The Ernakulam District Collector has ordered the Jacobite faction of the Malankara Church to surrender the keys of the Marthoman Cheriyapally and associate institutions on the church compound at Kothamangalam to district authorities with a view to implementing a Kerala High Court order of December 3, 2019.
The High Court order was issued on a case filed by Fr. Thomas Paul of the Orthodox faction.
According to sources, the district authorities arrived at the Marthoman Church, right in the heart of Kothamangalam town, with police protection about 3 p.m. on Tuesday to affix the notice on the church wall. However, a large number of Jacobites prevented the authorities from entering the compound. The notice was then fixed on the compound wall, the sources said.
Centre of dispute
The church is at the centre of a dispute between the Jacobite and Orthodox factions of the Malankara Church and the court has ordered the district authorities to implement a Supreme Court order of July 3, 2017 to hand over total control of the church to the Orthodox faction.
