Catholicos hails PM’s stance against split in Malankara Church

Kottayam: Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church head Baselios Marthoma Mathews III Catholicos on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stance that Malankara Church should not split.According to the Catholicos, the court rulings of 1958, 1995, and 2017 in the church dispute all stated the same. Since the time of Malankara metropolitan St Geevarghese Mar Dionysius Vattasseril, this was the position of Malankara Church, he said."Malankara Church had communicated to central and state govts about the stance to move unitedly. BJP and RSS described Malankara Church as the true Indian church with ancient heritage. It is unlikely that Prime Minister will agree to the demand for division," he added.The Catholicos was reacting to the meeting between the Prime Minister and supreme head of Universal Syrian Orthodox Church Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and all the east, at his official residence in New Delhi on Friday. This was seen as a significant step towards resolving the decades-long Malankara Church dispute.During the meeting, Modi was learned to have expressed Centre's willingness to facilitate an amicable settlement through dialogue rather than prolonged litigation."No one will adopt a stance against the existence of Malankara Church. Emperor Constantine, who convened the Nicaea Synod, also discussed the unity of churches. There is no need to go elsewhere for church peace. Understanding identity and truth is sufficient," said the Catholicos.