Love and Narcotic Jihad: Kerala Catholic Church decides to be “guarded” in its future sermons

The Catholic Church in Kerala has decided to be “guarded” in its official communications and religious sermons in the future to ensure that their words do not cause pain to other communities and their beliefs or cause discomfort in society, a senior church official said Thursday.

The significant decision aimed at ending the controversy over the recent statements by a bishop “Love and Narcotic Jihad” was made at the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) meeting in Kochi on Wednesday.

In an interaction with PTI, a church official also said that the church will continue to fulfill its “prophetic responsibility” to fight all sorts of social evils.

However, statements, speeches, and responses by the Church and its officials on such matters will not be presented to the public until after formal study and discussion in their appropriate forum.

“In the future, our statements, speeches and answers will be cautious. We will be very careful not to want to harm the feelings of other communities in harmony, “the official said in his first of these interactions after the bishop’s utterances rocked the state.

An eye opener for the church

The KCBC has observed that the recent controversy over the remarks made by the Bishop of the Diocese of Pala of the Syro-Malabar Church on “love and narcotic jihad” was an “eye opener” for the church as it was “misinterpreted” by part of the media and became politicians for serving their “narrow political and business interests” which caused “pain and fear” in members of another community, he said.

After their meeting on Wednesday, the KCBC, which includes bishops of the Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankar, Knanaya Catholic and Latin Catholic churches, issued a statement saying that the social evils identified by the church are deeper It requires study and serious investigation rather than giving it a “different hue” and deflecting it in other directions.

In its statement, the council refrained from using controversial terminology such as narcotic jihad or love jihad and said that it unanimously opposes all forms of interpretation, undermines religious harmony and weakens healthy coexistence in society by repeating the warnings of the Pastors mischievously twisted church.

“The KCBC disapproves of any covert attempt to show that there is disagreement between the churches. The fundamental values ​​of truth, love and justice, which the Catholic Church defends, form the basis of all interreligious dialogues and harmony between religions. ”Had said in the press release.

Destroying the youth

Speaking to the lay people in Kuravilangad near Kottayam, Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt of the Diocese of Pala recently said that Christian girls in Kerala are victims of “love and narcotic jihad” and that extremists use such methods when weapons cannot be used Destroying youth.

The comment had sparked a verbal duel and blame between the major political parties – CPI (M), BJP and Congress – in the state.

The Congress, which criticized the bishop for his remarks, and the BJP, which supported the bishop’s remarks, had attacked the left-wing government and the prime minister for their silence on the matter.

Thereafter, on September 21, Kerala’s Prime Minister Pinarayi Vijayan flatly rejected the bishop’s remarks, saying the southern state was an established terrain of secularism and society would vigorously oppose those who try to anger it.

The KCBC said that the Catholic Church in Kerala has worked towards peaceful coexistence and the harmony of religions and the cultural development of society in the state through its diverse services in education and health as well as social and charitable measures.

The KCBC said it always wants secularism and religious harmony and swears to work for the same.