A section of senior priests of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabar Church have expressed their dismay over a police complaint filed by Father Joby Maprakavil against Apostolic Administrator Jacob Manathodath and senior priest Fr. Paul Thelakat and called it a ploy to discredit a report on a series of archdiocesan land deals.
The report on the land deals is expected to be sent to Rome at the end of this month or early April, said a senior priest. He feels that the FIR created a credibility vacuum for the Apostolic Administrator, who has been ordered to get the land deal report ready. His credibility takes a beating because the FIR is against production of forged documents to discredit Major Archbishop Cardinal George Alencherry, who is at the centre of the land deal controversy.
Father Thelakat is the first accused and the Apostolic Administrator is the second accused in the FIR, which alleges production of forged documents to discredit the Cardinal.
There is a feeling among the priests that since Father Thelakat did not participate in the synod he could not be accused of trying to discredit the Cardinal before the synod. The priests have also questioned the propriety of such a complaint. A police complaint by a priest against the Apostolic Administrator or a fellow priest can be filed only with permission following the Canon law route.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Syro-Malabar Media Commission Bishop Joseph Pamplani said news of police complaints being filed against the Apostolic Administrator and Father Thelakat on behalf of the synod was false. The synod had only demanded that inquiries be made so that those who produced the forged documents would be punished, he said in a statement on Wednesday.
