Orthodox Church in Kerala asks Governor not to give assent to ‘Church Bill’ if government moves one

Baselios Marthoma Mathews III. (Facebook)

Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, the head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, has urged the Kerala Governor not to approve any ordinance or legislation related to a rumoured “Church Bill” proposed by the Kerala government.

The Orthodox and Jacobite factions of the church have been in conflict over control of certain churches in the state since 1970.

The tensions escalated after a 2017 Supreme Court order granting the Orthodox faction possession of over 1,000 churches, but the order has faced resistance, leading to ongoing protests.

Also Read: Orthodox faction hits out at Kerala CM for assuring help to rival Jacobites

‘Say no to Church Bill’

• Baselios Marthoma Mathews III emphasised the Supreme Court order as the law of the land.
• He requested the Governor to use his discretionary power to prevent any law or ordinance bypassing the court verdict in favour of the Orthodox church.
• Speaking in Kottayam, he expressed confidence that the Governor would use discretion to ensure justice for the Malankara Orthodox Church.
• The Orthodox faction insists on the implementation of the 2017 Supreme Court order.
• The Jacobite faction accuses the Orthodox group of misinterpreting the order and unethically taking over their churches.
• Disputes have led to law and order issues in several parishes in the state.

(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and format of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)