Idukki: Following allegations against Syro-Malabar Church head and major archbishop Cardinal Mar George Alencherry in the controversial land deal under the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, the church authorities are now planning to seek a permanent arrangement that would help avoid similar issues in future.
Sources in the Syro-Malabar Church said that the synod held last week had sent a proposal to Rome to appoint a new archbishop for the archdiocese to solve its internal issues.
“The priests from the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese want their own archbishop from the archdiocese’s Presbyterian council. They also do not want the major archbishop (Cardinal Alencherry) to exercise power over the priests under the diocese,” said a senior priest, adding that when Rome appoints an archbishop to the diocese, he should hold the administrative power of the archdiocese.
Normally the bishops in a diocese hold the administrative power of the diocese and the major archbishop has no administrative power. But in Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, the major archbishop holds the administrative power and it is a controversial issue in the diocese.
However, despite the major archbishop holding the power of the archbishop of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, when it comes to liturgical issues, the priests under the Ernakulam-Angamaly and Changanacherry archdioceses do not recognize the cardinal’s administrative power.
“Earlier, when former Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil died, Rome had appointed his successor (Alencherry) without considering the views of the church authorities here. We hope this time the Pope will consider our proposal,” said a senior priest.
Synod Presbyterian council secretary Fr Kuriakose Mundadan had said in a recent press release that they hope that an administrative archbishop would be appointed in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese at the earliest.
(Source: Times of India)