Indian Church Leaders Want End to Gov't Intervention
Christian leaders from all denominations in Kerala, India, are congregating to meet with the state governor, seeking his intervention in ending the Communist government's alleged involvement in Church-run institutions.
The leaders from Protestant, Marthoma, Orthodox, Jacobite and Catholic traditions formed the Joint Forum of Churches, and held its first meeting in Kottayam on Friday. Participants will enumerate the needs of the Church, which will be presented to the Governor, for action on the matters.
Malankara Catholic Bishop Ignathios, the secretary of the newly formed forum, said it would "take up different issues the churches are facing."
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Some Bishops in the Forum had also hinted that, if the Government shows no response to the Church's pleas then legal actions would be initiated.
For several months, churches in the state have grown hostile to the Communist government after it interfered in the matters of the church's institutions. The government has been interfering in the management of Church institutions since it came to power, said Inter Church Council Chairman Mar Joseph Powethil.
Cyriac Joseph, former vice chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University said the government is still indulging "in the day to day affairs of the Church."
He further added, "No steps have yet taken by the government against the people who have been responsible for atheistic lessons printed in text books for the little kids, a picture of a frog printed in the place of an image of Mahatma Gandhi."
"The government needs to feel ashamed of such actions that are nationally defaming the state."
The Forum will also discuss on the needs of joint collaboration of all leaders to send out special pastoral letters apprehending the social evils of society such as alcohol addiction, which is on increase in the state.
