Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Church institutions plan ‘prayer day’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All institutions under the Roman Catholic Church in the State would observe Friday as a ‘day of prayer’ expressing solidarity with the Christian community that came under attack in Orissa on Monday.

At a press conference here on Tuesday, Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop and head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, said the Church expressed its concern to Shivraj Patil, Union Minister for Home, on Monday.

He alleged that the government was using the State Women’s Commission to target church-run institutions, convents as well as nuns.

Earlier in the day, members of the Joint Forum of Churches met Governor R.S. Gavai and expressed the concern and anxiety of the churches regarding the “wrong policies” pursued by the State government.

Explaining the content of the meeting, Bishop Joshua Mar Ignathios, chairman, Joint Forum of Churches, said that “the abusive words often used by some Ministers against the Church and the Christian community create much pain and feeling of hurt.”

The State Higher Education Council which had around 70 members had no representative from the official Christian Church management. The Joint Forum of Churches was represented by the members of the Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, Latin Catholic Churches, Mar Thoma Syrian, CSI Churches, Orthodox Syrian and Syrian Orthodox (Jacobite Patriarchal) Churches.

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy, in a statement here, said the Orissa government had once again failed to ensure the safety of minorities. KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala wrote to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil expressing his concern at the attacks. Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader T.M. Jacob, in a message to the Prime Minister, urged the Centre to intervene.

Staff Reporter writes from Kochi:

Union Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed has condemned the alleged attacks on minorities in Orissa.

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