THRISSUR: Nearly 300 priests belonging to the Devamatha Province of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) will observe prayer fast at the Infant Jesus Parish Church at Thalore, near here, on Friday in protest against the takeover of the parish by Thrissur Archdiocese.
Thrissur Archdiocese declared that the Thalore Infant Jesus Church under the CMI congregation as parish church in 1977.
Since then the church has been functioning as a full-fledged parish with all the administrative powers.
Although it was under the jurisdiction of Thrissur Archdiocese, its administration was vested with The CMI congregation of the Devamatha Province. However on November 1, the Thrissur Archdiocese took over the administration of the parish from the CMI congregation and appointed a Vicar and two assistant Vicars to look after the religious and administrative matters of the parish.
The take over was announced through a circular issued by the Archdioces and read during the mass on Sunday at the Thalore Church.
The CMI congregation and a section of the faithful of the Thalore parish flayed the decision of the Archdiocese.
In a statement issued here former Vicar and Prior of the Thalore CMI monastry Fr Davis Kachappilly said that the seizing of the Thalore parish couldn’t be justified.
He pointed out that the Thalore Infant Jesus Parish Church was established and declared as parish church as per the Canon Law under an agreement reached between Thrissur Archdiocese and CMI Provincial. He said that there was no provision in the agreement for taking over the parish by Thrissur Archdiocese.
The Archdiocesan authorities, however, pointed out that in the agreement signed by the Archdiocese and the CMI Provincial, there is a provision for the takeover of the parish by the Archdiocese after the construction of a separate church at Thalore by the Archdiocese.
The CMI priest pointed out that so far no separate church has been constructed and the majority of the faithful in the parish is against the takeover.
CMI sources say that if the Archdiocese does not respond positively to the protests by the priests and the faithful, appropriate steps will be taken in consultation with the higher authorities of the CMI congregation and the faithful of Thalore Parish.