Thiruvananthapuram: A day after Rev Kuriakose Mattem, a Catholic priest in Kerala tookmembership of the BJP and was quickly moved out as Vicar of the StThomas Catholic Church in Idukki district, has been suspended and thecase will now be heard by the higher ups, sources said. Rev Fr JinsKarakattil, the spokesperson of the Idukki dioceses, said the Churchpremises cannot be used for party work.
Also read: Narcotic Jihad Row: Kerala church body comes out with explanation
“At the moment, he has been moved out as the vicar and we willbe forming a Commission to look into it. The priest who took thisdecision will be asked to appear before the Commission as the Churchwishes to know about it and then a decision will be arrived,” aChurch spokesman said. Sources said that the Idukki Diocese hassuspended the priest for accepting the BJP membership.
Read more: Christian women lured into IS trap, alleges Kerala church
It was in last week Idukki Manguwa church vicar Fr KuriyakoseMattam accepted BJP membership. Considering the latest developmentsBJP also decided not to intervene in the case at this point. Earlier,the orders of his temporary removal as vicar were given by the Idukkidiocese of Catholic Church to which he is attached an hour after newssurfaced that he has taken the saffron party membership.
BJP sources claimed that this is the first time a Catholic priestin Kerala has joined the saffron party. The 62-year-old Catholicpriest after joining the party said that he did not agree to thecommon belief that the BJP is not the party for Christians. InKerala, Christians constitute about 18 per cent of the state's 3.30crore population. According to the law of the Roman Catholic Church,one should not take a public political position. The church'sposition is based on the observation that a priest taking a politicalstance will cause problems among the parishioners. (With agency inputs)
