group” to take over the parish churches. The Catholicos insisted that churches under the control of the Jacobites would not be handed over.
The attendance at the venue of the fast increased during the day despite the threat of rain looming over the venue throughout the day.
Burial rites
The protest was marked by the attendance by thousands of parishioners from different parts of Kerala, who arrived at the venue carrying coffins.
The Jacobites have consistently accused their Orthodox counterparts of denying them burial rights in parishes where they have been members for years. One of the major demands raised by the Jacobite group is that their dead should be given a decent burial despite the Orthodox group taking over parishes under the guidance of a Supreme Court verdict in July 2017.
