KOCHI: While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has once again said the government would try to implement the Supreme Court verdict in the Orthodox-Jacobite Church case through consensus, the Orthodox section has openly rejected any consensus formula saying it will not have any talks with Jacobites. Catholicos Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II, Supreme Head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, asked if the authorities could not implement the apex court verdict, why there is a government.
“Again the SC has ordered to implement its verdict of 2017, but it is very unfortunate that the state government is not implementing it. We do not stand in the way of the faithful as churches belong to them. We are asking what is rightfully ours,” Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II said at a press conference held in Kottayam.
The Supreme Court, in its order, had clearly stated that there cannot be any violation of the order by anyone concerned. “Even the state government cannot act contrary to the judgement and the observations made by this court and has the duty to ensure that the judgement of this court is implemented forthwith,” it said.
“The state and all parties shall abide by the judgement passed by this court in totality and cannot solve the matter in any manner different than the judgement passed by this court,” the order said. Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Church official spokesperson Kuriakose Mar Theophilose said the three-member bench headed by Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud had ordered in May for peace talks with the other faction and reach a consensus in the dispute.
“The Cabinet sub-committee was formed based on the ruling of the three-member bench headed by Justice Chandrachud. It is also a ruling of the SC, then how can that be ignored?” said Mar Theophilose.
Meanwhile, the Jacobite Syrian Church will convene a meeting of its working committee and Synod on Monday to decide on the further course of action.