High drama prevailed at Vallikodu in Pathanamthitta on Saturday when parishioners of the St. Mary’s church, who have been on a protest, dug a trench along the main entry to the church.
The drama began to unfold in the morning hours with members of the Jacobite faction converging on the church premises and staging a protest in view of a proposed takeover of the parish by the district administration for handing it over to the Orthodox faction of the Malankara Church. The protesters also dug a trench in front of the church, reportedly to prevent the police from entering the premises.
Despite reports that the district administration had sought police assistance to complete the takeover proceedings, the tension diffused by the afternoon with none of the authorities turning up. The protesters, however, continued to remain on the church premises till the evening.
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Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Episcopal Synod secretary Youhanon Mar Diascoros condemned the attempt to vandalise the church.