Thursday, July 17, 2008

Missing pilgrims embarrass Indian church

Catholic church officials in India say having 39 pilgrims to the papal visit to Australia go missing in New Zealand is "embarrassing".

"We are shocked to hear the news of pilgrims absconding. It is a matter of great embarrassment for the Church," Father Babu Joseph, spokesperson for Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), told the Union of Catholic Asia news service.

New Zealand officials said 39 pilgrims have gone to ground. They were part of group of 220 men on their way to the Pope's World Youth Day celebrations.

The group, most aged between 17 and 35, were reported to have paid $NZ17,000 ($A13,417.52) to an agent in India who organised their travel visas and told them they could stay in New Zealand "forever".

Father Joseph said he regretted the mistakes of a few had created problems for the whole delegation as well as their country.

India sent a delegation totalling 510 members, which travelled in three groups.

The contingent travelling via New Zealand was scheduled to be billeted with families so they could interact with local people, exchange life experiences and participate in activities such as visiting nursing homes, planting trees and learning about local cultures.

A spokesman for the Syro-Malabar Church, one of two Oriental Catholic rites based in the southern Indian state of Kerala, termed the incident "a matter of disgrace for the Indian Church".

The two Oriental rites and Latin rite form the Indian Catholic Church.

"It seems those missing have apparently travelled to find some greener pastures for their life than the holy intention of participating in functions with the Pope," he said.
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