A group of Catholics in the southern Indian state of Kerala burned effigies of Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Eastern-rite Syro-Malabar Church, to protest their stand on the five-decade-old liturgy dispute.
The protesters also called for a total boycott of Cardinal Alencherry, even as church officials called for punitive action against those involved in burning the effigies. The media commission of the Kerala-based Syro-Malabar Church termed it as an open challenge to the Church and the pope.
Father Alex Onampally, secretary of the media commission, said in a March 17 statement that “actions would be taken against those involved in burning effigies of cardinals as per the provisions of the Canon Laws.”
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