Kerala church land row: Reformists to launch Church Act' crusade

KOZHIKODE: The reformist groups in the Syro-Malabar Church are set to unleash a campaign against Cardinal George Alencherry who is caught in a controversy over the sale of Church properties. The groups numbering about 20 will urge the state to enact the Kerala Christian Church Properties and Institutions Trust Bill - 2009, which is pending with the Kerala Law Reforms Committee.  A state-level body named All-Kerala Church Act Action Council has been formed with a 101-member executive committee to coordinate the groups.  

The groups have resented the recent claim by Cardinal Alencherry in connection with the multi-crore land scam under the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese that the Church properties come under the ownership of the Pope and not the public. He has also expressed the same opinion  in an affidavit filed in the High Court.The action council plans to send a delegation to the chief minister seeking the implementation of the Church Act to bring the entire Church properties under the law of the land.

To mobilize public opinion, various programmes, including a secretariat march, protest marches at  district centres, state-level vehicle rally, distributing Malayalam version of the Church Act, conventions and campaign against the canon law also are planned.   Delegates from all districts participated in a  convention held recently in Ernakulam. Action council member George Moolechalil who is also the editor of Sathya Jwala, a literary platform of revivalists in the Church,  told DC that the claim of the cardinal that the Pope is the owner of the  Church properties and that he is above the law of the land was ridiculous.

"So who will be responsible for the fraudulent transactions executed by the Church leadership," he asked. Can the law of the land take any action against the Pope in connection with the criminal and civil cases registered here?  he asked.     "We need clarity on  the entire affair by enacting the Kerala Church Act which is pending with the government. It is high time that the arbitrary attitude of the Church officials is reined in," he pointed out.

Meanwhile, similar shady land deals have been alleged under the Syro-Malabar dioceses in Kozhikode, Kollam and Wayanad districts where Church properties were sold without the knowledge of believers as well as priests. Action council chairman George Joseph told DC that many properties of the Church costing  crores of rupees were sold even without a single advertisement in newspapers and  without consultation with any of the committees concerned or top priests. "We have been demanding enacting the Church Act for the last many years. If the Act was executed, such scams could have been averted,"  he added.