Orthodox Church toughens its stance

KOTTAYAM: The working committee of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church has decided not to cooperate with any peace efforts with regard to the Thrikkunnathu Seminary that would go against the final verdict of the Supreme Court in the church case.

The committee, which met at the Catholicate Palace at Devalokam near here on Friday, decided to oppose any move to allow bishops of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church to offer prayers at the tombs of metropolitans who had been interred at the seminary.

The working committee met in the light of the breakdown of the peace efforts initiated by the government to find a solution to the seminary issue.

The feast of the metropolitans is scheduled on January 25 and 26. Every year, the celebration of the feast had led to violence between the two groups.

The committee also decided to organise 12 zonal meetings of the church, ‘Sabha samrakshana sammelan,’ on January 25. The meetings will be held State-wide.