Kochi, Jan. 8, 2019: The Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency, a combine of laymen focused on reforms and transparency in the administration of the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, has demanded that bishops must declare their assets and liabilities at the Synod of bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church.
The demand has been raised in a memorandum submitted to the church administration even as the 27th Synod of the church is now underway at its headquarters at Kakkanad here.
The letter to the church authorities said that only if the Bishops declared their assets would they be able to demand transparency from priests and the religious under them. The transparency movement also wants accounts on the income and expenditure of the archdiocese to be made public in its periodic publications.
No division of archdiocese
The transparency movement has also warned the church authorities against any attempt to divide the archdiocese. Neither should its status as archeparchy be compromised.
The transparency movement also wants laymen to be given more responsibilities in the archdiocesan fora. At present, lay people were only members of the advisory committee whereas they should be inducted into committees that take decisions, the memorandum said.
(thehindu.com)