Church accords men’s equal right to women  in governance  of Church

By  our  Religious   Correspondent

Thozhiyoor, March 21  (IVC)    The Malabar  Independent Syrian Church (MISC)  headquartered  at Thozhiyoor near Kunnamkulam  in  the derestrict  had decided to give men’s equal right to women  in the governance of the Church  and its administrative affairs   following  the amendment of its 76-year-old constitution.

                The  amendments to the constitution was  made at the meeting of the Church’s Sabhamandalam, the  apex decision making  body, the head of the Church, Metropolitan   Cyril  Mar Baselios  said.

The    main objective of  convening the ‘Sabhamandalam’  was to approve the amendments to the Constitution of the Church, adding Mar  Baselios said, Church’s  Constitution was framed  in 1948, though  the Church was erected  in 1772.

Another  important amendment to the Constitution  passed  unanimously was  to bring down the age of  voting to 18 years from the existing 21 years of age, Baselios said.

                So far it  was the monopoly of men to govern the church and look after the administrative affairs of the  Church  and these two amendment s  would be the land mark decisions in the over 250-years old  history  of  the Church, he added.

                The amendments to the Constitution of the Church were contemporary and they were essential  to go ahead with  maintaining  the ancient rituals and  custom of the Church.

The  Secretary od the Sabha,  Geever  Mani  presented the constitution at the Sabhamandalam,                  The head of the MISC, Metropiltan  Cyril Mar Baselios  presided  over the Sabhamandalam.