KOCHI: The Jacobite Church breathed a sigh of relief following the Kerala High Court verdict dismissing the single bench order on providing police protection to six churches - Cherukunnam St Thomas Jacobite Church in Palakkad, Mangalam Dam St Mary’s Jacobite Church, Erickumchira St Mary’s Jacobite Church, Odakalli St Mary’s Jacobite Church in Ernakulam district, Attinkunnu Kurishupally, and Mukhatala St Stephen’s in Kollam district. However, the Orthodox Church said that it will take further steps after consultations with legal experts.
According to Catholicos Baselios Joseph, the Church feels comforted. “The Church sees this verdict as the beginning of the resolution of the centuries-old disputes. Let us pray for a lasting solution through peace talks as promised by the chief minister and the government, taking into account the reality of two churches and faiths,” he said. “We express the full Church’s support to the efforts being taken by the state government to resolve the dispute,” he added.
Welcoming the state government’s mediation efforts, the Orthodox Church said, “The Supreme Court has clarified that the 1934 Church constitution applies to the churches of the Malankara Church. The HC’s direction is to implement the order through the civil court in the case of the churches for which the judgment has been given. The Church’s position is that the law should be implemented through the court,” said Bishop Yuhanon Mar Dioscoros, president, Media Department of the Malankara Orthodox Church.