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11. In 1943 a great
reception was given to His Holiness Baselios Geevarghese II and
Augen Mar Thimothios Metropolitan of Kandanad Diocese in the
Kolencherry Church.
12. In 1943 the Kolenchery Church remained closed for 89 days in
the months of May, June and July because of the fight between
the factions.
13.In 1943 itself Very Rev Thenumkal Geevarghese Malpan and Fr.
Geevarghese of Murimattom, both being the parish priests of the
Kolenchery church received special order from the Government and
opened the church. And thenceforth under the administration of
Augen Mar Thimothios worship was conducted uninterruptedly in
the Kolenchery church
14.As a result of the Peace established in the Malankara church,
resulting from the Supreme Court verdict in 1958, on 8th March,
1959 the parish assembly of the Kolenchery church was summoned.
Mar Augen Thimothios, the Metropolitan of the Kandanad Diocese
and Paulose Mar Philoxinos the co-Metropolitan of the Diocese
were present in it. And it resolved that the Kolenchery
St.Peter’s and St. Paul’s church should be administered
according to the 1934 constitution of the Malankara Orthodox
church. Accordingly Shri K.V Thomas was selected as the
Treasurer of the Kolenchery church.
15. On 24th May 1959 the parish celebrated the Memorial Day of
the late Catholicos His Holiness Baselios Paulose I in the
Kolenchery church as decided by the Parish Assembly.
16. On 28th January 1961, Mar Augen Thimothios laid the
foundation stone for the re-construction of the present
Kolenchery church. Mar Paulose Philoxinos did not participate in
it because he was leading with an " Antiochean Movement" against
the Malankara Church.
17.On 29th January 1963 the reconstructed church was consecrated
by H.H Baselios Geevarghese II Catholicos assisted by all the
Metropolitans, except Mor Paulose Philoxenos, of the Malankara
church.
18.Rev.Fr.Elias Valayil, Vicar, Mr. K.V Thomas, Trustee and
Mr.M.Chackoppillai were the conveners of all the arrangements
for that function as well as the construction of the Church
building.
19.In 1964 when Mor Augen Thimotheos was installed as Catholicos
Baselios Augen I, Mor Paulos Philoxenos returned to the Church
and became Metropolitan of Diocese of Kandanad including the
Kolencherry Church.
20.In 1965 Mor Paulose Philoxenos appointed Rev.Fr.John
Kalappurackal as Vicar and Rev.Frs.O.I.Paulose, M.V. Abraham as
co-Priests in the Kolencherry Church
21.On 15th May 1965 Mor Philipose Theophilos,Mor Yuhanon
Severios and Mor Thomas Thimotheos were consecrated bishops by
the Episcopal Synod of the Malankara Church presided by the
Catholicos H.H.Baselios Augen I in Kolencherry under the
auspices of the Kolencherry Church.
22.In 1975 Mor Paulos Philoxenos revolted against the Catholicos
Augen and eventually was installed as a rival Catholicos by the
Patriarch of Antioch. Therefore the successor of Catholicos
Augen, Catholicos Mathews I assumed the charge of the Diocese of
Kandanad, according to the constitution of the Church. Instead
of Fr. John Kalapurackal H.H.Baselios Marthoma Mathews l
Catholicos appointed Rev Fr.O.I.Paulose as the vicar of the
church and the Civil Court recognized it.
23. In 1976 Joseph Mor Pachomius assumed the charge of the
Diocese of Kandanad and he put his seal and signature in the
concerned Documents of the Kolencherry Church
24. In 1980, 6 persons from the patriarch side filed a petition
(OS 19/80) against 24 persons of the catholicate side, demanding
the prohibition of the then existed Managing committee.
25.On 12th July, 1984,on the day of the Annual Feast (Perunal)
Fr. John Vallikattil of the Patriarch side conducted a ‘Fasting
Strike’ in front of the ‘ Madbaha ‘ of Kolencherry church. He
demanded to be appointed as a priest in the Kolencherry Church.
The police interfered and 144 was declared in the premises of
the Church. People were dispersed after Feast Qurbana, without
conducting procession
26.In 1984, K.V. Thomas, the Trustee of the Church died and his
children handed over the key to the court.
27. In 1984 people of the Catholicos side pursued the case
through an IA petition and the Civil Court appointed a Receiver
for the Administration of the temporal matters of the Church.
