Jailed priest, brother make Holy Week sombre in Madhya Pradesh

(April 1, 2010) Catholic Church leaders in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state say Holy Week will be a sombre one this year as a priest and religious brother continue to languish in jail. “No doubt, this is a harrowing time for the Church,” said Archbishop Leo Cornelio of the state capital Bhopal. “It is really sad that two of our brethren are behind bars especially during Holy Week,” the archbishop who heads the Catholic Church in Madhya Pradesh told UCA News on Holy Thursday. Police in the tribal-dominated Panna district arrested Brother John Kuttikatil of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church on March 20, after receiving a complaint of child sex abuse on a 10-year old boy, a resident of St. Joseph Bal Bhavan children's hostel, where the brother worked. Three days later, police in Bhopal arrested Father Thomas Philip, rector of Bhopal archdiocese’s minor seminary, for allegedly abetting the suicide of a seminarian. The brother is in a jail in Panna and the priest is in a Bhopal prison, both are awaiting bail. Archbishop Cornelio said the two Churchmen are suffering like Jesus, who also faced baseless allegations. He said the two incidents are helping Church people to reflect on the plight of ordinary Christians who have to witness their faith in hostile conditions. “Jesus died for standing for truth and hence no soldier of his should expect a bed of roses,” the prelate added. Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur described the situation as painful. “We cannot run away, but have to face such challenges,” he told UCA News. Brother Bastin Karuvelil, vice provincial of the Brothers’ congregation, said they are really sad that their brother has been dragged into a controversy in which he has had no role at all. Madhya Pradesh has witnessed several incidents of anti-Christian violence since the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power in December 2003.