Hours after a Catholic Christian priest joined the BJP on 2nd October (Monday), the Bishop of Idukki Mar John Nellikunnel suspended the priest from pastoral duties in Mankuva church, Kerala. The religious body claimed that the suspension was temporary as further action against the priest would be taken later.
A press release issued by the diocese on Monday night stated, “Fr Kuriakose Mattam has been removed, temporarily, from the post of vicar (priest) of Mankuva church.” It is important to note that a diocese refers to an area that contains a number of churches, for which a bishop is responsible. Simply put, dicose is the territorial jurisdiction of a bishop.
The chairman of the media commission of the Idukki diocese Fr. Jins Karakkat stated that the priest joined the BJP without the permission of the bishop. Fr. Karakkat said, “As per the canon law and the Catholic Church rules priests cannot join any political party.”
Earlier, the bishop of the diocese, under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, had convened an emergency meeting after it it learned that one of their priests had defied church rules and taken membership in a political party. As per media reports, the bishop will appoint a commission to inquire about the incident.
Regarding this, media head Fr. Karakkatt added, “Commission members will collect details from the priest and parish members. After the commission submits its report, the Church will take further steps.”
The development comes after a Catholic priest of the Syro-Malabar Church formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday. Reportedly, in a historic first, 73-year-old Fr. Kuriakose Mattam, the vicar of St. Thomas Church in Mankuva which comes under the jurisdiction of Idukki diocese, took the primary membership of the BJP on 2nd October.
The priest Mattam received his party membership from KS Aji who is the president of BJP’s Idukki district unit. Aji also shared photographs from the event on his social media platforms.
BJP district president Aji said, ‘‘As part of the membership campaign, we contacted the priest and the priest sought to join and work for the party. The joining of Fr. Mattam indicates that the Christian sympathy is with BJP.”
Wearing a saffron shawl, Fr Mattam asserted that he does not think BJP was an anti-Christian party. He added that the BJP has never been out of bounds for the Christians of Kerala.
Regarding his decision to join the BJP, he said, “It is essential for our times that people of all faiths should come together. I hope to get more opportunities to work together.”
Before the church suspended him, Fr Mattam had been serving as the parish priest of St Thomas Church, Mankuva for the last three years and he had two more years until retirement.