Video: Rival factions clash over church ownership in Kerala; case against 22
A clash broke out between priests and believers of two Christian sects -- the Syrian Jacobite and Malankara Orthodox factions -- over the ownership of
A clash broke out between priests and believers of two Christian sects -- the Syrian Jacobite and Malankara Orthodox factions -- over the ownership of a church near Kochi. Following the clash, Kerala Police registered two cases against members of both groups, officials said on Monday. The clash took place at St John’s Bethlehem Church in Piramadom, which is at the centre of a long-running ownership dispute between the two factions and is currently under the control of the Jacobite faction.
Read Full Story According to officials, a few Orthodox priests reached the church on Sunday, citing a local court judgment that had ruled in their favour in the ownership dispute. A Jacobite priest and believers at the church opposed their entry, citing another Munsiff Court order that had gone in their favour. The ensuing verbal argument escalated into pushing and shoving between priests and members of the two factions.
Both sides claimed that their priests were injured in the clash, police said. Separate cases were registered against 10 people, including priests of the Jacobite faction, and 12 priests and believers of the Orthodox faction. The cases were filed based on complaints from both sides, with non-bailable offences invoked. Officials said an investigation was underway, while police personnel had been deployed at the church to prevent further violence.
The Ernakulam district administration has also called a meeting of representatives from both factions in an attempt to resolve the dispute amicably. The Orthodo Jacobite dispute has continued for several years, with multiple court battles over the possession and administration of churches and properties associated with the two factions. Ends
The BriefWire