KOCHI, Kerala, June 11, 2009, 17.20 Hrs (SAR News):

The Catholic bishops of Kerala June 10 lashed out the perpetrators of attacks on Christian educational institutions and a place of worship in Alapuzha diocese June 8 during the ‘Black Day’ protest called by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The communists were protesting against the state governor giving sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation to prosecute Kerala CPM secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in a graft case involving more than rupees 370 crore.

Deputy secretary general and spokesperson of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC), Father Stephen Alathara, told reporters at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the KCBC here June 10 that resorting to violence by any political party during protests was against democratic norms.

He said the attacks by the CPM were in retaliation to the hard stance taken by the Church during the April-May parliamentary elections that resulted in the rout of the communist party.

He said the Church intervention in the poll was to protect values, principles and belief in God. Besides, the bishops have decided to do so strongly in the future.

The prelates urged the Kerala University to withdraw the books recommended for degree classes, alleging that it was substandard and it would only mislead the younger generation, Alathara said.

The Catholic Church has been quite critical about the ruling Left Democratic Front government’s education policies and its alleged attempts to promote atheism through textbooks.

Meanwhile, a three-member committee, headed by Bishop George Punnakkottil of Kothamangalam, has been constituted for the celebration of the ‘Year of Priest’ for one year from June 19, 2009 to June 19, 2010.

Thirty-one bishops from 29 dioceses in the state attended the KCBC meeting.