Pala Bishop warns PC George, Shone; says threats won’t work

Kochi: In a strong and sharp warning to political leaders after NDA candidates PC George and Shone George’s comments targeting the Catholic Church’s perceived political leanings, Pala Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt said the church would not remain silent when its leadership and clergy were subjected to public insults.

Bishop Kallarangatt, while addressing the believers at a church in Pala, emphasised that bishops and priests could not be expected to remain neutral or remain mute spectators at all times. He said the church would not tolerate remarks that cross the limits of decency or seek to denigrate its leadership in the public sphere.

While Bishop Kallarangatt clarified that he was not referring to any individual in particular, he insisted that no one should think they could intimidate the church. Without mentioning the names of PC George or his son Shone, the bishop expressed concern over public figures speaking to the media in a manner that insults priests and church leadership, calling such attacks a violation of the boundaries of decency.

The tension arose after George publicly criticised Kanjirappally bishop and the church mouthpiece Deepika’s stance that allegedly favoured the Congress-led UDF in the assembly polls.

The bishop specifically condemned attempts to tarnish the dignity of the church using aggressive language for getting “applause and attention” on news channels. He said those expressing opinions must respect the sentiments of believers, warning that failure to do so would be a “grave mistake”.

Despite the warning, the bishop welcomed the increasing participation of church members in active politics. Kallarangatt also rejected the allegations that certain bishops secretly canvassed votes for the UDF during the election period, while clarifying that they had the right to openly do it in a democratic country like India. He also pointed out that bishops, too, could have their own political views. 

Reacting to the bishop’s words, Shone George said the church should move away from “secret” political alignments. He echoed the bishop’s stance that the church should be public and transparent about its political preferences. “I respect the Bishop more than my own father. I even sought his blessing before agreeing to my party’s request to be a candidate," George told the media in Kochi. 

He argued that when the church took a public stand, it allowed for a healthy debate on what each political front had actually done for the welfare of the faithful.

Shone reminded the church of the 2021 controversy where Bishop Kallarangatt spoke about “Love Jihad” and “Narcotic Jihad” at a church in Kuravilangad and the LDF filing eight criminal cases against the bishop. He criticised the Congress for its “hypocrisy” and alleged that opposition leader VD Satheesan had demanded the bishop’s imprisonment at that time.

“When the LDF and UDF were attacking the bishop and marching toward the diocesan headquarters, only the BJP and RSS stood by him. That was the primary reason why people like me began to think of the BJP as a viable political alternative for Christians,” Shone said.

Shone further criticised Kerala’s UDF and LDF MPs for their lack of support regarding the Waqf Amendment Bill. He claimed that despite the Catholic Church writing to all Kerala MPs requesting support for amendments to protect the lands of Christian families from Waqf claims, the MPs ignored the plea and instead opposed the move.

Referring to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), Shone said that the stringent provisions of the law, which are now raising concerns among the Christian community, were actually introduced and strengthened during the UPA government's tenure. “Leaders like KC Venugopal, Jose K Mani and Kodikunnil Suresh were MPs at the time, and eight Union Ministers from Kerala were part of the cabinet when these amendments were passed. Why haven’t they opposed it?” Shone asked, while stating that the Christian community is now realising that justice cannot be expected from the two traditional political fronts in Kerala. 

Meanwhile, reacting to the row, BJP state vice-president KS Radhakrishnan described the ongoing spat between the church and George as a “personal rift” and defended his party colleagues. “If the church heads speak politics and urge people to vote for a particular front, it is natural for other parties to criticise them,” Radhakrishnan told the media, adding that clergy members could not expect the protection of priesthood after talking politics.