KOCHI: Mounting ire of the Australian Catholic community forced Fr Dominic Valanmanal, an Idukki-based preacher, to cancel his retreat, which was scheduled to take place at Melbourne in September. After he was denied permission to conduct retreats in three countries, including Australia, this month after he delivered a controversial sermon, sources revealed that the priest has cancelled all his international tours this year.
Fr Valanmanal, a priest of the Syro Malabar Church and director of Marian Retreat Centre, Anakkara, Idukki, courted controversy while delivering a sermon during a retreat in which he said those who commit adultery, engage in homosexuality or watch porn are at risk of having kids with autism and hyperactivity. The video clip of his sermon went viral on social media, inviting criticism from all quarters.
Pala native Binoy Zacharia, who resides in Australia, is one among those who led the campaign to stop Fr Valanmanal’s tour. Being the father of an autistic 12-year-old boy, the priest’s comments were very saddening for Binoy. “He claims to be an autism specialist. How long can he fool the faithful, who still have faith in his retreats? He is misleading all the faithful,” Binoy told Express.
Bishop Bosco Puthur of the Syro Malabar Eparchy for Australia and New Zealand had invited Fr Valanmanal to conduct the retreat at Philip Island, Australia. In the absence of Fr Valanmanal, Fr Xavier Khan Vattayil, director of Sehion Ministries in Palakkad, has been roped in to lead the retreat.
Around 1,250 faithful signed the online petition as part of the campaign. “This is not just about religious activities, it is a community issue. The Church is maintaining silence on the extreme views of its priests. What will be our children’s future if the priests pass such ‘outrageous’ comments?” said Linton Thomas, a member of the Catholic community of Melbourne and a social worker.
Earlier the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary (RCDC) in Canada and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin in Ireland had withdrawn their invitation to Fr Valanmanal to conduct retreats following his controversial sermon.
“Marian Retreat Centre cancelled all its scheduled international trips for this year. But healing retreats by Fr Valanmanal are to continue in Kerala,” said a source. The authorities of Marian Retreat Centre had earlier refuted the comments saying the video uploaded was fabricated. However, after several attempts, Fr Valanmanal could not be reached over phone.