The five lakh strong Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church in Kerala is upset over the “humiliation” meted out to the representative of the church by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his recent interaction with community leaders at Malappuram.
Vijayan, who is touring the headquarters of all districts in the State as part of the 2021 Assembly election campaign, blamed the Orthodox Church when a priest tried to draw his attention towards the discrimination shown by the Government towards the MOSC during the former’s interaction with citizens of Malappuram. The Priest had tried to draw the Chief Minister’s attention to the ongoing tussle between the MOSC and the breakaway faction of the community for control of Churches.
The Chief Minister and the CPI(M) are peeved over the recent meeting the Orthodox Church bishops had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the intervention of the latter’s office to resolve the issue.
Vijayan blamed the Orthodox prelates for the dispute with the Jacobite faction and asked the Church representative to behave properly. “The Chief Minister’s reaction should be seen as a challenge to the judicial system in the country,” said Dr Yuhanon Mar Diacoros Metropolitan, secretary of the holy synod.
Dr Geevarghese Mar Yuliose Metropolitan, who heads the media wing of the MOSC said that fascism has set its foot in Kerala through the Communists. “What is happening in Kerala under the regime of Vijayan is unfortunate. Fascism and authoritarianism are at its peak under the CPI(M) rule. We feel as if we are living under an autocratic regime. This was in expected lines as Communist rulers are not known for their love for democracy,” said while reacting to the incident.
The Metropolitan heads the media wing of the Orthodox Church and usually stays away from all controversies.
He said that the Prime Minister has made no interference in the legal dispute between the Orthodox and Jacobite sections. “If someone feels that Thiruvananthapuram is the national capital, it would be better if he changes that notion at the earliest,” said the Metropolitan.
The Supreme Court in its verdict had pronounced that the chief of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church as the controlling authority of all the Churches that fall under the Orthodox sect. “The Jacobite sect fighting for the rights to worship in these churches are welcome to do so provided they have the permission from the head of the MOSC,” said the Metropolitan.
The MOSC laity plays a crucial role during election in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam.