Kerala - Kochi   

Panel meet on church dispute starts

Staff Reporter

Two groups of the Malankara Church submit lists of churches under dispute

KOCHI: The second meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the dispute between the two groups in the Malankara Church got under way here on Thursday evening. The Sub-Committee comprised Ministers Babu Divakaran, K. K. Ramachandran and M. K. Muneer.

Both the factions of the Malankara church had submitted, on Wednesday, lists of the churches they looked forward to being opened and were under dispute. The lists were scrutinised ahead of the meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee at the Ernakulam Guest House.

The Jacobite delegation was led by Joseph Gregorios, Synod secretary. Thomas Thimotheus, Metropolitan of Kottayam diocese, Thampu George Thukalan, secretary of the Church, George Mathew Thekkethalakkal, Trustee and M.A. Paulose were members of the delegation.

The Jacobite group had put up a list of 17 churches, which include the St. Mary's Thrikkunnathu Church, near Aluva, that have been shut for about 28 years now. The Kadamattam St. George's Church and Kolancherry St. Peter's and Paul's church have been shut for about seven years now. They were also part of the Jacobite list.

Among the churches listed by the Orthodox group were the St. Peter's and Paul's Church, Puthencruz, St. George's Church, Kadamattam and St. Peter's and Paul's Church, Kolancherry. Churches in Thrissur, Kottayam and some parts of Ernakulam were in the list submitted to the sub-committee.

The Orthodox group, led by Mathews Severios, Metropolitan of the Kandanadu West Diocese, had made it clear to the State representatives that the group was keen to hark back to the days of the first Cabinet Sub-committee (in 2002-03) that had made an abortive bid to pave the way for opening of some of the disputed churches.

The Orthodox group wanted to know how the Government planned to open the churches and to maintain them as such for believers in both the groups to offer worship.

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