The newly-consituted Muvattupuzha diocese of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church has come into existence. The decision to constitute a new diocese was taken at the Episcopal Synod of the Church held two months ago.
The Muvattupuzha diocese was formed by adding one more zone to the Angamaly diocese and as decided earlier, the new diocese officially came into existence on October 1. Catholicos Baselios Thomas I has issued a circular announcing the formation of the new diocese, said Fr Varghese Kallappara, spokesperson of the Church. Presently there are four zones- the high range, Kothamangalam, Perumbavoor and Angamaly- under the Angamaly diocese.
The formation of the new diocese is considered to be an effort to ensure the Church’s upper hand in the dispute over the ownership of the Muvattupuzha Bishop’s House and the Cathedral Church.
“Though Muvattupuzha had a crucial role in the Church history, a diocese had not been formed so far. The Muvattupuzha Bishop’s House and Cathedral, which are in dispute now, was the headquarters of the Church during the period of the previous Catholicos,” Fr Kallappara said.
“The Church wants the Bishop’s House and the Cathedral as the headquarters of the newly-formed Muvattupuzha diocese,” Fr Kallappara said.
The Bishop’s House and the Cathedral have been in the possession of the Orthodox faction for around 20 years. The Jacobite faction alleges that the same has been illegally occupied by the Orthodox faction.
“The possession of the Bishop’s house went to the hands of the Orthodox faction when Thomas Mar Athanasius Metropolitan, who was with the Jacobite faction earlier, shifted his allegiance to the Orthodox side. Both structures had been constructed during the period of Catholicos Baselios Poulose II, the predecessor of the present Catholicos,” Fr Kallappara said.