Worship was continued under the leadership of three priests.
28. In 1987, Fr. John Kalapurackal of the patriarch side died
and in his place Fr. Zechariah Ichikkottil from the patriarch
side was appointed through another sanction of an IA petition as
a temporary priest by the Civil court on 10-4-1987 till the
verdict of the case.
29. On 19th August 1991 Joseph Mor Pachomius Metropolitan
entered into eternal rest. Dr. Mathews Mor Severios was
appointed as the Metropolitan of the Diocese of Kandanad.
30.According to the Supreme Court Verdict in 1995 Kolencherry
Church also came under the provisions of 1934 constitution as
far concerned with
all its affairs.
31. On Feb. 1997, the suit O.S.19/80 in 1st Additional District
Court was finally disposed with the Verdict issued as " Since
the suit is dismissed his (receiver) appointment is terminated
and he will hand over the charge within 2 weeks to the previous
managing committee".
32. Following this verdict, the ruling group including 11
members of the previous managing committee along with the
permanent priests of the church, Fr.O.I. Paulose and Co-Vicar
Fr. M.V Abraham assumed charge on 10-03-97. Since Ichikottil Fr.
Zechariah of the patriarch side was a temporary priest appointed
by the court, he lost the possibility of continuance.
33. After a compromise talk on 14-03-1997 two of the committee
members Shri Cheria Pathrose and K.S.Varghese sworn allegiance
before the Diocesan Metropolitan, Mathews Mar Severios through
an affidavit. Hence they were appointed as Trustees.
34.In the same way on 14 –03-1997, Fr. Zechariah Ichikottil
wrote an affidavit to Mathews Mar Severios Metropolitan and was
appointed as Co-Vicar of the Kolencherry church.
35. Within one month, both Fr. Zechariah and K.S.Varghese
organized "Antiochian faith defense forum" meetings and created
problems at Kolencherry offending the Diocesan Metropolitan as
well as the 1934 Constitution. The Metropolitan then asked for
explanation.
36. Against this, Fr. Zechariah Ichikottil filed a suit at
Munsif Court, Perumbavoor against Metropolitan Mathews Mar
Severios (O.S 340/97)
37. On 31st March, 1998 the Munsif court issued a verdict
favoring the Metropolitan which reads" The 1st defendant
(Mathews Mar Severios
Metropolitan)has got every right to take action against their
priests and vicars…………They want to maintain discipline in the
church and proper administration in accordance with the
constitution(1934)".
38.On the basis of the above verdict of the court, on 1-04-1998
Fr, Zechariah Ichikottil was transferred to Manakunnam Mar Augen
church from the Kolencherry church. Instead of him Fr. John
Thenumkal was appointed as Co-Vicar in Kolencherry church.
39. Thus Fr. O.I. Paulose as Vicar and Fr. M.V. Abraham and Fr.
John Thenumkal as Co-Vicars, continued their services in the
Church.
40. On 18th April 1998 the District authorities interfered and
closed the church due to the influence of the patriarch side.
41. District authorities demanded the key of the church. Vicar
did not handed over the key to the civil authorities. The Civil
authorities broke the lock of the church and again locked with a
new lock and handed over the key to the representatives of the
committee.
42.The above act of the District authorities were questioned in
the High Court and through the Court’s direction they have
handed over the key back to the Vicar Fr. O.I. Paulose on
17-6-1998.
43.A suit O.S. 31/98 was filed to prevent Fr. Zechariah
Ichikottil from entering illegally and disobeying the Kalpana of
the Diocesan Metropolitan.
44.In the prohibition order of 21st December 1998 against Fr.
Zechariah Ichikottil, it is recorded as follows " It follows
that the plaint church is to be administered under the provision
of the said constitution (1934). The plaint church (Kolencherry
St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s church) is a parish under Kandanad
Diocese. It cannot be disputed that Dr. Mathews Mar Severios is
the Metropolitan of the Diocese and the contention of the
dependant challenging the authority of Dr. Mathews Mar Severios
has no merit". (1st Additional District Court, 21st December,
1998. IA 1569 in O.S 31/98)
45.Though they went for an appeal questioning this Verdict of
the District, court their appeal was rejected by the High Court
on 23-03-20000 ratifying the prohibition order to Fr Zachariah
Ichikkottil. A further appeal over the verdict of the High court
was filed by Fr Ichikkottil in the Supreme Court, which also
rejected it, on12-07-2000 ratifying the decisions of the
District Court and of the High Court.
