KOCHI: Further intensifying their protest against Cardinal George Alencherry, the dissident priests have decided to withhold payment of ‘therat’ (tax) to the archdiocese till they receive a satisfactory reply regarding the Vatican’s recent decision.
Sources said the protesting priests took the decision unanimously. Of the nearly 325 churches, including dependent shrines, 90 per cent will not pay the routine tax they are entitled to pay as per Canon law.
Emergency session of Synod today
A senior priest of the archdiocese said: “Till now, we haven’t received any satisfactory reply from the Permanent Synod, the Vatican or Apostolic Nuncio regarding the suspension of bishops. We’ll temporarily withhold tax payment till we receive a detailed reply from either of them.”
As per canonical law, all parishes under the Syro-Malabar Church should give a share of their income to the diocese once a year. The income share is between 3 and 15 per cent. As per sources, the archdiocese with over 300 churches under it used to receive over Rs 4 crore every year as ‘therat’.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the ongoing tiff between the priests and the Church, an emergency session of the Permanent Synod will be convened on Friday. The decision comes two days after a protest prayer meeting involving 251 priests took place at Renewal Centre in Ernakulam.
Since the former Apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese Bishop Jacob Manathodath is in Rome, he will not be able to take part in the Synod.
“The Synod often takes place in several junctures to discuss internal matters of the Church. This is not particularly based on the protests of the priests, but it will be discussed in the meeting with utmost importance,” said the chairman of media commission, Bishop Joseph Pamplany. He added the final decision has already arrived from the Pope.