The additional munsiff court in Kollam passed an order restraining the bishop Stanley Roman of Quilon from taking policy decisions with respect to spending funds, sale of diocesan properties and transferring priests and other staff of the institutions under the diocese.
The order, which has similarities with the legal restrictions imposed on Syro-Malabar Church head Cardinal George Mar Alencherry in the land row case related to the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, was pronounced by additional munsiff Jyothi Babu on a petition filed by members of the Church Act Action Council on Saturday.
The munsiff, however, said that the order shall not in any way restrain the bishop from performing his religious functions.
The petitioners, Thankachan L and Hillary Zacharia, submitted before the court that the bishop had sold the property of the diocese at Kottiyam and leased out another property in Kollam city. They alleged that there are plans to sell more diocesan properties and withdraw huge amounts from the bank accounts of the diocese.
The petitioners also submitted that the bishop, who is above 75 years of age, is only a caretaker of the diocese under the Canon Law.
The bishop, in his submission, said the allegations raised by the petitioners were ‘cooked up’ in order to cover up their illegalities. One of the petitioners is a teacher at a school under the management of the diocese, he said.
The ulterior motives include amassing huge contributions from persons interested in developing hatred against the Catholic Church, the bishop said.
The additional munsiff, in her order, said that since the bishop has crossed the age of 75, he has a moral obligation not to take any policy decisions and thereby he should be precluded from taking such policy decisions.
The order also stated that the apprehension of the petitioners can be concluded as genuine as they have a right to protect the interests of the community as the properties of the diocese are for the welfare of the community at large. The court concluded that the petition has a prima facie case and hence the bishop is restrained.
(The Times of India)