Bonacaud: Minister to hold meeting today

Withdraw cases against believers and priests: Metropolitan

Forest Minister K. Raju will convene a meeting on Tuesday with church representatives and forest officials to discuss the issue of the destruction of a cross and altar that were installed as part of the Kurishumala pilgrimage at Bonacaud.

The Minister had, earlier this month, held a discussion with representatives of the Neyyattinkara Latin Diocese, after which he had directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force to conduct a high-level meeting with church representatives. The meeting convened by the Minister is a continuation of this process.

Pastoral letter

Meanwhile, Neyyattinkara diocese Metropolitan Vincent Samuel read out a pastoral letter condemning the destruction of the cross. It said that it was condemnable that the Forest Department was preventing the entry of believers to Kurishumala, where the cross was installed 60 years ago.

The police should immediately register a case and conduct an investigation to nab the culprits, if the department’s claims of communal forces being behind the destruction was true.

The letter demanded the withdrawal of all police cases against priests and believers. The Chief Minister should intervene to find a permanent solution to the issue, the letter said.

The diocese will organise a protest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday in front of the Secretariat. It had on Thursday began a day-night agitation in Vithura. Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council president and Latin Diocese Archbishop Soosa Pakiam M. had also condemned the destruction of the cross.