SYRO MALABAR CHURCH IN TURMOIL

What ever is now happening in the Syro Malabar Church is beyond imagination for either of it's own members or other sects of Christianity or those belong to other religions. People suspect whether it is acting as a Church or a commercial establishment or a political organisation. The educated clergy fail to realise the fact the social media, the print media and the visual media are so advanced and all those they try to hide from the public reach them in no time. Above all the rift in the hierarchy is well exposed among the common believers of the Church. The priesthood is competing with one another to meet the media and speak out something against other priests. This must be what Jesus Christ said in a Church, "Take these away, do not turn my Father's house into a place of barter." (John 2:16)

The priesthood together has made it a Church without Jesus in it.

The following news appeared in the media during the recent past show us what the Church has become now.

* Sexual aberration alleged against a Bishop. The victim was reported to be a nun from the local convent. The offender bishop was arrested and produced before the court of law. The Church has taken a very lenient view on the matter.

* The victim along with other nuns and human rights activists demanded justice from the Church and state authorities and made a show of protest in front of the Kerala High Court. This attracted huge public protest and the attention of the entire media but the Church  took a lenient view again.

* News along with a photograph of a priest together with a criminal came out from the prison coming to the convent of the victim nun appeared in  a prominent Malayalam daily. No satisfactory enquiry by the Church reported.

* Punjab police have recovered unaccounted cash worth about Rs ten crores carried by a priest from the same bishop allegedly involved in the sexual offence. Until now no report seems to have appeared about taking back the money after producing necessary documents.

* Another report appeared that some cops have swindled part of this money. Recently these cops from Punjab came all the way down to Kochi and Kerala police detained them and interrogated. The members of the Church was never informed about these illegal activities.

* The media again brought to light about some illegal land transaction by the Church and the honourable court has penalized the Church to the tune of Rs three crores and later after considering an appeal filed by the Church the penalty was brought down to Rs fifty lakhs. Who is the one responsible for this illegal transaction, how the money was raised for the payment of penalty etc were not informed to the common members of the Church. Normally when a paltry some is required to help the poor big circulars are read out in the Church asking for donations. When spending fifty lakhs due to some irregularities by the concerned priests this too was to be put to the knowledge of the common believers.

* According to various reports by the media Catholic priests are escorted to police station for interrogation. Within the administrative machinery underground efforts are being made to unseat the Cardinal; reports coming out frequently.

* It was in the recent past that a mother of a young girl burst out in a channel discussion that her daughter was raped by the vicar of their Church. In order to hide the crime and thereby retain his social status the vicar reported to have brutally murdered the girl and hanged the body. The Church did not come to the help of the bereaved family.

* A college professor from Thodupuzha was lost his palm chopped off by some fundamentalist groups some time back. Instead of protecting the victim the Church suspended him from service. The family of the hapless one found it hard to raise  resources for day to day needs. At last when they could not withstand starvation the wife of the victim approached the Church for reinstating her husband in the college. The Church reported to have turned down her request and later she committed suicide. Consequent upon this, according to the local media, the professor was reinstated immediately. The Church could have done this a few days back. A reputed priest from the Kottayam region, a senior nun from the Ernakulam region and some young priests from different parts of the state sharply reacted to the whole episode.

* A senior sister has recently responded to a  TV interview that during confession the priest has started with her some stinking sexual dialogue.

* It is not known exactly as to how many priests are cooling their heads in various jails.

* A few months ago a news item appeared in the local Malayalam dailies that a parish priest of a church  from Ernakulam-Angamaly Arch diocese was involved in some fraudulent monetary transaction. The parishioners asked the higher-ups to remove the vicar from the service of their church. The top ones were reluctant to concede to their request to remove the priest. However, the parishioners remained firm in their demand and started abstaining from the daily services and finally the priest was called back. These things are never heard in a Church.

* In another case of the same Arch diocese a priest came to lead the annual retreat of a parish, was asked to go back by the parishioners.

* The latest issue is that some senior priests of the Church have made forged documents relating to some bank transactions against the Major Archbishop. What prompted a priest who is acting as the one representing Jesus Christ to do such crimes. If the particular priest or his so called associates had any genuine charges against the Cardinal they could have approached the concerned forum for redressal.

"If thou art bringing thy gift, then, before the altar, and rememberest there that thy brother has some ground of complaint against thee, leave thy gift lying there before the altar, and go home; be reconciled with thy brother first, and then come back to offer thy gift." (Mathew 5:23-24)  If the priest do read these verses before the Holy Mass, many of the priests may not be eligible to enter the altar.

The real issue, it seems, is the long-standing rivalry between Changanacherry and Ernakulam. There is glaring dissimilarity in routine observance among these arch diocese. Instead of fighting with one another they must sit together and resolve all such matters and try to maintain uniform observance at least in every sacrament of the Church. Wealth and power should not be allowed to manage any matter pertaining to the Church.

This is to inform to all concerned that a large number of common believers of the Church are closely watching the entire irregularities taking place and they may be constrained to take decision as deemed fit.

KV George