Pope has decided to restore the administrative responsibilities of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly to Cardinal George Alencherry, a press statement from the Syro-Malabar Media Commission said on June 27.

Cardinal Alencherry resumed office of archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamali archdiocese on June 27 morning. He resumed office as the interim responsibility of Bishop Jacob Manathodath as administrator ended a day earlier.

The term of Bishop Manathodath as the apostolic administrator of the arch-diocese ended and he would now look after his original diocese – Palghat, said the statement signed by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Pamplany of Tellicherry, chairman of the media commission.

Bishop Manathodath was appointed the apostolic administrator in June 2018 in the wake of controversies pertaining to sale lands belonging to Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese.

The commission statement claimed that the Pope has also removed Sebastian Adayanthrath and Jose Puthenveetil as auxiliary bishops of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese based on a report Bishop Manathodath submitted to Rome.

The Syro Malabar Synod will take a decision on their new responsibilities.

Pope Francis took the decision in the light of studies carried out on different levels over the recent developments in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.