Kochi, India, Jul 24, 2019 / 17:00 pm
Catholic priests are reportedly protesting Pope Francis' reinstatement of a cardinal who is facing allegations of financial mismanagement, and has been previously accused of failing to respond to reports of misconduct from a nun who claims to have been raped.
Cardinal George Alencherry heads the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in union with Rome and one of the two main Eastern Churches in India.
Alencherry has been accused of involvement in dubious land deals dating back to 2015. Alencherry reportedly bypassed Church law requiring consultations before a land sale that resulted in heavy financial losses for the Church.
After an investigation by a local commission, the Vatican in 2018 appointed a temporary administrator to lead the diocese in Alencherry's place. A Vatican letter said Cardinal Alencherry "should absolutely not be involved" in any decisions, UCA News reports.