THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Anglican Church of India has restrained a priest from performing pastoral duties following his announcement to visit Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple. The church took back the licence to conduct pastoral duties and an identity card from him.
The priest, Rev Dr Manoj K G hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, was in the news following his announcement to visit the temple. The 50-year-old said it was a part of his attempt to learn about other religions while retaining full commitment to his religion. He also wore the customary bead chain from a local temple marking the beginning of his penance ahead of the Sabarimala visit. The visit is scheduled for September 20.
Dr Manoj, who was a software engineer by profession, turned to spirituality in 2010. In 2015, he left his job and became a full-time spiritualist. Manoj obtained priesthood in 2022 and chose not to work at any particular church. “I was more interested in working among the community and hence decided against taking up the charge of a parish. It gave me freedom to explore spirituality deeper,” he told TNIE.
The priest’s decision invited criticism from believers and priests following which the Archdiocese in Chennai decided to restrain him. He did not heed to the church’s demand to withdraw from the move. The church is yet to take a final decision on the disciplinary action against him.
“The archbishop is out of station. I expect that he will examine the issue in detail once he is back. Maybe, I will be able to convince him about my decision,” he said. Since the licence is revoked, the priest cannot solemnise weddings or conduct final service to the dead. The priest said he never took a salary from the church while serving as a priest.