The Thrissur archdiocese has come down heavily on the Union and State governments for ‘ignoring Christians in minority welfare programmes.’ Addressing a Samudaaya Jagratha Sadas organised by the Thrissur archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church here on Sunday, Thrissur Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath said the Sadas was a voice raised against the growing injustice against the Christian community.
The meeting condemned the increasing attacks against the Church and its institutions and demanded protection under the Constitution. “We will turn the other cheek if anyone slaps us on the one cheek. But we will definitely ask them why they had slapped us. The programme is meant to bring the issues faced by the Church and the believers to the attention of the political leaders and society,” the archbishop said.
Vote bank politics
Addressing the meeting, Auxiliary Bishop Mar Tony Neelankavil asked the faithful to ask questions to those who approach them for votes. “What happened to J.B. Koshy Commission? We need to fight against vote-bank politics unitedly. We have to understand the changing stances of political leaders,” he said.
In a resolution, the meeting demanded that the Union government end attacks against Christians and Christian institutions in places such as Manipur. The State government must end discrimination against Christian community in distributing minority welfare schemes, it said. Recommendations of the J.B. Koshy Commission should be implemented. Effective steps should be taken to solve wild animal attacks and crises in the agriculture sector, the resolution added.
