In a decisive ruling on Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered members of the Jacobite Syrian Church to hand over the keys to six churches to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, following years of legal disputes and allegations of contempt of court. The churches are split between the districts of Ernakulam and Palakkad in Kerala.
Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan presided over the hearing, emphasizing the necessity for the Jacobite faction to comply with previous court decisions that recognize the administrative authority of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church as per the 1934 Constitution. The specified churches include St. Mary’s Orthodox Church at Odakkal, St. John’s Besphage Orthodox Syrian Church at Pulinthanam, and St. Thomas Orthodox Church at Mazhuvannoor in Ernakulam; along with St. Mary’s Orthodox Church at Mangalam Dam, St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Church at Erickinchira, and St. Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church at Cherukunnam in Palakkad.
The directive requires the Jacobite members to submit affidavits confirming the transfer of control and warns of contempt proceedings if they fail to comply. This order follows a series of legal challenges and a Kerala High Court order from October 17, which the Jacobite faction had contested. The High Court had tasked district collectors with ensuring the transfer after reports of obstructions to the enforcement of a pivotal 2017 Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the Malankara faction’s rights.
During the proceedings, the Supreme Court also mandated that the Malankara faction must ensure that all public amenities associated with these churches, such as burial grounds, schools, and hospitals, remain accessible to Jacobite members. This adherence to the 1934 Constitution is aimed at maintaining communal harmony and ensuring that essential services are not disrupted by the ongoing ecclesiastical conflict.
Senior Advocate CU Singh, representing the Malankara Orthodox faction, stressed the importance of aligning church services with the constitution to prevent further conflicts. The court has given a two-week deadline for compliance, exempting Kerala government officers from earlier proceedings, and expressing hope for a peaceful resolution ahead of the Christmas season.
