KOCHI: As per the announcement, Cardinal Mar George Alencherry will continue as the Metropolitan Archbishop. Though Bishops Mar Sebastian Adayanthrath and Mar Jose Puthenveettil will continue as Auxiliary Bishops, the administrative powers will be bestowed on the apostolic administrator, said Syro-Malabar Church official spokesperson Fr Jimmy Poochakkatt.
The Presbyteral Council, finance committee and Pastoral Council will remain suspended with the appointment of the administrator. However, the administrator has the power to revive and restructure the committees, he said.
The Syro-Malabar Church had admitted to serious lapses in the sale of Church land in Kochi to private persons, causing huge loss to the Church. A section of the priests alleged that land worth `80 crore was sold for a meagre `27.3 crore.The land was sold in two schedules to 36 persons in September 2016, and between January and August 2017 with the help of a middleman.
Who is Bishop Manathodath?
Born at Kodamthuruth in Ernakulam district on February 22, 1947, Bishop Mar Jacob Manathodath joined Ernakulam Sacred Heart Minor Seminary after completing his school. Two years later, he was sent to the Papal Seminary, Pune, where he took Licentiate in Philosophy and master’s degree in theology. He was ordained priest on November 4, 1972. In 1979, Fr Jacob was sent to Rome for higher studies. He took doctorate in theology from Gregorian University, Rome.
After ordination, he was first appointed assistant vicar of St Mary’s Cathedral Basilica, Ernakulam, and then private secretary to the late Mar Joseph Cardinal Parecattil. After his return from Rome in 1984, he served the Archdiocese of Ernakulam in various capacities. He was nominated titular bishop of Abydus and bishop auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam on September 5, 1992. He was ordained bishop on November 28, 1992. He was appointed Bishop of Palakkad on November 11, 1996.