Kochi: Cardinal Mar George Alencherry has expressed regrets over “technical lapses” in the controversial land deals in the Syro-Malabar Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, which had kicked off a fierce debate on the canonical and civil law violations in transactions. The Cardinal’s regret and admission came at the Church synod, which started here on Monday. n P4
Though the dubious land deals were not listed on the synod agenda, the Cardinal, sensing the mood of the clergy and the laity, made the forthright admission before the senior prelates. The issue has now been listed for discussion on Thursday.
However, sources said the act of contrition would not absolve the senior officials of the Church for deviating from the established procedures.
They felt, as it was pointed out in Satydeepam, that the Church should take a cue from the exemplary and transparent manner in which the Vatican had dealt with allegations of priestly abuses in Boston and financial scandals, involving Cardinals, in Rome.
