Orthodox church turns down State’s call for talks

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church here on Tuesday turned down a call from the State government to work out a consensus with the Jacobite faction, citing legal barriers in attending such discussions.

In a statement here on Tuesday, church secretary Biju Oommen said the Supreme Court order of July 2, 2019, categorically stated that the dispute should be settled only on the basis of its earlier order July 3, 2017. The order had also held that no parallel agreements or settlement efforts should be initiated by bypassing this order.

Quoting the SC order, which stated that ‘the State and all parties should abide by the judgment passed by this court in totality and cannot solve the matter in any manner different than the judgment passed by this court’, he said the State government had the constitutional responsibility to implement the Supreme Court order.

The Church’s stance on the issue was apprised well in advance to Minister P. Jayarajan, head of the Cabinet sub-committee, and in this backdrop, the government’s move raises concerns of a strategy to delay implementation of the apex court’s order.

Meanwhile, Mr. Oommen also warned the Jacobite faction of stern legal action against its alleged attempts to sabotage the SC order in the cover of the burial issue.

“In the wake of the various court orders. we have made it amply clear that the cemeteries in the Malankara churches are for the use of all parish members. The High Court, while considering these cases including the Mandamangalam church, has clearly stated that only the vicars appointed by the parish metropolitan has the authority to carry out the funeral at these cemeteries,” he said.

Special Correspondent writes from Kochi: Meanwhile, the Jacobite group of the Malankara Church has reiterated that the differences between the two groups could be settled only through negotiations. “It is a question of faith” and need to be discussed between the groups, said Father Sleeba Paul Vattavelil, Corepiscopa, priest trustee of the Jacobite Syrian Church.

Denying access to decent burial was not something that would be accepted even by the society as a whole, he said, pointing to some of the recent incidents.