The 123rd Maramon Convention, billed as Asia’s week-long largest annual Christian congregation, came to a close at Maramon, near Kozhencherry, on Sunday afternoon.
In his valedictory speech, head of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar Joseph Mar Thoma said that there was no question of permitting women to attend the evening session of the convention. He said the decision was purely on security grounds.
The Metropolitan said there was every reason to suspect the sincerity of those who clamoured for women’s entry to the evening sessions of the Maramon Convention that had been going on systematically over the past 123 years.
Yuyakim Mar Coorilos, Mar Thoma Evangelical Association president, presided.
Philipose Mar Chrysostom, Metropolitan Emeritus of the Mar Thoma Church, and all bishops of the Mar Thoma Church attended the valedictory meet.
