THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Church Act Joint Council demanded the implementation of the Church Trust Bill proposed by the Kerala Law Reforms Commission in 2009 led by Justice V R Krishna Iyer. The council was responding to the threats of a second liberation movement from the part of the church.
“Recent occurrences in the Church show the lack of transparency in its proceedings.
There must be governance. The canon law specifically states civil laws will take precedence in matters of wealth and property. Here the making of a civil law itself is being hampered,” Fr M S Yuhanon Ramban, director, Malankara Action Council for Church Act Implementation told reporters on Wednesday.
The current bill, he claimed, is a weak one and watered down to give more leniency to the Church.
“This would further centralise the power within the Church. Decentralisation of power is what we need in the Church now,” he said.
“The docile mentality of a bigger part of the believers is being utilised by those holding power in the Church to gather more support. They are even collecting signatures from the churchgoers. Those who refuse to stand by the Church will be ostracised and so they tend to go along with the Church,” added Ramban.