KOCHI: Tensions flared on Thursday morning outside the Archbishop’s House at Broadway, as the police arrested and removed protestors who attempted to block suspended priests of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese from attending a crucial meeting convened to address the ongoing Syro-Malabar unified Holy Mass dispute.
The meeting, scheduled for 10 am, was called by Archbishop Joseph Pamplany, Vicar of the Major Archbishop for the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. However, by 9 am, a large crowd supporting unified mass had gathered outside the premises.
They started shouting slogans declaring that priests who had been suspended for opposing the unified Mass system should not be allowed entry.
As tensions escalated, some priests were physically blocked from entering the compound. The police swiftly intervened, set up barricades, and began dispersing the crowd. Several protestors were arrested and shifted to the Ernakulam central police station.
A case has been registered against 150 people, of whom 34 have been identified so far. Charges include unlawful assembly and rioting. All those detained were later released on bail.