KOCHI: The controversy over the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church removing Metropolitan Thomas Mar Timotheos as head of the Kottayam diocese took a new turn on Friday when Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Aphrem-II, the supreme head of the Church, issued an order staying the regional synod’s decision to remove Mar Timotheos and to entrust administration of the Kottayam diocese to Catholicos Baselios Thomas-I.
Thomas Mar Timotheos was removed from the post by a decision taken by the Church synod at Puthencruz on Thursday.
With the Patriarch issuing the order, Mar Timotheos, who has been asked to keep away from official responsibilities for six months, can continue in office. “Based on Clause-252 of the 2002 Constitution, We hereby stay the decision of the emergency synod held on June 9, and take over administration of the diocese of Kottayam,” stated the Patriarch’s order.
It is also stated in the order that the Patriarch would constitute a five-member Metropolitan Commission to inquire into the incident.
According to Church sources, the synod decided to relive the Metropolitan of his duties, following difference of opinion over holding Church property in his personal name. It is also pointed out that the Catholicos who has difference of opinion with Mar Timotheos on various matters was taking revenge against the latter.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Jacobite Almaya Forum, a group of revisionists laymen in the Jacobite Church, pointed out that the action against Mar Timotheos was illegal.
“As per Provision-20 of the Constitution of the Church, only the Patriarch, the supreme head of the Church, has the right to remove temporarily or permanently a Metropolitan from the post,” pointed out Almaya Forum working president Paul Varghese, adding that it was an attempt to prevent Mar Timotheos from proceeding in the race to become the next Catholicos.
“The Metropolitan is likely to be considered as the next Catholicos. Though the synod of the Church has 34 Metropolitans, the meeting was attended by only ten Metropolitans who do not have the administrative responsibility of any diocese,” said Paul Varghese.