Cardinal George Alencherry. (File)A section of priests in the Ernakulam archdiocese have decided to boycott the functions and pastoral letters of Cardinal George Alencherry, who has been reinstated as their archbishop by the Vatican.
Alenchery had been removed as the head of the archdiocese a year ago after he came under the shadow of dubious land dealings, which caused a loss of Rs 90 crore for the Church. However on Thursday, the Vatican reinstated him as archbishop and removed auxiliary bishops Sebastian Adayanthrath and Jose Puthenveettil. The Vatican has also asked the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church to rehabilitate the auxiliary bishops during its the next meeting, slated for August.
After the Vatican’s decision, priests gathered and passed a resolution against the re-entry of Alencherry as the administrative head of the archdiocese and suspension of two auxiliary bishops.
Catholic priests en bloc raising their voice against a decision by the Vatican is unheard of.
READ | Kerala: Priests oppose Vatican move to reinstate Cardinal as head of archdiocese
On Saturday, a senior priest of the archdiocese said, “We priests have decided not to cooperate with him. We would not read out in churches his pastoral letter meant for the Syro-Malabar Church Day, which falls on July 3. Besides, we would not invite Alencherry for any functions in parishes nor would attend his events.”
Archdiocese Priests’ Council secretary Fr Kuriakose Mundadan said, “Our major concern is that auxiliary bishops have been suspended without citing any reason. What crime they had committed to get suspended in this manner? Even a killer gets better deal…”
However, there are sections of the church that back Alencherry.
Syro-Malabar Church media commission chairman Bishop Joseph Pamplany said, “There had been an issue at Ernakulam archdiocese. The Vatican has studied it and taken a decision. When the Pope takes a decision in the Catholic Church, his word is final and everyone is bound to obey it.”
Pamplany, who belongs to the North Kerala lobby of Catholic Bishops, said the suspension of the auxiliary bishops is an extraordinary situation in the Church. “The Vatican thought their removal was necessary for the smooth running of Ernakulam archdiocese. But don’t construe it has a punishment. We knew only the decisions from the Vatican, but don’t know the situations that led the removal of the auxiliary bishops.”
