The attempt by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to mediate between the warring Orthodox and Jacobite factions of the Malankara church failed once again on Monday, with the groups sticking to their stances.
While the Orthodox faction stood firm on settling the issue within the framework of the Supreme Court order, the Jacobite faction held that it wanted to part ways with the Orthodox group and to exist as a separate church.
‘Must part ways’
According to the Jacobite faction, there is no scope for reconciliation between the groups but the government must end ‘capturing’ churches in the name of the Supreme Court verdict. “We must part ways, there is no alternative. At the same time, the government must end the takeover of churches for the Orthodox group,” said a spokesman after discussions with the State government in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
He said the government promised to continue the discussions in a bid to reconcile the issues between the groups.
Bishops Thomas Mar Themotheos, Kuriakose Mar Thephilos and Geevarghese Mar Kurilos were in the Jacobite team that participated in the discussions on Monday.
The Orthodox faction was represented by Gabriel Mar Gregorios, Metropolitan of the Thiruvananthapuram diocese; Thomas Mar Athanasius, Metropolitan of the Kandanad East diocese; and Yuhanon Mar Diascoros, synod secretary.
‘Meaningful attempt’
Addressing the media after the discussions, the Orthodox faction termed the mediation a meaningful attempt as this was for the first time that both groups came together after discussions were held in 1995. “The Jacobite faction appears hell-bent on settling the issue by bypassing the court orders as well as the Constitution of India. The State government, however, has acknowledged its responsibility to abide by the court order,” they said.
According to the Orthodox faction, both groups have agreed to sit together and deliberate the issue once again in the presence of the Chief Minister. Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta also attended the discussions held in Thiruvananthapuram.