An Indian Catholic priest who quit his pastoral ministry “to clean up” the Eastern-rite Syro-Malabar Church remains defiant despite his diocese imposing a set of new restrictions on him, four months after he was suspended from priestly ministry.
Father Thomas (Ajimon) Puthiyaparambil has a new set of restrictions imposed on him by Bishop Remigiose Inchanananiyil of Thamarassery diocese in southern Kerala state through a Nov. 10 letter.
The priest though has vowed to continue with what he termed as his “prophetic mission” to cleanse the Church, especially the Syro-Malabar Church based in Kerala, saying it had deviated from the teachings of Jesus Christ.
“No one has the authority to prohibit a human being from his basic human rights. It’s against the will of God,” Puthiyaparambil said.
Speaking on Nov. 27, he asserted that there was no reason for dismay and depression “as Jesus is always strengthening and consoling me.”
“I accept this humiliation without much difficulty,” the priest added.
Puthiyaparambil has been restrained from conducting Mass, receiving Holy Communion in public, or administering confe-ssion to people unless in case of the death of a person. Other restrictions include curbs on inter-actions with the public, including through media and social media platforms.
The priest is also ordered to stay in the home meant for the retired priests and asked not to stay anywhere else. He is only allowed to interact with his parental home, religious and Cannon law experts.
The prelate suspended the priest on July 18 after he refused to take up a new assignment when he was transferred as the vicar of a parish on April 29. He had made a public announcement to quit pastoral ministry on May 12.
Thamarassery diocese on Oct. 6 announced the formation of an ecclesiastical tribunal to initiate judicial proceedings against him.
The new set of restrictions imposed on Puthiyaparambil is part of these proceedings, according to a diocesan official.
“We expect the priest to comply with them until the tribunal completes its proceedings and declares a verdict,” he added.
The priest, however, refused to heed the restrictions, saying that “many of them are directly in violation of the Indian constitutional provisions of fundamental rights.”
“I still do not want to enter into any legal fight over such restrictions as I am not against anyone including the bishop,” Puthiyaparambil said but added that the restrictions on him are “inhuman and illegal.”