The Orthodox-Jacobite dispute traces back to the 16th century, after the 1599 Synod of Diamper, when Kerala’s Saint Thomas Christians split. In 1910, the Orthodox Church became autocephalous, while the Jacobite Church remained under Antioch
Published Jan 30, 2025 | 4:07 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 30, 2025 | 4:07 PM
Supreme Court (iStock)
The Supreme Court of India has set aside a Kerala High Court directive to transfer six churches from the Jacobite faction to the Orthodox faction of the Malankara Syrian Church, sending the matter back to the high court for a fresh review.
The apex court expressed concern over the involvement of police in the handling of religious properties and urged the high court to find a resolution that avoids further police intervention.
A bench comprising justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued the order, emphasising the need for a peaceful and amicable solution to the long-standing church dispute.
The court refrained from commenting on the merits of the case and granted interim relief to state officers, shielding them from contempt proceedings for non-compliance with earlier orders.
Senior Advocate KK Venugopal, representing the Orthodox faction, opposed reopening the case, arguing that the matter had already been settled. However, the Supreme Court insisted on a fresh review by the high court.
The Kerala government, represented by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, submitted sealed data related to the control of church properties, but the court deemed it unnecessary for the time being.
The Orthodox faction contended that previous Supreme Court rulings had mandated the Jacobites to surrender control of churches under dispute.
The Jacobite faction, represented by Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, countered that those rulings applied only to specific churches and that fresh legal proceedings were needed to resolve the current issue.
The dispute traces its origins to a century-old division within the Saint Thomas Christian community of Kerala. In 2017, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions from the Jacobite faction challenging a 2017 verdict that awarded control of over 1,100 churches and parishes to the Orthodox faction.
The court upheld the 1934 constitution of the Malankara Church, which grants administrative control exclusively to the Orthodox faction. Earlier judgments in 1958 and 1995 had also favored the Orthodox Church.
Despite these rulings, the Jacobite faction has consistently resisted, claiming that the court orders deprive their followers of their places of worship.
Tensions have often led to violent clashes between the two factions, and efforts to implement court orders have seen police and revenue officials faced with physical resistance and abuse.
The most recent chapter in this saga unfolded in December 2024 when the Supreme Court directed the Jacobite Church to hand over control of six churches in the Ernakulam and Palakkad districts to the Orthodox Church.
The Kerala High Court had earlier rejected appeals challenging the district collectors’ order to take possession of these churches. However, the state government failed to implement the directive, prompting further intervention from the Supreme Court.
The Orthodox-Jacobite dispute has its roots in the 16th century after the Synod of Diamper in 1599, when a faction of Kerala’s Saint Thomas Christians broke away from papal authority and aligned with the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch.
This division deepened over the years, with the two factions officially formalising in 1910, when the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church became autocephalous, while the Jacobite Church remained under the Antioch Patriarchate’s jurisdiction.
What began as a religious split has evolved into a protracted legal battle, marked by frequent court rulings, political interference, and clashes between the factions.
(Edited by Ananya Rao with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)
