Kerala High Court issues notice on church dispute
The Ramban was insisting that he would not leave the place without entering the church and administering his priestly duties.
KOCHI: The High Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre and the state government and the Jacobite faction of the Church in connection with the dispute over the Kothama-ngalam Marthoma Cheriya Palli even as the two warring factions showed no signs of de-escalating the tensions between the two. The court was considering a petition filed Fr Thomas Paul Ramban seeking the deployment of Central Reserve Police Force on the Church premises to implement the court verdict.
The court, however, declined to intervene in the matter and observed that it was for the police to decide on the law and order problem at the place. The case was posted for further hearing on January 4. Fr Thomas Paul Ramban, who stayed in a car outside the church for 24 hours, was shifted to a hospital by the police on the orders of the district collector after his health deteriorated on Friday.
The Ramban was insisting that he would not leave the place without entering the church and administering his priestly duties.
The devotees of the Jacobite faction, including women and children, assembled before the church in strength to prevent the entry of the Ramban. His removal from the vicinity of the church was received with applause by the Jacobite faction.
On the High Court order, the Ramban said he would take a decision after discussions with the leaders of the Orthodox Church.
The war of words between the factions intensified on Friday as the supreme leader of Orthodox Church Baselious Paulose II Catholicos Bava criticised the state government and the Jacobite faction. The successive governments have not intervened to implement justice, he said, while addressing the devotees at the Niranam Church.
The government should not consider patience as weakness, the Bava said and added that the government was showing double standard over the court verdict.
The Jacobite faction iterated that it would not allow Fr. Thomas Paul Ramaban to the church in his official capacity. He could enter the church as an ordinary believer, they added. Although Jacobite leaders said the faction was ready for talks to resolve the dispute they also insisted that they would not hand over the control and administration of the churches to the rival faction at any cost.