Leaders and members of the Jacobite faction of the Malankara church observed a day of protest on Sunday across Kerala in the face of what they claimed was an attack on the church in the form of seizure of churches. The protest was observed on Sunday following a decision of the working committee of the Jacobite church, which met at Kolencherry on Saturday.
The Jacobite church had earlier said that it would end all protest action in view of the peace talks being convened by the State government between the two factions of the Malankara church. The protest is against the “denial of justice” and supports a demand for legislation to end the seizure of Jacobite churches, said the working committee.
The protest comes in the wake of the State government seizing the St. George's Church, Mudavoor, near Muvattupuzha, last week. The church was later handed over to the Orthodox group of the Malankara church as per a Supreme Court verdict of July 2017.
Father Sleeba Paul Vattavelil, priest trustee of the Jacobite church, had expressed sorrow at the Muvattupuzha development and regretted the government action. The group of church followers under him observed a day of protest on Sunday at the Kunnappilly St. George’s Church, near Ayarkunmam on Sunday.
The Jacobite group maintained that the State government had in its affidavit before the Kerala High Court sought three months’ time to settle the issues between the two factions of the Malankara church.
