Mar Thoma Church to abandon Chinese coffins

The Church found the "Swarga Petti" (heavenly box) an unfriendly product as it takes long to decay in the soil.

Thiruvananthapuram:  The Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Kerala is discouraging its followers not to use China-made coffins as is not “environment friendly.”

"This particular coffin pollutes the environment and hence it should not be used," said Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, the supreme head of the Church.

The Church found the "Swarga Petti" (heavenly box) an unfriendly product as it takes long to decay in the soil.

The Metropolitan, in an article in the latest issue of Sabha Tharaka, the Church’s official mouthpiece, asked people to use environment friendly products.

The Tiruvalla-based church also asked them to tap solar energy.

The Mar Thoma Church has followers close to a million, mostly concentrated in central Kerala districts.

The people who adhere to the Church are considered wealthy in comparison to other Christians.

Even their funeral processions are taken out with pomp and show with expensive and decorative coffins, hiring of choirs to sing the devotional songs and distribution of 'heavy' food packets after the coffin ritual.

Kurian Jacob, who hails from Kottayam and belongs to the Syrian Orthodox church, said over the years, the generally accepted norm was to buy a coffin which is made of rubber wood and decently decorated. Its price started from 2,500 rupees.

"The prices of Chinese coffin starts from 10,000 rupees," he added.

The Church has also asked its followers to see that the sacred cloth (Sossapa, that spots a cross) which is put on the body should be made of cotton and not silk, as the latter does not disintegrate.

Source: Times of India