Kochi, Jun 23 (PTI): Pope Francis today appointed Bishop of Palakkad diocese, Jacob Manathodath,as Apostolic Administrator of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, hit by controversies recently due to alleged irregularities in land deals involving Syro-Malabar Church head Cardinal George Alencherry.

However, Cardinal Alencherry will continue in the post of Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese.

A Syro-Malabar Church spokesman said 71-year-old Manathodath was appointed as Apostolic Administrator (Administrator sede plena) by the Pope, considering the "particular situation" prevailing in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.

Though Auxilary Bishops of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, Sebastian Adayanthrath and Jose Puthenveettil will continue in their posts, Manathodathu will be the administrative authority of the diocese, the Church said.

Manathodath will also continue to carry out his responsibilities as the bishop of the Palakkad diocese.

A division bench of the Kerala High Court had last month set aside a single bench order, directing police to book Alencherry and three others over alleged irregularities in land deals in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese.

In its order the Bench had said the single bench order "suffers from legal infirmity and deserves to be set aside".

A six-member inquiry committee appointed by the Church to probe alleged irregularities in the land deals had said that Cardinal Alencherry "seems to have fully known and involved" in the alienation and purchase of lands by the archdiocese between April 1, 2015 and November 30, 2017.

The panel, comprising priests, was appointed by Alencherry, who is also Major Archbishop of the archdiocese, after some priests and faithful accused him of selling prime land of the archdiocese for "a very low price."

The Syro-Malabar Church has over 30 dioceses in the country and four outside -- in the US, Canada, Australia and Britain -- serving over five million faithful.