After setting off a furore among the Latin Catholic community with his reported remarks about the best course to be followed in the wake of the February 15 killing of two unarmed fishermen by Italian marksmen off the Kerala coast, Cardinal George Alencherry has clarified that he had not sought a settlement through mediation.
He was all for truth and justice prevailing in accordance with the Indian law.
Cardinal Mar Alencherry, who is Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, said that Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies, had withdrawn its version of the interview with him and put out a new report.
Plea for exemplary punishment
In a statement in Kochi, the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) also sought to clear the air, saying that the Italian marines should be given exemplary punishment within the Indian legal system.
Metropolitan Archbishop of the Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram Susai Pakiam said that there was no question of the Vatican interfering with the Indian legal processes or its being allowed to do so. The Cardinal's reported statement was blown out of proportion, he felt.
However, the reaction from the Latin Catholic community in Kollam was quite sharp. The general feeling among the community was that the Cardinal's reported statement would only serve to weaken the case against the marines arrested under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
Doramma, wife of Valentine, one of the two fishermen shot dead by the marines, feared that high-level attempts were on to whisk the ship away from Kochi. Her son said the Cardinal seemed to be taking sides with his father's killers.
Keywords: Indian fishermen killing, Italian marines arrest, Cardinal Mar Alencherry, India-Italy ties, Italy diplomat visit, Enrica Lexie
This only inflames the Hindu nationalistic rhetoric further. The Hindu
radicals' claims that the Indian Muslims never really see themselves as
fully Indian or that the Indian Christians' loyalty to their religion overrides their patriotism seems true in this case. Lets hope that the
clergy keeps its nose where it belongs.
Balarajan: How do you know that what was put up in the site of Fides was verbatim what the cardinal said? if thats the case why did they remove it? there is an ulterior motive in tarnishing the image of a cardinal from India who has respects for the indian soil. also check what he wears on top of his dress, a rudraksham..he is Indian by every count and he represents a faith which is 2000 years old in India which is as equivalent to the church of Rome. Definitely justice should be prevail and it should be fast as justice delayed is justice denied.
It was absolutely inappropriate for the Cardinal even remotely to get involved in a legal matter that is still under investigation. It seems, the Extra-territorial allegiance of the Christian faith and his eagerness to show sympathy got the better of him. Those who look for guidance from ouside India tend to suffer fom this unwanted attention. It is good to see that the Cardiinal realized his mistake and has quickly retracted from his uncalled for initial enthusism. Let the natural justice take its course and the victims get adquately compensated and let the culprits get their due punishment. Interference from outside the sytem always end up in distorting justice.
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