KOCHI: The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) on Wednesday condemned the alleged theft of the Eucharistic bread and the receptacle used to keep it at the altar of St Jacob’s Church, Arookutty, which comes under the Cochin diocese. The incident occurred on March 28.
In a statement, the bishops’ council said the incident was an attempt to insult the Holy Communion which is considered sacred by the faithful. The holy objects, stolen from the tabernacle at the altar, were found dumped in a swamp, the KCBC said in the statement. Such actions should not happen again and strict action should be taken against the culprits, it said.
“Taking note of the gravity of the issue, KCBC hopes the police will initiate a probe. The unfortunate incident has caused great pain to the Christian community,” the statement said. Archbishop of Verapoly Mar Joseph Kalathiparambil, in a statement, said the incident was a cause for grave concern. The archdiocese urged the authorities to give due seriousness to the issue and bring to book those behind the deed.