Christians disappointed over PM’s silence on canonisation

THIRUVNANANTHAPURAM: If  Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent a congratulatory message or tweeted after Pope Francis  declared Fr Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Euphrasia as saints at Vatican on Sunday, it would have enhanced his egalitarian perspective towards every religion,  said  Syro- Malabar Church spokesman Fr (Dr) Paul Thelakat.

He was responding to a DC query on the absence of such a gesture from the Prime Minister.  “The Christian community would have been very happy at this holy moment about which  any Indian feels legitimate honour,” he said.

Fr Thelakat said he was not aware whether such a message had been sent by the PM or not. “To the best of my understanding, the centre had sent an official delegation under the deputy chairman of the  Rajya Sabha for the solemn occasion to Vatican.

I think that was a good gesture from the central government.  But if the congratulatory message did not come from the PM, we do not find any reason to feel offended,” Fr Thelakat added.

Mr Modi, who tweets on almost all major developments concerning India or Indians, skipped the canonisation of the two saints.

However, not all support the idea of the PM congratulating the Christian community on such an occasion. “There is a need to keep religion and politics poles apart.

But while saying this I am not in an anyway undermining the importance of the event. The Prime Minister need not send congratulatory messages on such events irrespective of the religion,” said Dr J. Prabhash, Director of the School of Social Sciences.

Meanwhile, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) spokesman in Delhi Fr Joseph Chinnayyan said that they had not received any congratulatory message from the PM or the PMO.