Orthodox Church not to issue voting directive

Kerala, November 8, 2011: The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church will not issue any official directive to its flock on voting in the coming by election to Piravom Assembly seat.
The Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II told media persons on Tuesday that the Church did not directly involve itself in politics.

“In spite of the fact that the Church has serious differences of opinion with the United Democratic Front government in the State on the issue of denial of justice [to it] in the church row, the Church has decided not to issue any official directive with regard to the ensuing elections,” he said.
However, it remains a fact that the Church is deeply wounded over the way the conflict over church property with the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church is handled by the government, he said.

The Catholicos said “the members of the Church have the right to react democratically to express their sentiments.”
He said the state government not only had failed to ensure justice in the Kolencherry church issue but had also taken a stance which openly supported the Jacobite Church in all the recent issues.

“The assurance given to the Orthodox Church on the Kolencherry issue has been blatantly breached.”
He said six rounds of tripartite talks have failed to break the stalemate due to the “hardening of stance” by the Jacobite Church.
-the hindu