By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, April 18, 2024: A diocesan tribunal in Kerala will on April 20 begin the trial of a priest who had quit active parish ministry a year ag, disgusted with “the decay” in his Syro-Malabar Church.
Bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil of Thamarassery on September 21, 2023, set up the penal judicial tribunal for the trial of Father (Thomas) Ajimon Puthiyaparambil.
The April 15 summons signed by Father Benny Mundanattu, the presiding judge of the tribunal, alleges that the priest had failed to respond to earlier two summons sent on October 30, 2023, and January 23 this year.
“I hereby summon you a third and final time to appear before the undersigned on 20 April 2024 at 3 pm, at the Eparchial Tribunal Office in the Bishop’s House, Thamarassery,” says the terse letter to the priest.
Father Puthiyaparambil says he will appear before the tribunal this time. “I will definitely attend the trial. Am I not lucky to attend it? Not everyone is so fortunate,” he told Matters India April 17.
He sees the trial as an opportunity for him to at least open the public’s eye to the “many injustices in the Church.”
Besides Father Mundanattu, the tribunal comprises Fathers James Kallinkal, a member of the Vincentian congregation, Antony Varakil as associate judges, and Father John Pallikkavayalil as notary.
The tribunal said it will complete the procedure by June 30.
The tribunal has asked the priest to come to the trial with the name of his canonist-advocate, who should be a Catholic priest with at least a licentiate degree in canon law. The priest should also submit to the tribunal a list of his witnesses and documentary evidence, if any.
The tribunal also pointed out that the priest’s “lack of cooperation” to respond to the earlier summons has resulted in the loss of “a lot of time.” It said it intends to proceed further “either with your collaboration or declaring your absence, then appointing an ex-officio advocate to represent you.”
The tribunal also wants the priest to be available for interrogation and collection of proof “on a short notice of one week from 20 April to 20 June 2024.” It also wants the priest to present his defence in writing on April 20.
Father Puthiyaparambil announced his decision to quit the priestly ministry through a letter on May 13, 2023, addressed to “the brothers and sisters in the Kerala Church.”
The 47-year-old priest, who has served several parishes after his ordination on December 30, 2002, said he was upset with scandals related to some Syro-Malabar Church leaders, including Cardinal George Alencherry, who has then the head of the Oriental Church.
“We are going away from Jesus. There is no unity as we fight with each other. The Church suffers from moral turpitude and lack of financial transparency. There are court cases against bishops and many of them openly indulge in political alliance,” the priest explained to Matters India on May 16, 2023.
In November 2023, Bishop Inchananiyil stripped Father Puthiyaparambil of his rights and freedom as a Catholic priest. The prelate prohibited him from exercising his priestly duties in public and imposed strict regulations on his freedom of speech and movement.
Father Puthiyaparambil was permitted to celebrate Mass only in the private chapel of the Diocesan Priests Home in Marykunnu, Kozhikode, where he was mandated to reside until his trial ended. He was also prohibited from public reception of the Holy Communion.
The bishop also enforced restrictions on the priest’s media engagements, which he rejected.