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From Byztex [byztex.blogspot.com]


Could someone familiar with the Oriental Catholic or Orthodox world shed some more light on this situation?

A lot of hot air. There's a organization of self-appointed laymen, who claim to represent the Jacobite Church. They have no official standing and this claim is nonsense.

The Syriac Orthodox Catholicos/Maphriyan's appointments were all approved by his own and the Patriarchate's Holy Synod. HB just announced it, since it pertained to the Malankara Churches, and had nothing to do with the non-Malankara Churches.

The "Ernakulam Munsiff Court" appears to be a territorial government court. Do government courts in India even have jurisdiction over questions like this?

(I suppose it's possible, as their legal system is partially descended from the British system, where there are ecclesiastical courts of the state.)

The Supreme Court wouldn't have a say on who is appointed by whom in regard to jurisdictional territories of a religious body, let alone some district court. They might as well have filed with the local traffic judge.

Transfer Row: Catholicos Baselios Thomas I Begins Fast
By Express News Service
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cit...egins-Fast/2014/07/31/article2357100.ece

KOCHI: The issue of transfer of metropolitans in the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church is snowballing into a major issue in the Malankara Church with Catholicos Baselios Thomas I starting a fast seeking permission to abdicate responsibilities.

Though the official version of the Church is that the Catholicos is seeking permission to resign, sources said that the actual reason is that the prelate is agitated over the intervention of the Patriarch in the issue of transfer of metropolitans.

“By expressing the wish to resign, he is conveying his protest to the Patriarch,” said an office-bearer of a laity organisation.

Following widespread protest by laymen as well as clergy, the Patriarch had frozen the decision by the Church synod to transfer metropolitans. The Catholicos started his fast at the Patriarcha Centre at Puthencruz on Wednesday. During the Mass on last Sunday at Puthencruz, the Catholicos had announced that he would resign on August 1.

Meanwhile, two of the three metropolitans who had objected to their transfer, are sticking to their complaint while one has withdrawn the complaint. “Idukki metropolitan Zacharias Mor Philoxenos and Mumbai metropolitan Thomas Mor Alexandrios are sticking to their complaint while Kuriakose Mor Eusebius has withdrawn the complaint,” Church spokesperson Fr Varghese Kallappara said. “If the metropolitans had any objection regarding transfer, they could have raised it at the synod itself,” Fr Kallappara said.

Apart from the metropolitans, various laymen organisations have also sent complaints to the Patriarch alleging that the Catholicos was violating provisions of the constitution of the Church.

The Forum’s main allegation is that the Catholicos had appointed/transferred metropolitans to dioceses outside India. They had also filed petitions before the Ernakulam Munsiff Court, seeking to restrain the Catholicos from appointing or transferring metropolitans/priests in foreign countries. In the complaint, it was pointed out that the Catholicos is the head of the Church in India, and that his powers are limited to India.

Attempts by the three-member metropolitans committee headed by synod secretary Joseph Mor Gregorios to settle the issue are yet to bear fruits. Metropolitans Mathews Mor Aphrem and Geevarghese Mor Coorilose are the other members in the committee.

Patriarch wishes Catholicos 'happy 86th' Birthday, and continued support [jscnews.org]

Jacobite Church to review decision
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/jacobite-church-to-review-decision/article6282713.ece
K. A. MARTIN
[Linked Image]
An emergency synod of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church here on Monday, attended by 25 of 32 metropolitans, decided to keep in abeyance an earlier recommendation of the synod on transfer of metropolitans.

It has now been decided that another synod in August will make fresh recommendations on transfers of metropolitans after consultations.

Synod secretary Joseph Mar Gregorios said Monday’s synod decided to maintain the status quo in accordance with the instructions of Patriarch of Antioch Ephreim II. The recommendations of a synod meeting in June were sent to the Patriarch for approval. These were being reconsidered in the wake of complaints from metropolitans of Mumbai and Idukki.

The June recommendation on transfers was annulled by the Patriarch last week after consultations with synod representatives from India. Monday’s synod also rejected an offer by Catholicos Baselios Thomas I to step down due to failing heath. Joseph Mar Gregorios said the synod was unanimous in its decision to request the Catholicos to continue heading the Church in India.

The Patriarch of Antioch has written to the regional synod here highlighting overtures from the Orthodox faction of the Malankara Church on possible reconciliation talks.

The Jacobite faction would join the talks through its regional synod and through a committee appointed by the synod.