KOCHI: The Kothamangalam Munsiff Court on Friday rejected the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church faction’s claim over the administration of the Marthoman Cheriyapalli Jacobite church at Kothamangalam. The order would ensure that the church would be administered under the constitution claimed by the Jacobite faction.
The petition was filed by Fr Thomas Paul Ramban of the Orthodox faction claiming that he is the vicar of the church and it should be administered by the 1934 constitution of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.
According to the Jacobite faction, the court has accepted its contention that the church had dismissed the claim of the Orthodox faction. “Our main contention was that the church has a fixed constitution formulated before 1934 when the constitution of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church came into existence. As per it, the church administration remains under Jacobite Syrian Church. We are yet to receive a copy of the court order. However, we are all jubilant about the court’s decision favouring us. Justice is done. There are over 10,000 families of Jacobite Syrian believers,” Vicar Fr Jose Paruthuveli of the Jacobite faction said.
The orthodox faction has decided to challenge the decision in a higher court. In July 2017, the Supreme Court permitted Fr Thomas Paul to conduct rituals at Marthoman Cheriyapalli which followed protests in Kothamangalam.