THRISSUR: Priests of Devamatha Province of CMI (Carmelites of Mary Immaculate) observed a prayer fast at the Infant Jesus Monastery, Thalore, near here, on Monday, for a peaceful settlement of the dispute between the CMI Congregation and the Thrissur Archdiocese over control of the Thalore parish.
Over 200 priests and more than 300 faithful of the parish attended the fast held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fast, led by Devamatha provincial Fr George Pius, concluded with a protest procession inside the monastery compound.
The congregation, which had earlier decided to hold the fast on November 20, postponed it on a request from Thrissur Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath.
The Thalore Infant Jesus Church under the CMI Congregation had been granted the administrative powers of a parish in 1977 by the then Thrissur Bishop Mar Joseph Kundukulam under a written agreement between the Thrissur Diocese and the CMI Provincial.
According to an Archdiocese spokesman, the agreement contained a provision that whenever the Archdiocese built a church at Thalore for pastoral needs, the parish status granted to Infant Jesus Church would be transferred to the new church. However, CMI sources said there was no such clause in the agreement.
The cause of the present discontent among CMI priests and a section of the parishioners was the takeover of the administration of the parish by the Archdiocese from the congregation, effected through an Archdiocese circular.
The circular appointed a vicar and two assistant vicars to look after the affairs of the parish.
Under the new setup, the daily mass would be held by the newly appointed vicar at the makeshift church in the cemetery belonging to the Archdiocese.
The Thalore parish comprises about 1250 families and the current dispute is likely to divide the faithful into groups supporting and opposing the action of the Archdiocese in the coming days.