Jacobite, Orthodox groups dispute over church ownership

Two factions of the Malankara Syrian Church, disputing the ownership of a church in Cochin, Kerala, are yet to come to an amicable resolution despite efforts by the district administration.

The members of the Orthodox and Jacobite Syrian Church are protesting over the ownership of St Peter's and St Paul's Church at Kolenchery.

Tension erupted after the district court handed control of the church to the Orthodox faction on August 16.

On Saturday, both the groups organised separate functions at the church although the police had advised against it.

Trouble began when the Orthodox faction decided not to share ownership of the church with the rivals, preventing them from entering the premises. The Orthodox faction demanded that the Jacobite Church abide by the district court order.

The dispute over the right to worship further led the head the Orthodox Church, HH Baselios Marthoma Paulose II to launch a hunger strike on Sunday.

Not budging from its stand, the Jacobite faction under Catholicos Baselios Thomas I as well began a fast near the shrine.

Both the groups rejected the district administration's proposal to keep the church open for prayers.

The district collector meanwhile has sought the intervention of the mediation cell of the High Court to resolve the dispute.

District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth told the court that the dispute had become a law and order issue and would worsen with more people joining the protests. A curfew was Sunday declared at the tension-gripped Kolenchery.

"Our protest is not to gain power or property. We want only the right to worship in the church," Fr Varghese Kallappara, spokesperson of the Jacobite faction, told media.

The Jacobite Synod would meet at Kolenchery on Wednesday to decide on the future course of action.

The Orthodox faction meanwhile said they would hold protest rallies at Piravom, Thiruvalla, Kottayam and Pampady on Wednesday.

"We will stick to the court ruling until a higher court orders otherwise," a spokesman of the Orthodox faction told reporters.

Both the factions have been at loggerheads for the last 52 years.