Patriarch’s proposed visit to Manarcad church puts peace efforts on edge

Amid intense speculation over a possible visit by Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, to the St Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Cathedral at Manarcad on Sunday, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church has hardened its stance, warning that such a move would only aggravate the dispute between the two factions.

Addressing the media on Saturday, Yuhanon Mar Diascoros Metropolitan, head of the Orthodox Church’s media wing, threw open the doors of the Church headquarters at Devalokam to the Patriarch. However, he cautioned that visiting churches caught in the dispute, instead of holding talks, would only trigger fresh tensions. “If the issues can be resolved through discussions between the Patriarch and the Catholicos sitting across a table, we would welcome it. But visiting the disputed churches will only make matters worse,” he said.

The St. Mary’s Cathedral at Manarcad has been at the centre of a prolonged ownership dispute between the Malankara Orthodox and Jacobite Syrian factions and the Orthodox faction maintains that a visit by the Patriarch to the church would amount to a violation of court directives. It has also demanded that he clarify his stand on the 1934 Church constitution before leaving Kerala.

The Metropolitan said it was for the State government and the police chief to examine whether the Patriarch violated Indian laws. “If the law is violated, it will have to be viewed as a government-sponsored violation of the law, as the Patriarch is visiting Kerala as a State guest,” he said.

Referring to the Patriarch’s call for a constitution to ensure peace in Syria, the Metropolitan termed it ironic that those unwilling to accept the Malankara Church constitution, upheld by the Supreme Court, should advocate the need for a constitution to ensure peace in another country.

The Metropolitan also welcomed Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s call for unity in the Malankara Church at the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Mulanthuruthy Synod, organised by the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church at Puthencruz. He pointed out that Church leaders on the dais, however, had not responded positively to his appeal.

The Orthodox Church also flagged contradictions between the State government’s efforts to broker peace and the stand taken by its lawyers in court. While the Chief Minister was pursuing reconciliation, the government counsel had told the court that peace efforts were in their final stages.“This claim is incorrect. How can the process reach its final stage without discussions taking place?” the Metropolitan asked.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether the Patriarch will visit the Manarcad church on Sunday, the final day of his Kerala visit, as the Jacobite faction is yet to confirm his schedule for the day. The Kerala High Court has already directed the State Police Chief to ensure that the Patriarch does not violate the decrees and Supreme Court judgments governing the dispute between the Orthodox and Jacobite factions during his visit to Keralam as a State guest.