Orthodox-Jacobite Church Row Escalates as Kerala Police File Two Cases

Kerala Police have registered two cases following a clash between the Malankara Orthodox and Syrian Jacobite factions over the ownership of St John’s Bethlehem Church at Piramadom near Kochi, officials said on Monday.

Ramamangalam police registered separate cases on Sunday night based on complaints from both groups. One case names 10 persons, including priests of the Jacobite faction, while the other names 12 priests and believers from the Orthodox faction. Police said non-bailable offences have been invoked in both cases.

The cases were filed after tensions escalated at the church on Sunday when priests from the Orthodox faction arrived at the premises, citing a Muvattupuzha Sub Court judgment that they said favoured their claim in the ownership dispute.

The church is currently under the control of the Jacobite faction, according to police. A Jacobite priest and believers present at the church resisted the Orthodox group's move, claiming that a Munsiff Court ruling had gone in their favour.

The dispute soon turned into a verbal confrontation, followed by pushing and shoving between members of the two factions. Police said both sides alleged that their priests suffered injuries during the melee.

Following the incident, police deployed personnel at St John’s Bethlehem Church to prevent further violence and maintain law and order. Officials said the investigation into both cases is underway.

The Ernakulam district administration has also stepped in to defuse tensions, calling a meeting of representatives from the two factions in an effort to resolve the matter amicably.

The ownership and possession of churches and properties have remained a longstanding source of tension between the Orthodox and Jacobite factions. The dispute has continued for several years and has generated multiple court proceedings and rulings concerning the control of churches and related properties.

Authorities are monitoring the situation closely to prevent any fresh confrontation while efforts are made to find a peaceful resolution.