Kerala priests up in arms against Cardinal Alencherry

Some 261 priests of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church in Ernakulam and Angamaly archdioceses on Tuesday started a protest seeking withdrawl of the suspension of two bishops and threatened to intensify their stir if the demand was not heeded.

On Friday, 150 priests took part in a similar protest after the two bishops were suspended by the Vatican, which also decided to return the administrative powers of Cardinal George Alencherry, the supreme head of the Church.

Cardinal Alencherry's powers were taken away last year after a criminal case was registered against him in a three-acre land deal in Kochi in 2016. 

"We demand the church make public the two reports of an internal probe conducted in the controversial land sale. The suspension of the two bishops is also not acceptable. If things do not go forward in a fair manner, we will step up our protests," said the priests. IANS