KOCHI: The simmering tensions between the Jacobite and Orthodox faction of Malankara Christians took a turn for the worse on Sunday after members of the Syrian Jacobite Church purportedly locked up Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church inside the St Mary’s Church at Varikoli, Puthencruz, near here.
The dramatic incidents unfolded around 6.30 am when Marthoma Paulose II entered the Church to lead a Sunday Mass, according to the police.
The situation, however, took a violent turn when some persons, allegedly belonging to the Orthodox faction, scaled the Church tower and attempted to deface the emblem of the Patriarch of the rival faction by smearing it with paint. Soon, members of the Jacobite faction reached the spot and staged a demonstration against the Catholicos. They also locked up the main gate of the Church from outside which prevented the Catholicos from leaving the premises.
“The emblem has remained at the heart of the dispute ever since the Orthodox faction wrested control of the Church based on a Supreme Court order in July. Similar attempts to destroy the emblem had been made earlier and the police had to intervene on a couple of occasions,” Puthencruz police said.
The issue snowballed into a major crisis when the Catholicos refused to leave the Church until all the protesters were rounded up.
“The escort and pilot party were ready by around 12.30 pm to escort the Catholicos safely out of the Church. He, however, insisted on the protesters’ arrest and decided to stay back till the time the arrests were made. This led to tension in the area,” said officers. However, the standoff ended by evening after the district Administration intervened in the matter and the tahsildar, on the RDO’s orders, locked up the Church.
Jacobite Church Synod secretary Joseph Mor Gregorios Metropolitan, though, said the reports of Catholicos’ detention were not true. With regard to the Varikoli Church, the governing council elected by Jacobite faction holds the reins of Church administration while control over worship is with the Orthodox faction.
“Jacobites never created any obstacles to worship. In the meantime, the Orthodox faction attempted to change the board of the Church. But what provoked the faithful the most was the demolition of the Patriarch’s emblem which was constructed several years ago. I understand the Jacobite faction which is the majority in Varikoli was expressing its protest against the demolition of the emblem before the Catholicos when he came to Varikoli,” he said.
Earlier, the Catholicos had reached the Church to conduct the Sunday Mass following an apex court order upholding the sanctity of the constitution of the Orthodox Church of 1934 with regard to the administration of disputed Churches. Following this, the Orthodox faction wrested control of the Church administration, leading to some minor clashes.