KOCHI: The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment (FCRA) Bill continues to spark controversy in the state. In the latest instance, a priest of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Fr Paul Thelakat, ignited a war of words when he stated that Christian churches do not hoard money, unlike temples.
In a recent interview to a media outlet, he said Christian churches use their money for public service, and contended that the religious movements of Sai Baba and Mata Amritanandamayi embody a similar spirit of public service. “Look at the amount of gold that temples hoard. This gold needs to be used for the betterment of the people, and not kept in vaults, locked away,” he said.
Clarifying his statement, Fr Thelakat told TNIE, “I have raised a thoughtful point about the role of religious institutions in society. What I have highlighted is the contrast between wealth accumulation in certain temples and the service-oriented mission of many Christian institutions.”
He questioned the thought behind the FCRA Bill. “What kind of treason are NGOs that get foreign funds committing? The funds come through proper government channels,” the former spokesperson of the church said.
“Historically, churches around the world have indeed invested heavily in education, healthcare and social upliftment — not just for Christians, but for people of all faiths. That’s why many schools, colleges, and hospitals in India run by Christian organisations have a diverse student and patient base,” he said.
He further said, “The philosophy of ‘serving mankind is serving God’ reflects a universal spiritual principle that transcends religious boundaries. The religious movements of Sai Baba and Mata Amritanandamayi embody this by extending their missions into healthcare and education — showing that service is becoming a shared value across traditions.” According to him, perhaps the real question is not whether temples or churches have wealth, but how effectively that wealth is used for the service for society.
“According to information available online, the Madurai Meenakshi temple received 1,800kg of gold and 4,700kg of silver over two decades. Tirupati temple earns `650 crore annually. Serving people is serving God; it is our ideal, and I spoke of that ideal,” he said.
Fr Thelakat went on to say that the FCRA Bill is a forced imposition of a conviction that Christians should not perform such services in India.
His comments invited sharp criticism from Hindu organisations, including the Hindu Aikya Vedi. “Temple assets are offerings made by devotees,” Aikya Vedi president R V Babu said in a post on Facebook. He argued out that it was not smuggled from abroad by showing photos of the poor. Some outfits accused “Christian religious extremists” and “jihadists” of eyeing temple properties.
“Although their methods are twofold, the goal is the same. Let them first stop using crores of rupees brought in by smuggling, black money and illegal foreign donations to convert Hindus. Both groups aim to create their own religious state. These people want to continue Portuguese and Mughal traditions. The undercurrents between them are perceptible. They oppose Hindus, Hindu culture and religion. They see Hindu organisations as obstacles in their path,” Babu wrote.