KOTTAYAM: In a major setback to the initiatives of the state government to resolve the dispute between Jacobite and Orthodox factions through talks, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) has turned down the call from the government for talks.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday, MOSC secretary Biju Oommen said they have some legal barriers in attending such discussions as the Supreme Court had on July 2 categorically directed the government to implement its earlier order on July 3, 2017, to resolve the issues between church factions.
“There is a prevailing order that no parallel agreements or settlement efforts should be initiated at the government level bypassing the court’s order. The government is constitutionally bound to implement the order without putting any conditions,” he said.
According to him, since the court categorically stated “the state and all parties should abide by the judgment passed by this court in totality and cannot solve the matter in any manner other than the judgment passed by the court,” the MOSC is concerned about the stand taken by the government.
“We doubt that talks and consensus efforts are part of the tactic to deliberately delay implementation of the court order,” he said.
He added the Church has already communicated its stance on the issue to Minister E P Jayarajan, head of the Cabinet sub-committee.
Legal action warned
Oommen also warned the Jacobite faction of stern legal action against its alleged attempts to sabotage the SC order under the cover of burial issue.“In the wake of various court orders, we have made it amply clear that the cemeteries in the Malankara churches are for the use of all parish members. The High Court, while considering cases, including that of Mandamangalam church, has clearly stated that only the vicars appointed by the parish metropolitan have the authority to lead funeral rituals at church cemeteries,” he said.