KOCHI: Intensifying the protest against the forcible takeover of the churches, the Jacobite faction of the Malankara Church has launched a sit-in satyagraha at Marine Drive in Kochi on Monday. Catholicos of the Jacobite Syrian Church Baselios Thomas I inaugurated the five-day-long protest.
“Locks were broken, doors destroyed and faithful forcibly driven out of the churches. The police are continuing with their inhumane act, and favouring the rival faction. We are grieving through this satyagraha,” said Kuriakose Mar Theophilose, Church spokesperson.
“If we have taken any cent of the Orthodox faction, we are ready to give them back but we have nothing to give them back here. They are forcibly taking away our churches, we are not willing to give any of our churches.
A subcommittee was formed by the government to resolve the issues between the churches and it has also failed. We hope that with this protest someone comes to the forefront and finds a solution for the existing injustice towards us,” said the Catholicos while inaugurating the protest prayer meeting.
The internal blame game and clashes within the Jacobite church were also pointed out by Metropolitan Trustee Joseph Mar Gregorios at the venue. “It is very disheartening to hear that people blamed me for the Piravom church takeover. It is quite hard to believe that our faithful are heeding to these rumours.
It is the rival faction that is spreading these kinds of false rumours and our faithful should not fall for them,” said Mar Gregorios.
Hundreds including the metropolitan, faithful, managing and working committee members of the church took part in the protest.
Government submits plan to take over Kothamangalam church
Kochi: The state government on Monday submitted a plan of action for implementing the Supreme Court verdict on Kothamangalam church in a sealed cover to the High Court and sought one more month to implement the same. The court will consider the case on Tuesday. The details were produced by the state on its appeal challenging single judge’s verdict directing the Ernakulam district collector to take over the Kothamangalam Cheriyapally and hand it over to the vicar of the Orthodox faction after removing those sitting on the church premises.