An article by Syro Malabar Church spokesperson Fr Paul Thelakkat criticising the office of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has been drawing flak.
But the Church has distanced itself from the controversial statements he made recently in his regular column in a vernacular daily.
In the article, Fr Thelakkat said the Chief Minister’s office had become an agency of frauds. Citing the example of Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned in February this year, Fr Thelakkat pointed the finger at Chandy for the failure of his office and stated that when the office staff of an official commit some mistake, the onus lies on the official.
“I believe that he (Chief Minister) has no role in the fraud. He trusted his office staff and gave them too much freedom,” the article stated.
“Some leaders trust and honour individuals and give them more freedom. Sometimes, giving more freedom could be dangerous. But not giving freedom can have more dangerous consequences,” the article pointed out. However, the Church stated that Fr Thelakkat’s opinion was not its official stand.
“The Syro Malabar Church has not made any statement against the state Cabinet. Media reports coming out in this regard are not the official stand of the Church,” said Syro Malabar Church Curia Bishop Bosco Puthur, secretary of Episcopal Synod. Fr Thelakkat maintained that the opinions presented in the article were neither that of the Church nor his personal viewpoint.
He told ‘Express’ that his statements were ‘misquoted’ and ‘misinterpreted’.