KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to file a detailed report on the control of the chapels under Piravom Valiyapally (St Mary’s Church), regarding the manner in which they are managed and on the persons who control them.
A division bench comprising Justices A M Shaffique and T V Anilkumar issued the order on a petition filed by the Orthodox faction seeking police protection to implement the Supreme Court order.
The court also said the vicars and priests of the Orthodox faction can conduct mass at the St Mary’s Church on all Sundays.
When the petition came up for hearing, Orthodox faction’s counsel S Sreekumar submitted the Holy Mass was celebrated on Sunday under police protection. Though funeral ceremony was held, the members were not permitted to take the body inside the church for conducting services. He also pointed out as many as 11 chapels are situated in and around the main church and the control of them is still vested with the Jacobites.
Following this, the court asked the Ernakulam district collector, who has taken control of the church, to file a report regarding the details of the chapels.
The bench also made it clear that all the parishioners of the church should be permitted to enter the church and its chapels and to participate in the religious service, provided they do not create any law-and-order problems.