Cardinal George Alencherry resigns as Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church
Kochi: Cardinal George Alencherry on Thursday resigned as Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church. The decision was intimated during a media meeting held at Syro-Malabar Church headquarters in Kochi.
According to the Cardinal, he had intimated to the Pope on July 19, 2019, about his desire to be relieved. He reportedly cited the health issues to be relieved. The Pope had referred the matter to the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church. But Synod turned down Cardinal’s request.
On November 15, 2022, he issued another intimation to the Pope regarding his desire to be relieved. The Pope after a one-year-long gap accepted the resignation, Cardinal said.
Cardinal has been relieved from duties of Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church with effect from December 7.
He has been serving in the position since May 29, 2011. Land scam case and uniform holy mass row were some issues that posed challenges during his tenure.
Meanwhile, Mar Sebastian Vaniyapurackal, who is the second curia bishop of the Syro-Malabar Church will be the administrator in charge until a new Major Archbishop is appointed.
Similarly, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath’s request to be relieved from the apostolic administrator post of Ernakulam-Angamaly diocese has been considered by the Pope. As a result, Bishop Bosco Puthur will be in charge as the administrator of the archdiocese.
The Archdiocese Protection Committee of the Ernakulam-Angamaly diocese welcomed Alencherry's resignation and Thazhath being replaced as the Apostolic Administrator.
In a strongly worded statement, the committee alleged that Alencherry's resignation was the culmination of his "dishonest and insincere" ministry.
It said that his resignation was the success of the honest stand taken by priests and laity of the Ernakulam-Angamaly diocese regarding the land dispute case allegedly involving Alencherry.
Regarding Thazhath, the committee said he was appointed to negotiate and create a peaceful environment following tensions in the diocese over the new mode of offering Holy Mass.
However, "he chose a path of arrogance and oppression", it alleged.
It contended that had these two developments occurred earlier, the wounds on the church would have been lesser.
Cardinal George Alencherry's profile
Alencherry, who was born on April 19,1945, at Thuruthy, Changanacherry in Kottayam district of Kerala, was created and proclaimed as Cardinal by Benedict XVI in the consistory of February 18, 2012, of the Title of San Bernardo alle Terme (St. Bernard at the Baths).
Prior to that, in May 2011, Pope Benedict XVI had granted him the requested ecclesial communion after his canonical election on May 24, 2011, as Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly for Syro-Malabars by the Syro-Malabar Synod.
When Pope John Paul II established the new Diocese of Thuckalay on November 11, 1996, Alencherry was appointed the first Bishop, and he received episcopal ordination on February 2, 1997.
Alencherry, who holds a BA in Economics from St Berchmans College and an MA from the Pontifical Institute of Theology and Philosophy, was ordained a priest on December 18, 1972, and served as vicar of the filial church at Periyarmugham and then as assistant vicar at the Cathedral Church of Changanacherry.
The various offices held by him include, director of the Archdiocesan Faith Formation Department, secretary of the Commission for Catechism of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC), secretary of the Synod of Bishops, and as chairman of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Commission for Catechism, and of the Commission for the Laity of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).
Alencherry was also the president of the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church.
He was also part of the conclave of March 2013 which elected Pope Francis. PTI
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