Kochi: The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) on Sunday said the remarks of Idukki Bishop Dr Mathew Anikkuzhikkattil on inter-religious marriages and Catholic girls eloping with youths from other religions were meant to hurt nobody. “We say sorry to those who felt offended by the remarks,” the KCBC said in a release.
Dr Anikkuzhikkattil had on Saturday said instances of Catholic girls, who lived within the faith until they turned 18, running away with “Muslims and Ezhava” youths as well as “auto drivers” are on the rise and that “it is not a good sign”.
The KCBC came out with the response when the remarks evoked sharp reactions from all sections of society. “The bishop was commenting on the increased westernisation and rising influence of neoliberal values in a traditional society such as Kerala,” the KCBC said.
“It was natural for a religious leader to comment on such trends at a meeting of the pastoral council of the church.”
Coming down heavily on Dr Anikkuzhikkattil’s statement, SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan demanded on Sunday that that the police should register a case against the bishop for making hateful comments that would dismantle the country’s secular fabric.
“Bishop Anikkuzhikkattil has proven himself to be a religious extremist who keeps spewing venom. He should be brought to book under Section 153 of the IPC,” he said.
ops are not fit to be part of a democratic society as well as high standard of the Catholic community. It is for the church to decide whether he should continue in his position or not,” he said.
Bishop Anikkuzhikkattil had said, while addressing the pastoral council meeting of the Kanjirapally diocese on Saturday, that the girls from the Christian community were converted to other religions through inter-religious marriages.
He said that about six per cent of marriages in Christian churches were inter-religious. Most of the boys are from other communities and it was against the Christian faith, he said.
