The Ernakulam District Collector and the police are showing criminal negligence towards the High Court verdict that St. Thomas Church, Kothamangalam, (Marthoman Cheriyapally), should be administered as per the 1934 constitution of the Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church has alleged.
The High Court verdict has not been implemented. The Collector should initiate immediate steps to take over the church. “It is suspected that the Collector, who is responsible for implementing the court order, has conceded to somebody’s pressure and shows negligence towards the court order. When the Government and bureaucrats join hands to sabotage the rule of law, it causes anarchy in the land. The Orthodox Church cannot allow this,” Church spokespersons Fr. John Abraham Konat and Fr. Thomas Paul Ramban said here on Saturday.
‘Church articles stolen’
They alleged that those managing the Kothamangalam church were betraying the church and the faithful. “Centuries-old articles, including bells, palanquins, crosses, and many other things kept in the church, are missing now. Even the holy remains of Catholicos Eldo Baselios are stolen by breaking open the tomb. Rights of properties worth crores of rupees have been handed over to a private trust,” they alleged.
They added that the statement of accounts since 2013 were not legally passed. Church properties had been transferred to the names of church administrators or to the names suggested by them. Loans of huge amounts had been secured in the name of the church without the consent of the faithful. Incidents of fund misappropriation had been reported from church-owned schools, colleges, and hospitals, they alleged.
They also pointed out that no new member had been added or membership renewed after 1974. They feared that if parishioners join hands together, it would affect their existence. Therefore, the present administrative council was not ready to renew memberships of parishioners and elect a new council.
.png?w=600)
