27-August-2005
Indian Express dt. 27th /Aug/2005
Church
feud: CM accused of taking a partisan stand
Saturday
August 27 2005
14:18
IST
ALUVA: The constitution of
the Cabinet Sub-Committee to resolve the dispute between the Jacobite and the
Orthodox factions of the Malankara Church, was a cunning tactic of the Chief
Minister to disrupt the ‘prayer yajnam,’ alleged Fr Varghese Kallapara, the
spokesman of the Jacobite Church.
‘‘Hasty steps to constitute the three-member Cabinet Sub-Committee, was aimed
only at sabotaging the proposed ‘indefinite prayer programme’ of the Jacobite
Church under the leadership of Catholicos Baseliiose Thomas I at
Thiruvananthapuram,’’ Kallapara said.
Oommen Chandy had promised the Jacobite Church authorities that the issue would
be resolved and that churches including the Thrikkunnath Seminary would be
re-opened for worship, Kallapara said.
However, the CM gave a contradicting offer to the Orthodox Church. Now with both
factions voicing contradictory claims, the CM should clarify which of the offer
is right, Kallapara urged.
The efforts of the sub-committee did not yield any result as the Orthodox
faction began mudslinging the Cabinet Sub-Committee and the Jacobite faction
allegedly with the CM’s connivance.
Even though the Orthodox faction had agreed to the compromising formula to
re-open the churches for worship, it has been raising unnecessary demands and
obstructing priests from officiating at ceremonies.
In Episcopal Churches priests are an unavoidable factor. The Jacobite Church
continues the tradition of ‘priests leading the ceremonies.’
The Orthodox faction’s demand to keep priests away from the church and its
withdrawal from the discussions were deliberate attempts to thwart the move to
solve the dispute, Kallapara said.
Meanwhile, the Orthodox Church blamed the Jacobite faction for violating the
assurance given during the talks with the Sub-Committee by appointing a manager
and vicar at the Thrikkunnath Seminary and sending legal notices