ALAPPUZHA: A section of members of the Jacobite faction began an indefinite prayer protest near Kattachira St Mary’s Church in Kayamkulam on Sunday against the entry of members of the Orthodox faction in the church.
Members of the Jacobite faction reached the church early in the morning to offer prayers. But when the police blocked them, they began an indefinite prayer protest near the church.
The police said security had been tightened around the church. Priests and devotees of the Orthodox faction held prayers in the church in the morning.
Apart from conducting the funeral of an elderly woman, the Orthodox faction also held a flag-hoisting ceremony on the premises of the church marking an important feast.
The church, which had remained closed for the past few months following clashes between the Orthodox and Jacobite factions over its ownership, was handed over to the Orthodox faction based on a Supreme Court order on Saturday under police protection.