HC directs State Police Chief to ensure that Patriarch of Antioch does not violate court orders or visa conditions on Keralam visit

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The Kerala High Court has directed the State Police Chief to ensure that Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem III, the Patriarch of Antioch, does not violate previous court orders relating to the Orthodox-Jacobite Church dispute or his visa conditions.

Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan was considering a petition by parishioners of the Orthodox Syrian Church alleging that the Patriarch may violate previous Supreme Court orders and indulge in religious activities, including performing Holy Qurbana in St.Mary’s Church, Manarcaud, or in any of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Churches during his visit to Keralam. The petitioner also sought to ensure that the Patriarch did not violate his visa conditions and the governing provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act.

Previously, the court had issued notice to the Patriarch, the Jacobaya Suriyani Christiani Sabha, and Thomas Mar Themothios, the Metropolitan of the Kottayam Diocese in the petition. However, the court was informed that the Special Messenger was not able to serve the notice and was allegedly threatened by an unknown person that a case would be filed against the Messenger before the court. In this regard, the court directed the jurisdictional Station House Officer to register a case against the authority concerned and do the needful. It directed the Registrar to forward the Messenger’s complaint as well. 

The petitioner had referred to a 2019 order by the apex court, which held that the Patriarch could not interfere in the administration of parish churches by appointing vicars, priests, deacons or prelates in violation of the 1934 constitution of the Church.

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