KOCHI: The faction of Thomas Mor Theemothios, bishop of the Kottayam diocese of the Jacobite Syrian Church, won the majority seats in the secret polls for electing the working committee members at the Patriarchal Centre, Puthencruz, on Saturday. Both the panels of Mor Theemothios and Catholicos Baselious Thomas I contested the elections. The 15-member working committee constitutes five priests and 10 laymen.
The managing committee, constituting 228 members, elected the working committee of the church. Among the clergymen, Fr Daniel Thattarayil, Angamaly; Mikhayel Ramban, Muvattupuzha; and Fr Mathew Abraham, Thrissur of the Theemothios faction and Fr Varghese Panachiyil, Piravom and Jacob Mikhayel, Wayanad from the Catholicos faction were elected.
Laity members from the Theemothios faction include Benny Kurian, Alex M George, K O Elias, Elby Varghese, Roy Isaac and Suresh James. While, Anil K Kurian, P M Sabu, Eldhos M Baby and Jaine Mathew won from the Catholicos faction.
As per sources, the Catholicos faction believes it is the financial malpractices of the former office bearers that led to their loss in the elections. “The Catholicos is still encircled by crooked people, and it is very difficult for a man, who is pure in mind and heart, in his nineties to oppose and punish them,” they told Express.
Meanwhile, Fr Varghese Kallapara, convenor, Quest for secular International Samithi, said the results of the elections reveal the foul play against the Catholicos.