The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church will not issue any official political directive to its flock on voting in the coming byelection at the Piravom Assembly segment.
Speaking to mediapersons at the Catholicate Palace here on Tuesday, Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose II said the Church had always kept itself away from directly involving in politics. “In spite of the fact that the Church has serious differences of opinion with the UDF government in the State on the issue of denial of justice [to it] in the church row, the Church has decided not to issue any official directive with regard to the ensuing elections,” he said
However, it remains a fact that the members of the Church are deeply wounded and have extreme resentment over the way the conflict over church property with the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church is handled by the government, he said. “The members of the Church have the right to react democratically to express their sentiments,” he said.
To a question, the Catholicos said the Church conflict was not the only issue in the byelection. Moreover, it is not right to assess the performance of a government after a few months since it has been elected for a period of five years.
The Catholicos said the State government not only had failed to ensure justice in the Kolencherry church issue, but had also taken a stance which openly supported the Jacobite Church in all the recent issues. The assurance given to the Orthodox Church on the Kolencherry issue has been blatantly breached.
“There have been six rounds of tripartite talks, but things have not moved a bit,” he said and alleged that it is the hardening of stance by the Jacobite Church which resulted in the stalemate. “This is in spite of the decision of the Orthodox Church, which has a favourable court directive, to provide the Jacobite Church Rs.2.5 crore to construct a new church and also the right to use the cemetery at the St.Peter's and St.Paul's church, the Catholicos said.
Synod secretary Mathews Mar Sevarius, Thomas Mar Athanasius, head of the Kandanad East diocese, Malankara Syrian Christian Association secretary George Joseph, priest trusty Fr. Johns Abraham Konatt, and others were present.
