Fri Mar 14 15:52:19 UTC 2025: ## Malankara Orthodox Church Rejects Jacobite Faction’s Coexistence Plea
**Kottayam, March 15, 2025** – The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church has vehemently rejected a proposal by the Jacobite faction for a co-existence arrangement, asserting that the Jacobite Church must return all church infrastructure. In a press release issued Friday, the Orthodox Church stated that the Jacobite faction, having declared itself a separate entity, should relinquish all assets belonging to the Malankara Church.
The statement highlights that the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed the Malankara Church’s status as a trust governed by its 1934 Constitution, emphasizing individuals’ right to leave the trust but underscoring the continued legal authority of the existing structure. The Church further criticized the Patriarch of Antioch for allegedly undermining peace within the Malankara Church by establishing parallel power centers, a move deemed disrespectful to the Indian judicial system. The Orthodox Church condemned what it considers governmental and political support for this action.
While the Orthodox Church affirmed the right to establish new churches, it firmly rejected the concept of parallel governance within the Malankara Church, emphasizing the Supreme Court’s ruling against such a structure. The dispute centers around the interpretation of the 1934 Constitution and the rightful control of church assets.
First Piper 