- Hon Supreme Court has today made very important pronouncements regarding the cases of a few parish churches and also struck down the 2002 constitution of the Jacobite Church as the 1934 church constitution is binding for the Syrian Orthodox and Orthodox Syrian believers
- In the light of the erstwhile court interventions, we need to be more practical and pragmatic in bringing about lasting peace as it is a land mark verdict.
- Here no one is a victor or victim and all are to be treated as one in the body of Christ Jesus.
- In true Christian love and with a policy of give and take, 1934 church constitution to be accepted by all for the common good of the future generations.
- Appoint a High Power group to negotiate the modalities of implementing the court mandate.
- Get from each faction 3 members each to work out the modalities of the emerging unified church.
- First step is to facilitate an urgent meeting chaired by HH Patriarch and co- chaired by HH Catholicose assisted by HB Catholicose and attended by all bishops of the unified church in a neutral place or any modern convention centre in central Kerala or New Delhi to declare the emergence of the unified
- Declare HB Catholicose as Supreme Catholicose for the Malankara Church as only titler head .The present Catholicose to function as the legal Malankara Metropolitian and Catholicose. However, Synod meetings may be chaired by either of them.
- Appoint two interim successor Catholicose form the erstwhile Jacobite faction ( may be HG Joseph Gregorios and from the Orthodox faction HG Dr Thomas Athanasius).
- All bishops would continue to function from the present dioceses wherever they are with future rationalisation to be in place.
- All parish churches will declare allegiance to the 1934constiution and shall continue to be governed till the currency of the elected periods of the
- All parish priests may be transfered once in three years.
- All existing cases in various courts may be wound up settled within a reasonable time frame of six months.
- A committee may be set up to oversee the implementation of the curt verdict.
- A core group of experts may be set up to settle disputes of administrative nature.
- A team of bishops from the Jacobite faction namely HG Joseph Gregorios, HG Thomas Themothious, HG Kuriakose Theopheliose and HG Gheevarghese Koorilos would constitute the team to discuss the modalities of full merger with the Orthodox faction team consisting of HG Dr Thomas Athanasius, HG Nicholovos Zachariah, and HG Gheevragese Coorilos of The Lay Trustee Orthodox Church Mr George Paul to be member secretary.
- Faith and order may be examined by a special committee headed by Rev KM George and Rev Dr Jacob Adayi-principal of the Syrian Orthodox Seminary along with Rev Dr Johns Konat.
- WCC and ecumenical issues may be sorted out by a high power group consisting of HG Nicholovos Zachariah and HG Dr Kuriakose
- Contact group may be constituted immediately including eminent persons from each group .There may be people like Dr Babu Paul IAS, Dr Georg e Sleeba IAS, Mr Gigy Thomson IAS and ,Dr MP Mathai.
- It is high time that the unified Indian Orthodox Church to embrace liberal thinking, which is universal thinking, in terms of global outlook with local focus in all realms of its manifestation-theological , secular as well as philosophical.
- Let us remember the serenity prayer.” God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot Courage to change the things I can-and wisdom to know the difference”. Let’s make the challenges our opportunities.
Dr KM George
Former UN Advisor
President and CEO of Sustainable Development Forum,
www.drkmgeorge.com; email Melmana@gmail.com; Cell +91 99 47 67 08 87