Red faces in BJP as Catholic clergy keeps away from PM

Ernakulam Bishop Mar Thomas Chakiyath told The Indian Express that an official communication reached the bishop’s palace late on Saturday night. “The archbishop had already committed to attend a church consecration at Kanjiripally (near Kottayam) fixed a year ago. And that could not be easily cancelled,” he said.

Dismissing rumours that the archbishops boycotted the meeting, Chakiyath said that they had informed the authorities not to fix the meeting on Sunday since the day would be obligatory for bishops to attend many functions. “Of course, we cannot depute someone else violating the church protocol, ” he said, adding that several other denominations received official communication very late.

According to a spokesperson of the Verapoly archdiocese, a communication from National Minority Commission Member John Joseph requesting Archbishop Daniel Acharuparambil to meet the PM at 10 a.m. was received at the bishop’s palace at 8 a.m. “He had to attend a special meeting at Chittoor as well as Kakkanad, fixed long ago,” he said and clarified that he would have been present at the meeting if he was free of any obligations.

Fr Martin, secretary to the archbishop, also said that they had requested the authorities in advance not to fix the meeting on Sunday.

The BJP leadership, however, put up a brave front by claiming that the meeting of the thin prelates’ delegation with the Prime Minister itself had helped dispel fears in the minds of the minorities.

Meanwhile, the points of discussion at the meeting the six Church heads belonging to the non-Syro Malabar sect had with the Prime Minister yesterday have come in for criticism from a section of the community. This section feels aggrieved that the Church heads did not take up for discussion issues agitating the minds of the community like threats to its religious identity and growing atrocities against its members. Instead, the discussion centred on crisis in the agricultural sector.