Personal & Confidential
Introduction:
As we know the Supreme Court of India did pronounce an epoch making verdict on 3rd July -on the St Thomas Day. It said the Malankara Church must be governed as per the 1934 Church Constitution only. This verdict cannot be questioned in any court for review or rectification. Thus it has sealed and settled the deal for good.
It is only logical that the 2002 church constitution of the erstwhile Jacobite Church is declared null and void and the only option before all Malankara Church believers is to fall in line to accept the 1934 constitution.
Challenges Open.
Unless we read the writing on the wall carefully, the options open to the Jacobite believers are:
- Happily join the mainstream of Orthodox Church with self-respect, decency and dignity by giving in writing the allegiance to the Church
- Think of forming a new Rite with the Catholic Church as did the Malankara Catholic Church did along with Mar Evanious long ago and go without any parish churches and the property thereof. Here again, the formation of a new Rite is not easy unless they join the with the Rite headed by HB Clemis.
- The third alternative is to join the Believers Church of Rev KP Yohannan (A Pentecostal outfit) with which the Jacobite Church is very friendly for some years now. Would the believers go with that kind of Pentecostal group is the moot question?
- There is a sociological dimension to the crisis. There are some 1500 priests who are unemployed if the verdict is implemented if an amicable settlement is not there, leading to employment crisis. Many need to find out alternative jobs. In a lighter vein, Kerala needs man power to tap the rubber trees for which labour shortage is very acute. Would the priests be forced to take up any such alternative jobs?
- These priests are from the Jacobite faction. Many are trained militants. They may even jeopardise the lives of the erstwhile bishops too by resorting to criminal assault on them. Sorry holy father if sound
Attitude of the Malankara Orthodox Church immediately after the SC verdict is very much laudable and conciliatory save the utterances by one militant bishop.
Let me summarise the speeches of the Catholicose of the Orthodox Church below.
“Bawa wishes total unity in the Church. He says no body shall make any provocative statements against the patriarch faction. We must extend our olive branch of love, comfort and consolation to them all. We shall not be ruled by emotion but only by wisdom. We must be proactive and must have patience.”
Why not I am an informal goodwill ambassador to call on you Holy Father along with these delegations?
I was wondering as to why not I be invited as a goodwill ambassador to the various discussions with you. I know you as Metropolitian Cyril Karim and now as Patriarch Aprem II. We had as many as 50 plus communications by email and once or twice phone calls courtesy HG Gregarious , the Synod secretary of the Jacobite Church when you were in New Delhi last time.
I have very many good friends in both the camps here in the church. From Jacobite group HG Gregarious, HG Thomas Themothious, and HG Dr. Theopheliose and HG Dr. Coorilos are my personal friends. From the Orthodox faction HG Dr. Thomas Athanasius, HG Zachariah Nicholovos and HG Gheevarghese Coorilos of Bombay are my good friends.
Personally I am from the Orthodox Church. But my allegiance is to Jesus Christ only.
It seems I can do a good lot of support in brining the much desired peace between the warring factions by CBM—Confidence Building Measures-as I have some skills in conflict resolutions techniques.
If you plan to invite me I must mobilise resources for my travel, accommodation and visa etc. May be again if you invite the Orthodox official delegation, I need to come for facilitating its smooth conduct also with you holy father.
Please do bail me out if I sound a kind of imposing force and give me the benefit of doubt.
With respects and reverence,
Dr KM George
Former UN Adviser,
26th July, 2017.