During his Palm Sunday sermon last week at Holy Cross Major Archepiscopal Church in Nadavayal, Kozhikode, Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil, the head of the Syro-Malabar Church, voiced concerns about the escalating human-animal conflict in Kerala.
“In light of certain policies, there are misconceptions in people’s minds that wild animals are given more importance than humans,” he stated. This perception, he emphasised, could lead to a pertinent question – whether the value of human beings is diminishing.
The statement, delivered against the backdrop of the upcoming Parliamentary elections, garnered significant public attention.
However, for his Good Friday speech, the archbishop addressed an altogether different yet equally significant issue — the persecution of Christians. “Christians are encountering difficulties everywhere in the country,” he remarked, also expressing solidarity with those compelled to work on Easter — an apparent reference to the Christians in Manipur.
The political reaction this time was even more vigorous. Both the UDF and the LDF fully supported his statements, while the National Democratic Alliance, especially the BJP, dismissed speculations that the statement was aimed at them.
Public intervention
As the Catholic Church sharpens its public intervention in Kerala, leading parties have been on an overdrive to woo the community ahead of the upcoming elections. With the polls so close, any large block of votes will make a difference, prompting an acceleration of these outreach initiatives.
From farm distress to migration and the perceived rise of political Islam in Kerala, the Syro-Malabar Church has overtly flexed its political muscle on a range of issues concerning Central Travancore and the settler areas of Malabar. The Latin Catholic church, on the other hand, has long been at the forefront of several public agitations across the state’s coastal belts, especially in South-central districts.
With their conventional allies being unable to offer political solutions to these critical issues, a section within the Church started gravitating towards the third alternative – the BJP. The widespread attack on Christian institutions in Manipur last year, however, threw a wrench in this move, in turn, handing the UDF and LDF an unforeseen opportunity.
Riding the concerns raised by the Church, these alliances have made up for lost ground and are now competing with each other to become the more mainstream representative of the church’s cause.
“It is true that a sense of insecurity has gripped the Catholics in Kerala after Manipur while the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has exacerbated our concern. There is a growing sense of realisation that if it is Muslims today, it can be the Christians tomorrow,” said a senior functionary of the Kerala Catholic Bishop Council. The official, at the same time, also asserts that the Church will abstain from endorsing any particular political alliance.
Political stance
If how the political stance of the Catholic Church is shaped up by a handful of factors, how the two leading yet sparring factions of the Malankara Syrian church — Jacobite and Orthodox — have placed their political preferences is even more curious. The two factions together hold considerable clout across a vast area of central Travancore and can significantly impact the outcome of elections at any levels.
While the Jacobites are generally known for adopting a softer approach towards the LDF, the Orthodox faction is outspoken in its criticism of the LDF government in its alleged bid to introduce the Church Bill. The bond that the faction has struck with a few top BJP leaders too has triggered a great deal of concerns among the rival parties.
The Orthodox Church, however, asserts that none of these factors influence its stance in the election. “Whether it is a disagreement over the Church Bill or some other issue, these are our consistent positions and this has nothing to do with the elections,” noted an official spokesperson of the church.
As the issues concerning the Christians in Kerala have also become a campaign battleground in the run-up to the elections, the Church is clearly hoping to play an influential role and set a pattern for the years ahead. But even if this poll does not prove to be the political turning point for the institution, looks like its influence will grow.
