Land row: Forum asks church to publish report

Kochi: The controversy over land deal of the Syro-Malabar Chruch refused to die-down with a section of laity holding a meeting at Subodhana Pastoral Centre in Angamaly on Sunday. The meeting called for the release of the report submitted by the probe panel appointed by the church.

A tense situation prevailed before the commencement of the meeting as a group of persons claiming to be the supporters of Cardinal George Alencherry, major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church tried to disrupt the meeting. The intervention of the police prevented the situation getting out of control as they persuaded the people to leave the place. 

The meeting organised by the Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency has called for making the two reports by the probe panel public and inclusion of the representatives of the laity in the administration of the affairs of the church and its properties.  

Speaking to this newspaper, Anna Shiby, one of the organisers of the Archdiocesan Movement said, the meeting has also called for a ban of the three individuals involved in preventing the cardinal from attending meeting from holding any responsible positions in the church. 

Fr Augustine Vattoly, Fr Joy Chakyath and Fr Joyce Kaithkottil attended the meeting. Riju Kanjookkaran chaired the session.