News that are happening have a significance because it showcases the ethical and moral levels the society has reached. For that reason, it's worthwhile to review one of those that has hit the headlines and continues to remain so. So, here I go:-
When Leadership is Pointed a Finger At.
I'm talking about the scam that has rocked the Syro-Malabar church and therefore, would like to go a bit behind in time. Bishop Mar George Alencherry was elevated to being Cardinal on 18 Feb '12 by the then pope, Benedict XVI. His visit to Rome, for being anointed Cardinal, coincided with the arrest of two Italian marine officers on board the Enrica Lexie who shot and killed two Keralite fishermen. While in Italy, during his interaction with the Italian paparazzi, he appealed to the Indian government not to take any hasty decision on the two marines.
The irate Indian press had even questioned the Cardinal's loyalty to his country at that juncture! Consequent to the controversy, he'd to issue clarifying press statements.
He is the Cardinal-Priest of the Catholic St Thomas Christians. In other words, he's the head of the Syro Malabar Synod and the archdiocese of Ernakulam and Angamaly.
He has been accused of selling prime lands of the church at undervalued prices causing losses to the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese. Following the orders of the Kerala High Court, he, along with three other priests, have been charged by the police under these sections of the IPC and investigations have commenced:-
(a) Sec 120(B) Criminal conspiracy.
(b) Sec 416 Criminal breach of trust.
(c) Sec 415 Cheating.
The Cardinal is the first accused.
There are moves to help him out of it by his supporters, through a counter petition in the High Court's division bench, saying that the cardinal is above all these because of his position in the church's hierarchy! What poses as a great challenge to this move is that there is a sizeable section among the priests of his diocese who wants him to resign and undergo the process of law!
The court had to intervene because the government is playing it safe to save its electoral interests among the church's followers.
My take.
The Cardinal has unnecessarily got into a muddle and the onus is upon him to clear his name by going through the normal process of law. What I can't understand is as to why he was carrying out petty issues of land dealings, which should have been handled by the appropriate people under him, while he concentrated purely on episcopal duties!
Tailpiece.
It was a Comedy of Errors. I'd gone, along with the AM, to our panchayat to hand over the application for exemption from house tax. On return, while I was paying the auto rickshaw driver the fare, I'd placed my cellphone on the seat and forgot about it while getting off. I'd walked straight into the eye clinic to show my left eye that had a problem and to ascertain the doctor's mind about contributing to the proposed hard surfacing of the private road in front of our buildings. Three things took place simultaneously:-
(a) A rickshaw driver, who'd had dropped a patient, told me the number of the auto rickshaw that
we'd come by. He further confirmed that my instrument was in the vehicle.
(b) The registration formalities had begun but an attendant sister took down my number saying that
she'd contact the auto rickshaw driver by calling on it.
(c) The AM also got into the process of calling up on my number.
Anyway, with the collective help that I got from all quarters, I could retrieve the instrument easily but hats off to the auto rickshaw driver for observing the registration number of the vehicle that I was dropped by. I looked for him but couldn't express my gratitude.....he was long gone.
When Leadership is Pointed a Finger At.
I'm talking about the scam that has rocked the Syro-Malabar church and therefore, would like to go a bit behind in time. Bishop Mar George Alencherry was elevated to being Cardinal on 18 Feb '12 by the then pope, Benedict XVI. His visit to Rome, for being anointed Cardinal, coincided with the arrest of two Italian marine officers on board the Enrica Lexie who shot and killed two Keralite fishermen. While in Italy, during his interaction with the Italian paparazzi, he appealed to the Indian government not to take any hasty decision on the two marines.
The irate Indian press had even questioned the Cardinal's loyalty to his country at that juncture! Consequent to the controversy, he'd to issue clarifying press statements.
He is the Cardinal-Priest of the Catholic St Thomas Christians. In other words, he's the head of the Syro Malabar Synod and the archdiocese of Ernakulam and Angamaly.
He has been accused of selling prime lands of the church at undervalued prices causing losses to the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese. Following the orders of the Kerala High Court, he, along with three other priests, have been charged by the police under these sections of the IPC and investigations have commenced:-
(a) Sec 120(B) Criminal conspiracy.
(b) Sec 416 Criminal breach of trust.
(c) Sec 415 Cheating.
The Cardinal is the first accused.
There are moves to help him out of it by his supporters, through a counter petition in the High Court's division bench, saying that the cardinal is above all these because of his position in the church's hierarchy! What poses as a great challenge to this move is that there is a sizeable section among the priests of his diocese who wants him to resign and undergo the process of law!
The court had to intervene because the government is playing it safe to save its electoral interests among the church's followers.
My take.
The Cardinal has unnecessarily got into a muddle and the onus is upon him to clear his name by going through the normal process of law. What I can't understand is as to why he was carrying out petty issues of land dealings, which should have been handled by the appropriate people under him, while he concentrated purely on episcopal duties!
Tailpiece.
It was a Comedy of Errors. I'd gone, along with the AM, to our panchayat to hand over the application for exemption from house tax. On return, while I was paying the auto rickshaw driver the fare, I'd placed my cellphone on the seat and forgot about it while getting off. I'd walked straight into the eye clinic to show my left eye that had a problem and to ascertain the doctor's mind about contributing to the proposed hard surfacing of the private road in front of our buildings. Three things took place simultaneously:-
(a) A rickshaw driver, who'd had dropped a patient, told me the number of the auto rickshaw that
we'd come by. He further confirmed that my instrument was in the vehicle.
(b) The registration formalities had begun but an attendant sister took down my number saying that
she'd contact the auto rickshaw driver by calling on it.
(c) The AM also got into the process of calling up on my number.
Anyway, with the collective help that I got from all quarters, I could retrieve the instrument easily but hats off to the auto rickshaw driver for observing the registration number of the vehicle that I was dropped by. I looked for him but couldn't express my gratitude.....he was long gone.
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