KOCHI: Fr Thomas Paul Ramban, a priest of the Orthodox faction of the Malankara Church, who held a 26-hour protest at Kothamangalam Mar Thoma Cheriyapalli in December last year after Jacobite faction prevented him from entering the church, attempted to enter the Church again on Saturday only to return due to the protest from Jacobite faction.The priest tried to visit the Church around 9am to hold prayers on his mother’s first death anniversary. “I had come to the Church where my mother is buried but they didn’t allow me to enter. I was there for a personal reason but they didn’t even allow me to go to the cemetery. I spent about 45 minutes pleading my case but eventually went back due to protests,” said Thomas Paul Ramban.A Jacobite priest who acts as the vicar of the Church said that the Ramban was not blocked by Jacobite devotees. “There was a strong police deployment and the Ramban couldn’t reach the courtyard of the Church. Our devotees had gathered at the Church but they didn’t have to block him as he returned from the road itself,” said Fr Jose Paruthuvayili, the Jacobite priest.Meanwhile, a stand-off at Bethel Suloko Church, Perumbavoor , has been going on at the time of going to print as members of both the rival factions continued to remain inside the Church. Police said that the situation was under control.On Monday, a tense situation had prevailed at the Varikoli church after the Jacobite faction tried to conduct the funeral of a 46-year-old woman.The stand-off was due to the Orthodox faction not allowing the Jacobite priests to enter the cemetery. After being sent back on Monday, the funeral of the woman, however, was held on the next day at the same cemetery.

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