Manarcad church committee vows to protect its right over cathedral
KOTTAYAM: With reconciliation talks initiated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to bring about peace between the warring Jacobite and Orthodox factions of Malankara Church being scheduled for Monday, a meeting of the administrative committee of St Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Cathedral in Manarcad on Sunday resolved to seek all possible means to protect its right over the church.
Though the church is presently under the control of Jacobite faction, a Kottayam sub-court had ordered the administration to hand over the cathedral to the Orthodox faction. The committee alleged that the Orthodox faction was trying to sow the seeds of unrest in the harmonious situation in Manarcad. It also observed that the rival faction is eying the cathedral’s wealth, which was the objective behind securing the court order.
“The allegations levelled against St Mary’s cathedral in Manarcad are baseless. It will always remain the way it is now,” said Kuriakose Cor Episcopa, vicar of the cathedral. He added the Manarcad church has more than 13,000 adult parishioners of 3,000 families, who are living in 12 regions in five panchayats of Kottayam district and the regions are known for communal harmony.
“This cathedral is known as the storehouse of peace and prosperity. However, when the church, built by the forefathers with their sweat, grew into what it is today, other group was trying to usurp the right eying its wealth. They should come to the path of peace and become a member of the Church of Christ,” said Kuriakose Core Episcopa.