KOCHI: A day after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) launched its candidate for the Thrikkakara bypoll from the Lisie Hospital in Kochi, a large section of priests in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese have raised a banner of protest against the use of the Church-run hospital platform for political gains.
The priests say this is perhaps the first time that the church has allowed a political front to use its platform openly in Kerala, and the leadership could have avoided dragging the Church’s name into the controversy had it been cautious. While the Lisie management said its only intention was to draw mileage for the hospital, given that LDF candidate Dr Jo Joseph serves there, the move seems to have backfired. Sources close to Fr Paul Karedan, director of Lisie Hospital, said he only looked at the possibility of mileage and did not expect CPM leaders P Rajeeve and C N Mohanan to arrive at the venue.
Riju Kanjoorkaran, the spokesperson for the laity organisation ‘Almaya Munnettam’, said the archdiocese or the laity organisation has nothing to do with the LDF candidate. “Dr Jo Joseph does not have any association with the archdiocese or the laity organisation. The way the candidate conducted the press conference and used the platform of the hospital run by the Church sends out a very wrong message. Lisie Hospital is not the place to launch the election campaign of any political party. We have raised our protest at the Bishops’ House, Ernakulam, and an explanation was sought from the director of the hospital by the archdiocese authorities,” he said.
We will only support those who stood with us, says Fr Parekkatil
Fr Joseph Parekkatil, a priest with the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, said the archdiocese cannot say that it will support anyone just because the person works under its organisation. He said it was unfortunate that an impression was created that Dr Joseph was the church’s candidate.
“The archdiocese has a clear stand. We will only support those who have helped and stood with us during difficult times,” he said, indicating the recent troubles over the unified mass. The ‘political’ controversy comes at a time when Cardinal Mar Alencherry of the Syro-Malabar Church is facing an uproar from a large section of priests over the unified mass issue.
Earlier, Fr Paul Thelekat, former spokesman of the Syro-Malabar Church, told TNIE that the archdiocese made a mistake by allowing its platform for political campaigning. “The Church should not be openly seen as aligning itself with any political party, be it LDF or BJP or the Congress,” he had said.
Fr Jose Vailikodath, the public relations officer of the Athirupatha Samrakshana Samithy, a body of priests in the archdiocese, said in a statement: “We are not siding with any one political party. Each and every voter should exercise his or her franchise on the basis of the election manifesto. One must realise that democracy evolves from the power of many and different voices.”
CHURCH REFUTES ALLEGATIONS
Amid brickbats, the Syro-Malabar Church on Friday tried to do damage control by issuing a statement that those with vested interests are deliberately attempting to tarnish the Church’s image. “There is no basis to the allegations that the church leadership and the Major Archbishop (Mar Alencherry) were involved in deciding Dr Jo Joseph’s candidature. The leading fronts decide their candidates based on their political stands. One can well understand the ill-intentions of those who blame the church leadership for this process. It is certain that the voters of Thrikkakara, being fully aware of socio-political issues, will participate in the byelection in a truly democratic sense,” said Fr Alex Onampally, secretary, Syro-Malabar Media Commission.