Kottayam (Kerala), February 28 Catholicos Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews III, the head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, welcomed Prime Minister Modi's reported stance that the Malankara Church should remain united, on Saturday.
His remarks are significant given that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently met Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II of Antioch, the supreme head of the Jacobite Syrian Church, which has a long-standing dispute with the Malankara Orthodox Church.
Mathews was speaking at the memorial feast of Vattasseril Thirumeni, held at the Old Seminary in Kottayam.
Reacting to recent discussions in Delhi, the Catholicos said that the Supreme Court verdicts of 1958, 1995, and 2017 upheld the principle of the Church's unity.
He stated that since the time of Vattasseril Thirumeni, the Malankara Church has consistently maintained that it should move forward as a united body.
The Church has conveyed its position to both the central and state governments, he added.
Referring to the historical legacy of the Malankara Orthodox Church, the Catholicos said that it has been described by the BJP and the RSS as a "genuinely Indian Church with an ancient heritage."
He said he did not believe the Prime Minister would agree to any demand to divide the Church and expressed confidence that no one would take a stance against the very existence of the Malankara Church.
Citing history, the Catholicos noted that even Emperor Constantine, who convened the Council of Nicaea, had deliberated on unity among churches.
"There is no need to look anywhere else for church peace. It is enough to understand identity and truth," he said.
The Orthodox and Jacobite factions have been in conflict over control of certain churches in the state since 1970.
The tensions escalated after a 2017 Supreme Court order granting the Orthodox faction possession of several churches in Kerala.
Modi held a meeting with Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II in New Delhi on Friday, which was attended by Jacobite Church's Catholicos Mar Baselios Joseph, Delhi Diocese head Kuriakose Mor Youssef, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and NDA ally Twenty20 president Sabu Joseph.
Following the meeting, Modi said on his X account that he was honoured to meet His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and the Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church.
"We had a great discussion on a wide range of issues," the Prime Minister said.
The Jacobite Church, in a statement on Friday, said the Prime Minister expressed a desire to resolve the long-standing dispute through discussions and extended the central government's support in this regard.
