New Delhi: In a notable move, the Central Government has stepped into the long-standing Malankara Church dispute. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the supreme head of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Mar Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch, on Friday. The head of the Church in India, Mar Baselios Joseph Catholicos, will also attend the meeting.

The Patriarch is cutting short his visit to Australia to travel to Delhi at the Prime Minister’s request. Indications suggest that the Orthodox Church is not participating in the discussions. Church authorities stated that they have not been contacted by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Centre’s direct intervention in the century-old Malankara Church dispute follows Twenty20’s entry into the NDA alliance. The initiative is being led by Twenty20 president Sabu M Jacob. He recently visited the Orthodox Church headquarters and held discussions with Mar Thoma Mathews III Catholicos. He has also held consultations with the Jacobite Catholicos. The Jacobite Church’s working committee discussed the Centre’s intervention at a recent meeting.

Political observers believe that Sabu Jacob’s move to align with the NDA could help strengthen the BJP’s foothold in Ernakulam, as he is also a member of the Jacobite Church. Earlier, when BJP’s P S Sreedharan Pillai was Governor of Mizoram, he had met leaders of both factions in an attempt at reconciliation, but the effort did not progress.

The Orthodox Church maintains that it is prepared only for discussions within the framework of the Supreme Court verdict. The Jacobite faction, on the other hand, holds that if reconciliation is not possible, the churches could be divided as sister churches based on majority support in individual parishes.

In the prolonged legal battle, the Supreme Court verdict had favoured the Orthodox faction. However, on a petition filed by the Jacobite Church, the Supreme Court has directed the High Court to examine whether the verdict applies to all churches.