Kottayam Knanaya Archdiocese in Kerala follows a centuries-old practice of endogamy for maintaining ‘purity of blood’
Justin John and Vijimol Shaji pose for photographs after their traditional marriage ceremony at St. Francis Xavier’s Church in Kottody village in southern Kerala state on May 18. They were denied sacramental marriage following the endogamy practice of the Kottayam Knanaya Archdiocese. (Photo: supplied)
A Catholic youth has petitioned the top court in Kerala state in southern India seeking contempt of court proceedings against an archbishop and a parish priest for refusing to solemnize his marriage in the Church.
Justin John, a member of Kottayam Knanaya Archdiocese in the Eastern rite Syro-Malabar Church filed a contempt of court petition against Archbishop Mathew Moolakkatt and Father Sijo Stephan, the parish priest of St. Anne’s Church, in the Kerala High Court on Aug. 25.
John, in his petition, accused Moolakkatt and Stephan of denying him mandatory permission for his marriage in violation of an earlier high court order.
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The marriage of John with Vijimol Shaji from Tellicherry Archdiocese in Kerala was fixed for May 18.
Their marriage, however, could not be solemnized in the Church as John’s parish priest (Stephan) refused to issue a mandatory marriage permission. It forced the couple to symbolically marry by garlanding each other in the presence of some 1,000 invited guests in front of a closed Church.
The Kottayam Archdiocese which follows centuries-old practice of endogamy prohibits its members from marrying outside the close-knit Knanaya community in the archdiocese for what it says to maintain “the purity of blood.”
Anyone who breaks the rule is removed from the membership of the archdiocese, which has resulted in the expulsion of many in the past decades.
A civil court in Kerala in April 2021 declared the practice illegal and directed the archdiocese not to discriminate against its members who married outside it.
The court also directed the archdiocese to issue mandatory church certificates to solemnize marriages of those willing to marry outside its territory.
Last March, the archdiocese challenged the civil court order in Kerala High Court and pleaded for a stay order.
The court rejected the appeal and ordered the archdiocese to comply with the lower court order. The court, however, agreed to hear the concerns of the archdiocese.
The court order forced the parish priest to permit the engagement of John and Shaji on April 17, but he refused permission for their marriage.
Besides the priest, the archbishop faces the same charge as he did not help John to get the mandatory letter despite his request citing the court order.
“I had also approached Moolakkatt much in advance for permission for my marriage, he too did not respond to my requests,” he said adding that “their refusal to issue my marriage permission was a clear violation of a high court order and thus I filed the contempt case against them”.
John has drawn support from Catholic activists who view the Knanaya community’s endogamy as an “unchristian practice.”
Biju Uthup, a retired aeronautical scientist, who pioneered the struggle for reform and repeal of the practice said they won’t stop until endogamy is “wiped out.”
“We are with John in his fight,” says Uthup who lost his membership in the archdiocese due to the practice of endogamy.
“It is unfortunate a Catholic diocese discriminates against its members over ‘blood purity’ which is totally unchristian and against the norms of a civilized society,” Uthup told UCA News on Aug. 29.
“No bishop or priest is above the laws of the land”, he said adding that “no court can give legal protection to such senseless practice”.
John said that he would not make any compromise on his demand for a Church marriage.
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