Patriarch of Antioch and Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church Ignatius Afrim II prays at the tomb of Catholicos Basilios Thomas I at the Mar Athanasius Cathedral in the Puthenkreuz Patriarchal Center. Photo: Special arrangement
The Supreme Court gave the order on Tuesday (December 17, 2024). the status quo When it was agreed to hear the case in detail over two consecutive days in late January 2025, before Christmas, in the dispute between the Jacobite and Orthodox Malankara sects.
After both parties directly and indirectly expressed difficulty in complying with the Supreme Court’s order of December 3, the bench presided over by Justice Suryakant decided to keep the current situation as it is.
Read this also The Jacobite Church calls for a peaceful resolution of the dispute within the Malankara Church
On December 3, the previous date of hearing, the bench directed the Jacobite group to hand over the administration of six churches in Kerala’s Ernakulam and Palakkad districts to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian sect in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment and the 1934 Constitution. of the church.
Senior advocate CU Singh, appearing on behalf of the Orthodox group, gave the order the status quo On Tuesday, it will pay the court in violation of its own order of December 3.
“We are aware of this. However, care should be taken that no untoward incident takes place. We will also strengthen the hands of the administration so that they control the situation,” Justice Kant said.
The court asked both groups to maintain peace and harmony. It urged the state to persuade the groups to maintain peace. “the status quo As it now exists, it must continue to exist … life, property, law and order, peace are all very important factors in a society governed by the rule of law,” said Justice Kant.
The court said the status quo January 29 and January 30, 2025 until the next date of hearing.
Meanwhile, the court directed the state government to keep records of Orthodox Christian population, preferably gram panchayat or sub-division wise; the number and details of churches under the full administrative control of the orthodox Malankara sect or the Jacobite sect; A list of these churches whose management was in dispute; The current status of your administration; and Parish Register.
Divisions within the church have affected 2,000 parish churches and 30 million followers worldwide. The 2017 judgment held that the 1934 constitution was “fit and adequate” for the management of the Malankara parish churches.
In fact, the 2017 judgment reiterated Supreme Court decisions in 1958 and 1995 that the Malankara Church’s 1934 constitution governed parish churches under it.
The dispute between the Patriarch of Antioch in Syria (the Jacobite faction) and a group loyal to the Catholicos of the East dates back more than a century. The Malankara Church is believed to have been founded in AD 52 by St. Thomas.
published – December 17, 2024 at 09:11 am IST