Kochi: Over 250 priests oppose Cardinal’s reinstatement

KOCHI: Nearly 250 dissident priests of Ernakulam- Angamaly archdiocese are again on the war-path seeking justice. The priests, who had objected to the papal decision to reinstate Cardinal George Alencherry’s powers, convened a prayer meeting here on Tuesday and demanded the appointment of an administrator archbishop. The meeting titled ‘Prayer meeting of priests for justice’ held at Renewal Centre, Kaloor, said  an administrator archbishop with independent charge should be appointed until final decisions were taken on the dispute. The meeting was attended by the majority of priests in the archdiocese. The administrator archbishop should be from the archdiocese who gives top priority to the interests of the archdiocese, they said.

A letter will be submitted to the permanent synod seeking to revoke the decisions. The priests also demanded publishing the probe reports on the controversial land deal submitted by various committees, including Dr Joseph Injodi Commission and the consultancy firm KPMG.

They also threatened to take the protest to the streets if any of the auxiliary bishops, priests or laity was trapped in forged cases in the name of land deal cases or other reasons.

According to a media release issued by Fr. Sebastian Thalian, convener of the group of rebel priests, the clandestine moves to divide the archdiocese into three dioceses in the name of the recent controversies were condemnable. “Such moves will be strongly opposed,” the priests said.

“The reason for sidelining the auxiliary bishops Jose Puthenveettil and Sebastian Adayanthrath and reinstating the powers of Cardinal Alencherry, who has not been acquitted yet in the financial fraudulence case, has to be explained and discussed at least in canon committees,” said Fr. Jose Vailikodath, spokesperson of the priests.

The rebel priests also alleged that the Syro-Malabar Media Commission’s statement that the decisions were final and taken based on the probe report submitted by apostolic administrator Jacob Manathodath was to misguide the faithful and society.

“The Archbishop’s House, which was once the office of many renowned archbishops, has now deteriorated to a den of unethical practices,” the priests alleged.