Cardinal Gracias: The desecration of Our Lady of Lourdes, a vulgar and shameful act
September 13, 2012: The desecration of a church is a "vulgar, thoughtless and shameful"
act "even more unacceptable" when carried out by law enforcement officers, says Card.
Oswald Gracias, President of the Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI). The cardinal
condemns the acts of vandalism committed by police officers in the church of Our Lady
of Lourdes in the village of Idinthakarai (Tamil Nadu), in violence that erupted during
the protests against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant.
Monday this week,
a new peaceful demonstration to stop the construction of the plant turned into a nightmare
for the local community. Police opened fire on the crowds to disperse them, killing
a fisherman. A 6 year old girl lost her life, crushed by the fleeing crowd. Then,
some agents raided Our Lady of Lourdes Church destroying two statues of the Virgin
Mary, and urinating on them .
"The police - says Card. Gracias - has the duty
to protect churches and places of worship, because all must be respected. Nothing
can justify such an atrocious act. It is a mark on the secular credentials of India,
which challenge our national conscience. "
The local community - mostly Catholic
and devoted to fishing - have been opposed to the construction of Kudankulam plant
for several years. According to the people, it is not safe, and will have an impact
on the environment dangerous for the lives and livelihoods of the inhabitants. For
the authorities of Tamil Nadu, however, the system is safe and is the best way to
make up for the energy shortage in the area. In addition, according to the government
"hidden" foreign and Catholic NGOs are behind the protests, funding anti-nuclear activists.
For this reason, last February the state froze the bank accounts of four NGOs, including
the two headed by Msgr. Yvon Ambroise, Bishop of Tuticurin (epicenter of the protest,
ed.)
The President of the CBCI points out: "The Catholic Church has always
expressed solidarity with our brothers and sisters in need all over India. We reaffirm
our commitment to ensure economic and social justice for our fellow citizens." According
to the cardinal, "true development safeguards the dignity of the human being. It is
our duty to accept responsibility for each other, and the growth of India as a whole.
At the same time, we must create conditions of justice and peace in which individuals
and communities can truly flourish".