The Kerala government has proposed a high-level mediation process to resolve the decades-long dispute between the Orthodox and Jacobite factions of the Malankara Church over the administration of six churches across the state. The proposal, filed before the Kerala High Court on 8 August, confirms that Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has personally taken up the matter and will seek to bring the denominational heads of both factions to the negotiating table.

The Mediation Proposal

The state's statement was submitted pursuant to a direction issued by the Kerala High Court on 4 August in one of seven writ appeals concerning the dispute. A division bench of Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Preeta A.K. is scheduled to pronounce its judgment in these appeals on 13 August. The government has clarified that any settlement reached through the proposed mediation would subsequently be placed before the High Court for ratification.

The statement was filed by Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha through Additional Advocate General Mohammed Shah. The government acknowledged that the prolonged litigation had caused distress and suffering among parishioners of both factions and had, on several occasions, led to situations affecting public order.

The Six Disputed Churches

The churches at the centre of this dispute are located across three districts — three in Palakkad, two in Ernakulam, and one in Kollam. They have been the subject of prolonged legal and administrative battles between the two factions. Kerala is home to around 1,100 Malankara churches administered by either the Jacobite or Orthodox faction, though both trace their origins to the same ancient Church.

The government also noted the significant contributions made by both communities in education, healthcare, charity, and social reform — underscoring the broader civic stakes of an unresolved dispute.

A Long Legal History

The roots of this conflict run deep. The Supreme Court, in 2017, upheld the 1934 Constitution of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, recognising the authority of the Orthodox faction in church administration. However, subsequent attempts to implement that judgment have repeatedly triggered resistance and fresh litigation from the Jacobite side.

In 2024, the Kerala High Court directed District Collectors to take possession of the six disputed churches. Both the state and the Jacobite faction challenged that order. After the matter reached the Supreme Court, it was remitted to the High Court for fresh consideration. The division bench subsequently set aside the direction to the Collectors to take possession, while allowing further proceedings in the related contempt case.

The Political Dimension

Chief Minister Satheesan had earlier expressed his desire to see an end to the decades-old dispute while participating in a Jacobite Church function held near his office in Thiruvananthapuram. With the Chief Minister now personally steering the mediation push, the government is seeking to shift the focus from prolonged courtroom battles to direct negotiations between the two factions.

This comes amid renewed urgency, with a High Court judgment expected imminently. Whether both sides agree to step back from litigation and engage in good-faith talks will determine if the state's mediation gambit can finally bring closure to one of Kerala's most enduring religious disputes.