Church denies any row over inviting Advani

KERALA: The one million-strong Mar Thoma Church Wednesday denied any internal conflict over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani being invited as the chief guest at the 90th birthday celebration of Phillipose Mar Chrisostum, the former supreme head of the church.

"The decision to invite Advani was unanimously made by the church council. All the arrangements are being done as planned and there is no problem at all," Church Sabha secretary K.M. Mammen said.

However, former clergy trustee A.P. Jacob is opposing the church's decision to invite Advani to attend the event April 26 in Kottayam.

Jacob and his supporters held a meeting Tuesday and decided to give a memorandum signed by around 10,000 church members to the supreme head of the church, Joseph Mar Thomas.

T.K. Mathew, chairman of the reception committee for the function, told IANS that the church does not care about politics.

"Maybe the laity has politics but we don't have any politics. As far as we are concerned there is no controversy at all because we have invited a leading political personality in the country to be present on the occasion and all arrangements are in the final stages," said Mathew.