Priest

New chief priest appointed for Sabarimala ahead of pilgrimage season

With the annual Manadalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season just weeks away, Prasad E D from Thrissur was selected on Saturday as the new 'melsanthi' (chief priest) of the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple here. Manu Namboothiri M G, a native of Mayyanadu in Kollam district, was chosen as the melsanthi of Malikappuram shrine, situated just 100 meters away from Lord Ayyappa temple. The selection was made through a traditional draw after the 'Ushapooj' (morning prayer) at hill temple which was opened for the 'thulam' month poojas on Friday, Travancore Devaswom Board sources here said. TDB is the body which manages several temples in the state, including Sabarimala. Hailing from Chalakudy in Thrissur, Prasad has been serving as a priest in Areswaram Dharmasastha Temple for the past three years. Speaking to a TV channel, he expressed happiness over his selection as the chief priest at the Lord Ayyappa temple. An ardent Ayyappa devotee, Prasad said he would like to reach the shrine a

Politics of funding religious outreach: Examining nationwide schemes

As the AAP govt promises salaries to temple and gurudwara priests, a look at other parties nationwide that have made similar announcements or rolled out such schemes

Indian priest George Koovakad elevated as Cardinal by Pope Francis

In a grand consistory held in the Vatican on Saturday, 51-year-old Indian priest George Jacob Koovakad was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis. The ceremony, held at the famous St Peter's Basilica and attended by clergy and dignitaries from around the world, witnessed the induction of 21 new cardinals from various countries. The ceremony began at 8.30 pm (IST) marking a procession with 21 cardinal-designated to the altar of St Peter's Basilica. Later, the Pope addressed the gathering and handed over the ceremonious cap and ring to the cardinal-designate, followed by a certificate accompanied by prayers. Hailing from the Archdiocese of Changanassery in Kerala, Koovakad's appointment brings the total number of Indian cardinals to six, further strengthening the country's representation in the Vatican. Political leaders led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, heads of church, and the faithful across India have welcomed the announcement with joy and pride. "It is a matter of

SC to see if nuns, priests working as teachers entitled for I-T exemption

The Supreme Court has agreed to examine an important legal question whether nuns and priests, working as teachers in government-aided Christian missionary schools, are entitled to income tax exemption. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra on Thursday took note of the submissions of senior advocate Arvind Datar that the plea of several dioceses and congregations from Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the issue needed an urgent hearing. The bench agreed to consider listing the plea, which raised the issue whether the income of nuns and priests, working as teachers, can be subjected to income tax. In December, 2014, the Income Tax department asked the educational authorities to effect TDS (tax deducted at source) from persons working as teachers. The appeals have been filed in the top court after the high courts did not agree to the challenge raised by nearly 100 dioceses and congregations from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The plea said the inco

3000 apply for priest posts at Ram temple, 20 positions to be filled

Around 300 applied for the Ram temple priest post, however, only 20 candidates will be selected for the post. The three-panel committee will conduct the interview round

Deity is owner of land attached to temple, priest can't be 'Bhumiswami': SC

A priest cannot be treated as Bhumiswami (owner of land) and the deity is the owner of the land attached to a temple, the Supreme Court has ruled

Supreme head of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India passes away

The supreme head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India, Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, passed away in the early hours of Monday, a church spokesman said here. He was 74. His end came at 2.35 am at a private hospital in Parumala in Pathanamthitta district while undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications, he said. The senior priest, who had been suffering from lung cancer since December 2019, had recovered from the COVID-19 infection in February this year. Baselios Marthoma Paulose II was the eighth Catholicos of the East in Malankara and 91st primate on the Apostolic Throne of St Thomas, the church said. He was enthroned as the Catholicos of the East & Malankara Metropolitan in November 2010.

Govt will spare no efforts to rescue priest missing in Yemen: Sushma Swaraj

Gunmen stormed the refuge for the elderly, killing a Yemeni guard before tying up and shooting 15 other employees