Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Network

Georgy in his next article is trying to summarize his arguments on the autocephaly of the Malankara Church. In the first part he claims the 'autocephaly de facto'. All these issues raised by him were dealt in detail in my former articles. So I am not repeating or summarizing the same here. My arguments can be traced from the respective messages of the fora.

The second part goes to survey the claims of 'autocephaly de jure' based on the latest Supreme court judgment. He arrives at the following conclusion that the court did not accept the IOC claim of autocephaly. May be because of the legal finalitiesin this issue he has put forwarded an appeal here to achieve autocephaly through a consensus. You read now his own words and then we will proceed.

" The Supreme Court of India is inclined not to support our autocephalous status because of
the assertions made in our own constitution. Therefore, we can state that we are a de facto autocephalous church, but not one de jure. Instead of being in denial, the challenge before our church leadership would be to peacefully resolve this issue, even as we maintain our warm relationship with the family of Oriental Orthodox Churches. In my view, autocephaly through consensual route could be one way out of the present conflict in our church. Instead of assuming that the Syriac Church wouldn't grant us the same, we should first test the assumption either on our own or through the offices of other Oriental Orthodox Church prelates. The two Indian churches can then learn to co-exist peacefully, the Indian Orthodox Church as an autocephalous church, and the Jacobite Church as an autonomous one having a more umbilical relationship with the Syriac Church."

But Georgy has to remember that the reasons de facto mentioned were also presented and pleaded before the trial court and the higher courts. But all the courts flatly denied these claims. Anyone who glance through the affidavit filed in the main case show that the main plea was centered in aiming declaration to this effect. I am happy that the IO readers are told directly by one of their diligent expositors that the court has not accepted their plea to declare themselves autocephalous. The Malankara Church is not autocephalous de jurie because it is not autocephalous de facto.

Anyone going into the basic reason of the split in Malankara can beyond doubt arrive at the conclusion that it was nothing other than the claim of autocephaly declared by Augen Bava on Sept. 26, 1972. ( See the full text of the declaration in my book, 'Perumpilly Thirumeni', pp 91-92) The litigation started on June 6, 1974 was also for declaring this autocephalous nature of the church and for a declaration in favor of the Malankara Metropolitan to be the spiritual, ecclesial and temporal authority over all properties of the Malankara church and its parishes. Georgy should also note that the 1995 judgment of the SC of India also make it clear that the parish churches and its properties were not all affected by any of the findings of the apex court and that the Catholicose, Malankara Metropolitan nor the diocesan Metropolitan has no authority over its temporalities. The case was to declare the opposite. I hope you will accept this also in the future. For fear of prolonging any further I am not going into the other points dealt by the supreme court.

Let me try to concentrate on a very practical suggestion forwarded at the end of the above quote from Georgy to make an end to these war and rift. I request Georgy to propose a few guidelines to achieve the proposal. How can we arrive at this peaceful co existence ? Can you persuade the litigation maniacs at your church head quarters to accept this?

Your proposal is a ray of hope to end the rift and rivalry in our community. I am sure SOC will accept this and has already declared its willingness to this effect. The recent incidents of the reopening of parish churches prove this type of peaceful co existence will be readily and willingly accepted by our people at large. Moreover it is now clear that the real problems and fights are not originated from among the people. They were mere puppets and tools in the hands of the leadership. People wanted their churches to opened and the worship services to be continued there. They are now least bothered about issues like 'autocephaly de facto or de jure'. So let us take an initiative at a larger perspective to arrive at a conclusion put forwarded by you, if you can convince your leaders. I don't even find the need of any mediators to implement this. If the intentions are made very clear like this statement of yours it need no intervention of the OO leaders or any other.

The declaration of the Mulanthuruthy Association 2005 under the president ship of H.H. the Patriarch unequivocally declared that the SOC is willing to accept IO as a sister church. I think it contains all your suggestions. I will add that this is the only way out for the IO to become an 'autocephalous' church. The SOC also will be at the gaining point that it will be fairly allowed to progress without hindrance in its endeared ties with the Patriarchate of Antioch.

In this line we can resolve the petty issues magnified through the media as the great 'war' between the two divisions in a great and glorious community. I appeal all through this posting to pray for the success of the proposal made here by Georgy. I would also like to remind about the failure(?) of the mission carried out by the V.Rev. Dr. P.S. Samuel Corepiscopa, NY around this line about year back. We had good reports of his mission till he went to India, but nothing was heard after his return. So I find strong pressures of the (vested) interested groups behind the perpetuation of rifts and keeping live issues.

Next : Catholicate vs.Mafrianate

Original Posting of Mr. Georgy S Thomas in IOCN Malankara's Mythical Minefields-V

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