KOCHI: It appears that the difference of opinion between the laity and the clergy about the transfer of certain bishops is slipping out of the hands of the regional leadership of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church.
Following widespread protests and many complaints, Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem-II himself is learnt to have intervened in the issue.
“The Patriarch, the supreme head of the Orthodox Syrian Church, has frozen the decision to transfer the metropolitans,” said sources.
The transfers of Idukki Metropolitan Zacharias Mor Philoxenos and Mumbai Metropolitan Thomas Mor Alexandrios will not be implemented.
The decision to transfer the metropolitans was taken at the annual synod held at the headquarters of the Church in June.
However, the protests from a section of laity and also from the clergy against the decision were not very strong.
Later, laymen organisations like the Jacobite Almaya Forum sent complaints to the Patriarch, alleging that Catholicos Baselios Thomas-I, the regional head of the Church, had violated provisions of the constitution of the Church.
They also filed petitions before the Ernakulam Munsiff Court, seeking to restrain the Catholicos from appointing or transferring metropolitans/priests to foreign countries.
In the complaint, leaders of the Forum pointed out that the Catholicos is the head of the Church in India, and that his powers are limited in the territorial jurisdictions of the other countries.
“He is appointing/removing bishops as he wishes, and presents it as the decision of the synod.
“We suspect that the Catholicos aims to convert the Church into an independent one. The right to appoint or transfer a metropolitan or a priest under a foreign diocese is vested with the Patriarch,” they said.
With the transfer of the metropolitans sparking off a raw, a team of senior metropolitans of the Church visited the Patriarch in person to discuss the issue. Sources said that the team of metropolitans assured the Patriarch that the issue would be resolved regionally.
Fr Varghese Kallappara, spokesperson for the Church, confirmed that the Patriarch had intervened in the matter.
“Its true that the synod took the decision to form new dioceses and to appoint bishops, and the recommendation was sent to the Patriarch for approval. The Patriarch has the power to accept or reject the recommendation. He is looking into the complaints received from the Malankara Church, and is expected to take a final decision soon,” Fr Kallappara said.
Catholicos Begins Three-day Fast
Meanwhile, Catholicos Baselios Thomas-I, the regional head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, has started a three-day fast at the Patriarchal Centre at Puthencruz, the headquarters of the Church, seeking permission from the Patriarch to abdicate his positions from August 1.
It is reliably learnt that the Catholicos has decided to abdicate his position in protest against the intervention by the Patriarch in the issue of the transfer of metropolitans.
The official version of the church is that the 86-year old Catholicos had expressed his wish to get relieved of his duties last year itself.
“But, neither the previous Patriarch Ignatius Zakha-I nor the various councils wanted him to quit. Now, he has started fasting to get the permission from the Patriarch,” said Fr Varghese Kallappara.