Bishop Kuriakose Mar Clemis goes ‘missing’

Four days after he was removed from official services, Metropolitan Kuriakose Mar Clemis of the Jacobite Church has reportedly gone missing. According to the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Mar Clemis has left the place where he was staying.


“It is learnt that he has left the Thoothooty Retreat Centre in Kottayam where he was provided accommodation, following the disciplinary action. We do not know about his current whereabouts and have lodged a complaint with the police,” said a senior metropolitan, who is a member of the committee looking into the allegations.


“Mar Clemis is not cooperating with the committee constituted to look into the allegations raised by him. He has been asked to appear before the committee on July 4. But now we do not expect his presence,” he said.


Meanwhile, sources in the Jacobite church said that the real estate deals had trapped Mar Clemis. “He had given advances for real estate deals at various places in Idukki, including the land for the proposed headquarters of the Idukki diocese. `5 crore was given as advance for this purpose and he had landed in trouble when the registration process was delayed. What we could primarily understand is that he conceded to the pressure by somebody,” sources said.


However, according to the committee, the financial liabilities of Mar Clemis was not owing to the real estate agreements alone. “It is true that he had initiated some real estate deals, but the liabilities are not because of land deals alone,” the metropolitan said.