KOCHI: Crisis deepened in Kerala's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Friday, with a section of priests of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese publicly protesting the Vatican's decision to reinstate Cardinal George Alencherry as Major Archbishop with all administrative powers.

Launching a scathing attack on the Cardinal, the priests made it clear them and the faithful could not accept him as their Major Archbishop as he is an "accused in financial misappropriation cases related to the church land deals."

The priests, who met at nearby Aluva, also adopted a resolution slamming the Vatican's Oriental Congregation's decision to suspend two senior Bishops of the Archdiocese from the offices of the Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese.