Judgment

JAGANNADHADAS, J. This appeal by Special Leave arises out of a suit filed in the District Court of Kottayam as far back as in 1938. This suit was concerned with the disputes that had arisen between two rival sections of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian community regarding the fundamental tenets of their church and the possession and administration of the church properties.

In order to fully appreciate the rival contentions carefully formulated and elaborately argued by learned advocates for both parties appearing before us, it is necessary to know the genesis of the controversy between the parties which has behind it a fairly long history and which must accordingly be stated at the very outset.

2. In Malabar there is a Christian community commonly known as the Malakara Jacobite Syrian Christians. That community traces its origin to 52 A. D. when St. Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ came to Malabar and established the church there. In 1599 A. D. under the influence of the Portuguese political power on the West Coast of India the community accepted the Roman Catholic faith This affiliation, however, did not last long. At a meeting known as Mattancheri meeting