'Peace will be destroyed in Kerala if Church Bill comes'; has informed CM, says  Orthodox sabha chief

KOTTAYAM: If the Church Bill comes into force, there will be a situation where peace will be destroyed in the state, said the head of the Orthodox Church, Marthoma Mathews lll.

‘If Church Bill comes, there will be problems in every church. This has been informed to the chief minister. If there are consensus proposals for peace on the issue, the chief minister can tell us. When the chief minister talked about the Church Bill, the top leaders of the LDF assured that there is no Church Bill. A Church Bill is never a solution. If there are other peace proposals, the chief minister can say it. The Orthodox Sabha has no specific political stands. The children of the Sabha know how to vote and they will do it. The internal problems of the Orthodox Church in Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram have been resolved,' said Marthoma Mathews III.

However, the chief of the Syrian Orthodox Church, Mar Ignatius Aprem Dwitiyan, Patriarch Bawa, had earlier said in a press conference that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had assured that the state government will provide necessary assistance for the immediate implementation of the Church Bill, which ensures freedom of worship for all. The chief minister's words are very positive. People of the same faith and heritage should not quarrel with each other and should live peacefully. He also expressed hope that justice will be obtained.