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Priests and devotees held a protest in front of the Archbishop's house of the Ernakulam Angamaly Archdiocese of Syro-Malabar Church on Saturday. They alleged that Apostolic Administrator Mar Bosco Puthur (Bishop) and his collaborators appointed priests with a criminal background as curia members.
Tensions mounted when police forcefully removed protesting priests near the bishop's house today. Presbyteral Council Secretary of Ernakulam Angamaly Archdiocese, Fr Kuriakose Mundadan said, "For the last two days, 21 of our priests from the Ernakulam Angamaly Archdiocese were holding a prayer strike in the Archbishop's house, because Apostolic Administrator Mar Bosco Puthur and his collaborators appointed priests with a criminal background as curia members. For the last two months, they have closed the gates of our mother house." "It is against our civil rights that administrator Mar Bosco Puthur closed the gates and got the protection of the police. That's why on 9 January, 21 priests, peacefully entered through the side gate and started a prayer strike for two days," he said. He further said that this morning, Mar Bosco Puthur gave a suspension order for 4 of the priests and show cause notice to the remaining 17 priests. He said that after that there was a police action. "Afterwards, under ACP Jayakumar, the police forcefully relocated the priests to St Mary's Basilica. Many priests have been hurt and one broke his hand, lot of injuries are there. Hearing this news, priests and devotees of the Archdiocese gathered here in front of the Archbishop's house and St Mary's Basilica. We are here to protect our priests. Some political leaders and even the collector called me saying that he would interfere. There is no valid cause to arrest them. If the police have arrested them they have to bring them back to the Archbishop's house and so priests, people have gathered here. The collector has said that he would intervene positively," he added. (ANI)
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