KOTTAYAM: Women's participation in administrative matters on a substantially higher note is in theoffing for the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. A commission has been constituted to bring in the necessary amendments in the constitution of the Church, to ensure the historically significant changes, Catholicos Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II has said.
He was speaking to mediapersons on Tuesday, the first such meet of the church supremo after assuming charge as the Catholicos and Malankara Metropolitan on November 1.
Mar Paulose II said the proposed changes included giving voting rights for women in various forums of the Church.
''At present, though women are being permitted to take part in Church meets, they have been barred to contest to the Church managing committee or other forums. They do not have voting rights either. The move to give more powers is intended to address the demands of the changing times,'' he said. If the piloting of the proposals of the new Catholicos comes true in the denomination which claims a strength of 30 lakh faithful, it will bring in a revolution in the fold as it will enable women to have their say in even the Malankara Association, the supreme forum of the Church. Already, episcopal churches like the Mar Thoma Syrian Church and the CSI have given voting rights and set apart a sizeable role for its womenfolk in administrative matters and the functioning of various organisations.
To a query, Mar Poulose II said that though the church would like to see people's representatives being elected to its liking, a political outlook was not followed nor a campaign was taken up for it.
Any political decision beneficial to society would be welcome, he said. He also clarified that the Church had no equidistance policy with political parties.
On the Church feud and whether he would play a yeomen role to bring in everlasting peace, the Catholicos said that he was out and out for fostering peace, but going by experiences till date, it was doubtful whether it could be achieved in a fruitful and sustainable manner.