Senior priests of the Jacobite Syrian Church Monday accused the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of denying "a dignified burial" for bodies of their faithful in churches currently controlled by the latter following a 2017 Supreme Court order.
Four metropolitans of the Jacobite faction urged the Orthodox faction to cooperate with the conciliatory efforts being taken by the state government to end the standoff over a century-old dispute between two factions.
"Bodies of our faithful are denied a dignified burial. Our human rights are violated," a metropolitan lamented while referring to the recent row over the conduct of funeral rites and burial of bodies in cemeteries of Churches controlled by the Orthodox faction.
The press conference was attended by Metropolitans Abraham Mor Savariose, Thomas Mor Themotheos, Joseph Mor Gregoriose and Kuriakose Mor Theophilose.
The head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, has said the state government has the inalienable responsibility to implement the Supreme Court order.
Last week, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had told the state assembly that they are committed to implementing the apex court order on the dispute between the Orthodox and Jacobite factions of the Malankara church.
More From This Section
"We are trying to implement it in a peaceful manner through consensus, avoiding any tension. We have always taken a stand respecting the court verdicts," Vijayan had said after the CPI(M)-led government was slammed by the apex court for not implementing its order.
Jacobite church followers have been accused of preventing access to the Orthodox faction, despite orders of the high court and the Supreme Court.
"Is Kerala above rule of law?" an angry Supreme Court had asked last week and threatened to put the state chief secretary behind bars for not implementing the judgement on the Orthodox-Jacobite feud over the right to conduct administration and prayers in the disputed churches.
In its 2017 verdict, the apex court had held that 1,100 parishes and their churches under the Malankara Church should be controlled by the Orthodox faction as per the 1934 Malankara Church guidelines.