KOCHI: The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Kolenchery, has issued summons to Catholicos Baselios Thomas I, the regional head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, on a complaint related to the allegation the prelate forged the letter of the late Patriarch Ignatius Zakha I was, the former head of the Global Syrian Orthodox Church.
The court passed the order on a petition filed by Paul Varghese, president of Jacobite Almaya Forum, a laymen organisation of revisionists in the Church, against Baselios Thomas I and Church trustee Thampu George Thukalan. The summons was issued on the complaint alleging the Patriarch’s order excommunicating former metropolitan of Diocese of Idukki Kuriakose Mor Cleemis, was fake.
The Perumbavoor Sub-Court had found the order was forged by the prelate and Thampu George. The court then nullified the excommunication order based on a petition filed by Mor Cleemis. Metropolitan Kuriakose Mar Cleemis had invited the wrath of the Church leadership after he revealed he paid Catholicos Baselios Thomas I Rs 3 crore to be elevated as metropolitan.
The Church reacted by ousting the bishop from all priestly responsibilities citing financial irregularities and misconduct.Paul Varghese on Saturday alleged the Catholicos sabotaged the suggestion of Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II to settle the issues between the Jacobite faction and the Malankara Orthodox Church. “The faithful support the initiative of the Patriarch to bring in peace among the churches ,” he said.
Thumpamon diocese hails SC judgment
Pathanamthitta: The joint meeting of the diocesan council and managing committee of the Thumpamon diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Church has welcomed the Supreme Court judgement pertaining to the Kolenchery, Nechur and Mannathur churches. The meeting, chaired by the Metropolitan of Thumpamon diocese Kuriakose Mar Clemis the other day, urged the government to implement the court order in the larger interest of the sentiments of lakhs of faithful across the world, the statement issued by the diocese said.
“As the order becomes the law of the land, everybody is obliged to obey it,” the diocese said. “All the parishes under the Malankara Orthodox Church should be ruled in accordance with the 1934 Constitution. The meeting welcomes any move for peace on the basis of the said Constitution.” Diocese secretary Fr Titus George, Fr Yohanan Sankarathil, Fr Thomas K Chacko, Fr Roy P Thomas, Fr Cherian T Samuel, Reji Mathew, Aju Varghese, P K Thomas, Jacob Kuttiyil , George Varghese, Babuji Easow and Alex K Paul spoke.