KOCHI: The Catholic education institutions will remain closed on October 2, the day the state government had earmarked as a working day to initiate anti-drug abuse programmes as a part of Gandhi Jayanthi.
The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC), the apex body of the Catholic church in Kerala, on Friday, said the decision to declare Sunday as a holiday has been taken by the Church since the children, parents and teachers have to attend church-related examinations and also attend the Holy Mass.
The KCBC statement follows a circular issued by the state government that the students, teachers and parents should attend the schools and organise anti-drug abuse awareness programmes on October 2, which falls on Sunday.
"Sunday is a day that has to be set aside, like how it used to be till now, only to engage in activities related to the Christian faith. Also, henceforth, all Catholic education institutions needn't obey the state government order that directs them to work on a Sunday," said the KCBC.
However, the students, teachers and parents can organise anti-drug awareness programmes on a suitable date later and hence cooperate with the state government, said the KCBC. This is not the first time that the Catholic Church in Kerala has come out against the state government's decision to make Sunday a working day.
Early this month, the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church requested the state government to examine the orders coming from different departments turning Sundays into working days "repeatedly on the pretext of making decisions on pending files".
The Synod also protested organising various competitive, entrance examinations on Sundays saying it would amount to "denying opportunities for Christians".