Tension prevailed at Piravom in Ernakulam district on Wednesday as several Jacobite faction priests and followers prevented those belonging to the Orthodox faction from entering a church here and taking its possession as per a Supreme Court order.
Hundreds of people belonging to the Jacobite faction, camping in the church, prevented the implementation of the top court's verdict when the Orthodox faction tried to enter the 'Piravom Valiya palli' at 7 am.
The church gates were closed from inside by priests and followers of the Jacobite faction, forcing the Orthodox faction priests to sit outside.
Police made an announcement through the mike, urging the Jacobite faction priests and followers to cooperate with the administration to implement the apex court order.
However, the Jacobite faction faithful, comprising a large number of women followers, resisted, saying they would not allow the rival faction to take control of their Church.
Slogans were raised against the Orthodox faction.
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A large number of police forces have been deployed in the premises.
"We hope the government would take steps to implement the Supreme Court order.We want the court order to be implemented in a peaceful manner," an Orthodox priest told reporters.
A Jacobite priest said they would not allow the Orthodox faction to take control of the church.
"We will not leave the church," he said.
The Orthodox faction reached the church to take possession of it after the Kerala High Court directed the police to provide protection to their priests to conduct religious services in the church.
The court gave the order on a petition by the Orthodox faction, seeking police protection to conduct mass and prayers in the church.
Even though the Supreme Court had nearly two years ago allowed the Orthodox faction to offer prayers at the church, members belonging to the rival faction allegedly prevented them from entering it.
The Orthodox faction had moved the high court after the state government failed to implement the top Court order.
Priests and followers of Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church had on Sunday entered the Kandanad St Marys Church near here and offered holy mass, two years after the top court ruled in their favour on a dispute with rival Jacobite faction over control of 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.
Jacobite church followers have been accused of preventing access to the Orthodox faction, despite orders of the high court and the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, in a similar case, police on Wednesday submitted before the High Court that if forceful implementation of the apex court order is attempted in a case relating to Kothamangalam church dispute, it will lead to a firing incident and loss of life.
The police filed the statement in response to a plea filed by an Orthodox Church priest seeking to implement the apex court order giving posession of Marthoma Cheriya Palli in Kothamangalam to the Orthodox faction.
The Church is currently under the control of the Jacobite faction.
The majority of the parishioners were followers of the Jacobite faction and police fear that there would be stiff resistance against the Orthodox faction taking forceful control of the church.
Police said for a smooth implementation of the judgement, the Jacobite faction had to be convinced by persuasion to accept the reality of failure in the litigation and to submit to the judgement of the Supreme Court.
"If forceful implementation is attempted, large number of lives may be lost...", the police said.
Since it is a holy place, the effort is to avoid firing, use of tear gas or such other methods for implementation of the judgement, the police submitted.
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