Police on Sunday blocked a procession organised by the Malankara Orthodox Church to the Kings Church at Piravom, even as the crisis following the dispute between the two factions over services remained unresolved.
District collector, P.I. Sheikh Pareeth, meanwhile, has convened a meeting of the sabha secretaries of both the Orthodox and Jacobite factions here on Monday, in a fresh bid to defuse the crisis. “The status quo will continue till then,” he said.
The rally to the church was led by Catholicos Baselius Mar Thomas Paulose II, Metropolitans Thomas Mar Athanios, Youhanon Mar Milithios and Yakoob Mar Irenios and the clergy trustee of the church, Fr John Abraham Konatt.
“We undertook a peaceful procession and it was blocked by the police 50 metres away from the church,” Fr Konatt said.
“The Jacobite faction is not even cooperating with the mediation efforts. Their sabha secretary did not care to meet the collector even after repeated requests,” he added.
The Jacobite faction continued to stick to the position that the collector’s order allowing Orthodox faction to conduct services in the church led to the present crisis. The faction sought the immediate withdrawal of the order.