Saying that the Christian community in India rejects government intervention in religion “in any form and in any guise”, the All India Catholic Union has strongly opposed any government intervention in the properties of the Catholic Church. “There is no question of government control on church and community properties,” AICU official spokesman John Dayal said at a press conference in Panaji, the Times of India reports.
According to Dayal holding property by the church is guaranteed under Article 26 of the Constitution and the properties are “more than adequately covered by the law of the land”.
“The provisions of the Indian Penal code are more than adequate to investigate and prosecute rare cases of corruption and adequately oversee all aspects of the church’s interaction with the state in matters of finance and properties,” said Dayal.
He said that the Christian situation is different from that of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh religions, which had been cited by speakers at a Goa seminar.
At the seminar, Eduardo Faleiro, Commissioner for Goa NRI affairs, and KT Thomas, former Supreme Court judge, demanded a legislation parallel to the Sikh and Muslim community. Ironically, AICU president Remy Demis also endorsed their views for a law to administer church properties, Christian Today says.
“The provisions of the Indian Penal Code, are more than adequate to investigate and prosecute rare cases of corruption and, indeed, adequately oversee all aspects of the church`s interaction with the State in matters of finance, properties etc,” Dayal said.
He argued that the Christian situation differs radically and materially from that for Hindu, Muslim and Sikh religions.
“The laws governing properties and functioning of those religions are born out of individual histories of their faith before and after Independence,” he noted.
“A micro minority such as the Christian Church in India needs to breathe the air of freedom and be beyond both reproach and fear to be able to fulfill its destiny, and continue its work in social action,” he said, adding, “Government intervention, which is synonymous with political and administrative interference can only throttle this critical freedom.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
SIC: CTHAS