An attempt by the State government to mediate between the Orthodox and Jacobite factions of the Malankara Church to end their protracted and often aggressive feud over the administration of 1,000-odd parishes in Kerala seemed to make little headway on Monday.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had invited the groups separately to cobble together a peace formula acceptable to both sides.
A 2017 Supreme Court order gave the Orthodox faction the major stake in the administration of a majority of Malankara churches.
The purportedly more numerous Jacobite faction had since “resisted” the Orthodox bid to “take over” Malankara churches on the strength of the court order, resulting in law order issues in several parishes and deepening the rift between the groups.
The dispute often extended to the emotive issue of burial of bodies. The apprehension of intra-faith violence prompted the government to promulgate an Ordinance in January.
The decree allowed members of both the factions to bury their dead in their parish graveyard. They could also enlist a priest of their choice to administer the last rites.
The government had also formed a Cabinet subcommittee headed by Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan to resolve or at least mitigate the conflict between the denominations. However, the measures appeared to be merely a stopgap given the development on Monday.
Mr. Vijayan met the Jacobite delegation first. The legation reportedly requested the government to promulgate an Ordinance to circumvent the SC order that handed over the administration of the churches to the “less numerous” Orthodox faction.
Church trustee C.K. Shajee and secretary Peter K. Elias, who were part of the Jacobite delegation, expressed satisfaction with the “assurance” given to them by the government.
The Chief Minister met the Orthodox faction second. A spokesperson for the group said the Orthodox legation had requested the government to abide by the SC order. They also pointed out that the ruling forbade the government from resorting to executive or legislative action to circumvent the judgment.
The Orthodox faction reminded the government of its constitutional obligation to implement the SC order. It also assured the Chief Minister that no parishioner would face expulsion or discrimination in the Church in the name of the SC order.
The administration was yet to make an official statement on the outcome of the meeting with either of the factions. An official said the Government was fixed on a peaceful solution acceptable to both the parties. The administration has kept the door open for more talks, he said.
Bishops Thomas Mar Themotheos, Kuriakose Mar Theophilos, and Geevarghese Mar Kurilos represented the Jacobite side.
Gabriel Mar Gregorios, Metropolitan of the Thiruvananthapuram Diocese, Thomas Mar Athanasius, Metropolitan of the Kandanad East diocese, and Yuhanon Mar Diascoros, synod secretary, represented the Orthodox faction.