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Orthodox faction only for conditional talks

By Our Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM Jan. 9. The Orthodox faction of the Malankara Church today put conditions for further talks with the three-member Cabinet sub-committee engaged in brokering peace in the fatricidal war in the Church. They also made it clear that any settlement which leads to division of the church was unacceptable to them.

The meeting of the managing committee of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church held here today expressed reservations regarding the effectiveness of the on going tripartite peace talks and said they were not interested in the talks with the Cabinet sub-committee unless clear assurances regarding the implementation of the verdicts on the issue from Supreme Court and other courts. According sources, the talks will be effective only if they are for finding modalities for the implementation of the judgements.

As per the Supreme Court verdict, there is only one church and the parish churches and other institutions should be governed under the 1934 Constitution. The church was not interested in participating in any talks which was aimed at circumventing this verdict, they said.

Expressing reservations about the on-going talks and the sincerity of the State Government, they pointed out that the Government had failed even to fulfil the agreements reached on December 17 as confidence building measures.

The St. Peter and St. Paul's churches at Kolencherry remained closed; the situation at the church at Kanyattunirappu was still volatile; the situation at the Alapra church was no different.

As such there was no meaning in continuing the discussions in the present form, they said.

The meeting was adjourned till February 20. Out of the 180 members 160, including 18 metropolitans participated in today's deliberations, according E. J. John, public relations officer.

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