46. On 10th January 2000 Vicar Fr. O.I. Paulose died. In his
place Fr. M.V. Abraham was appointed as Vicar and Fr. C.M.
Kuriakose was appointed as Co- Vicar together with the other
Co-Vicar Fr John Thenungal by the Diocesan Metropolitan Mathews
Mar Severios.
47. In 2002 December Malankara Orthodox Church conducted a
Fasting prayer program at Kolencherry to get the unjustly closed
churches opened for worship for the lawful custodians.
48. Even though the church was opened on the basis of the
discussions with the sub-committee of three Ministers from the
Kerala UDF Government on 17th December 2002, the church was
again closed after one day’s worship since the patriarch side
broke the agreements.
49.An S L P is pending in the Supreme Court now concerning the
execution of the decisions of the Malankara Association 2002 in
Parish churches.
50. It was decided in the Synod held in July 2004, "that the
stand taken by the Church in 1974 when new cases began, should
be the stand of the Church for all times. Malankara church is
‘One’ and it cannot share or divide its churches or institutions
with somebody else. This is recognized through the Supreme Court
verdict of 1995. The responsibility of the Church is to get the
verdict executed. The church is bound to fulfill this
responsibility".
51. In order to get the verdict of the Kolencherry church
executed, execution petition has been submitted in Munsif Court.
Overlooking thiscircumstances, a few orthodox members (11) of
the Kolencherry Church, out of some selfish motives, joined with
the Patriarch sympathizers of the Kolencherry Church gave birth
to a so called "Joint Council". In revolutionary strikes and
public meetings in the style of the political parties in Kerala
they tried to get the Kolencherry Church opened for worship
including the patriarch parties without the due appointment or
permission from the diocesan metropolitan whose rights for the
same are approved by the Apex Court of this country. Hence they
are trying to achieve through revolutionary methods those rights
which are denied to them by the Civil Courts of India. This is
what we see in Kolencherry now. This is not with the knowledge
or permission either of the Malankara Church leadership or of
the Diocesan Metropolitan.
52. There was no consensus regarding the opening of the church
till 10-July-2005. Even though there were many discussions
conducted by the duly appointed Orthodox Church leaders
including the Catholicos designate H.B.Thomas Mar Thimotheos,
the Priest Trustee Rev.Fr.Dr.O Thomas, Association Secretary Dr.
Alexander Karakkal of the Malankara Church with the Chief
Minister and District Collector and DSP. But on 10-07-2005,
Muvattupuzha R.D.O unjustly braked the lock of the closed church
and opened it. And on 12-07-2005,he gave permission to the
patriarchal sympathizers to enter the church and they conducted
their worship from 6.00AM till 9 AM. This is a challenge to the
Law and order and irreverence to the Supreme Court verdict.
Against this, Orthodox members of the parish submitted a writ
petition in the High court, in which the Ernakulam District
authorities were made defendants. Their prayer in the suit is to
get the Kolencherry Church fully under the authority of Dr.
Mathews Mar Severios, the Metropolitan of the Diocese of
Kandanad
CONCLUSION
In the light of the above historical truths and Court verdicts,
it is not possible to accept the unnecessary demand of the
patriarch side for conducting worship in the church. It is fully
under the control and jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of the
Diocese of Kandanad West Dr. Mathews Mar Severios. Church should
take strong actions against the two members of the Malankara
Sabha Managing committee namely, Shri P.M. Pailippillai and Shri
C.V. Jacob. They have joined with the ‘Joint Council" and caused
irreparable loss to the goodwill and dignified position of the
Malankara Church through their open attack against the Church
authorities, especially H.G.Mathews Mar Severios Metropolitan
through T V Channels as well as through press releases and
public speeches. This indiscipline must not be tolerated.
Kolencherry church belongs to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian
church which governs all its parish churches according to the
1934 constitution found valid by the Supreme Court of India. It
cannot share its churches with another church which is
originated in 2002 with a new" 2002 constitution". Members of
the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church should be careful in this
regard. |
