By IANS
Kottayam (Kerala) : The war of words between the Syro Malabar Church and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has intensified with the diocese of the church deciding to bar card-holding CPI-M members from all church committees.
The decision was taken at the pastoral council of the Changnacherry diocese, headed by Archbishop Joseph Mar Perumthottam Saturday.
Speaking to IANS, spokesperson of the Syro Malabar Church, Father Paul Thelekat said that each diocese of the church is independent and they are free to take their own decisions.
“This decision is not the common decision of the entire church. We have 14 diocese of the church in Kerala and each diocese operates on the decision of their pastoral council. In the aftermath of all that has happened with the CPI-M attacking us, we wish to find out from the party if there is a space for a believer in the party,” said Thelekat.
A controversy erupted between the Syro Malabar Church and the CPI-M when Bishop Mar Paul Chitilapally said that Mathai Chacko, a CPI-M legislator who passed away last year, took the last sacrament just before he died.
Since then both the church and the communists are engaged in a war of words with senior party officials, including party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, severely criticising the church for its comments.
The Christian community accounts for nearly 23 percent of Kerala’s total population of 320 million.