For half a century now, Kerala has been witnessing a fight between two factions of Malankara Christians, in the Kerala Malankara Orthodox Church and Jacobite Syrian Christian church. Finally, the battle seems to have concluded, thanks to a Supreme Court Order on 3 July.
And now, the Jacobite Syrian Christian church of Kerala cannot be a part of the Malankara group any longer: They will either have to become an independent church, or disband and join the Orthodox church.
To understand the fight, we need to go back to the year 1599, when a diocese council meet, called the Synod of Diamper, was held at Udayamperoor in Ernakulam district. The Synod laid down rules and regulations for the Saint Thomas Christians of the Malabar Coast (Kerala), and formally united them with the Catholic Church.
However, the orthodox Malankara Christians separated from the other Christian churches of Kerala that came under the Pope in Rome. The group declared that they would follow Patriarch of Antioch, instead of the Pope in Rome.
By 1910, the Malankaras split again, and two more factions were formed: One group supported the Patriarch of Antioch, and were called the Bava Kakshi (now the Jacobite Syrian church), and the second faction supported their own Bishop, based in Kottayam, and they were called the Methran Kakshi (the Kerala Malankara Orthodox church).
In 1934, the two factions temporarily came together to elect a bishop, Baselious Geevarghese Catholica, in Kottayam.
The election followed an agreement. “That was actually a wise agreement prepared by the Orthodox Christians, who did not want to come under the Patriarch of Antioch anymore. They believed that the power should rest with their bishop in Kottayam, but they wisely added that they will continue to be ‘in support of’ the Patriarch of Antioch,” says Jins Nalleparampan, Joint Convenor at Christian Helpline, an organisation for the welfare of the Christians.
In 1970, the merged factions peacefully elected a Bishop together. But after 1970, things turned sour as the Patriarch of Antioch started involving himself in the daily affairs of the Church in Kerala,” Jins says.
In 1974, he anointed three bishops in Kerala himself, and this triggered off another round of conflict.
In 1995 the case reached the Supreme Court, and the court ruled that the 1934 agreement will stand – which was in favour of the Orthodox church.
In many churches owned by the group, largescale violence occurred. The two factions fought for authority, with the Orthodox church being headquartered at Devalokam in Kottayam, and the Jacobite church headquartered in Puthen Cruz.
Finally the issue reached the Supreme Court once again. And once again, the court ruled that the 1934 agreement will hold.
The bench consisting Justice Arun Misra and Justice Amitava Roy, ruled that in this issue, only the 1934 agreement will be considered, and that the 2002 manifesto made by Jacobites was not legal.
SC mentioned that the 1934 agreement will be applicable to all the parishes and the diocese.
So, in that case, the Jacobite Syrian Church cannot practically remain separate.
However, Jacobite groups have not yet decided whether to join the Orthodox church, or to build new churches. They have informed that they will, once again, approach the SC seeking clarity in its order.
However, it will not affect the believers, as both the factions follow the same religious rites of worship, and their churches will continue to organise prayers as usual.
(This article was first published on The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)
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