AICU against government intervention on church property

Whatever may be the demand of a section of Indian Christian community regarding the necessity of a law to govern church properties, the All India Catholic Union (AICU) is not ready to heed to this. On the contrary it stated clearly that the Christian community in India rejects government intervention in religion “in any form and in any guise”. This was said by AICU while responding to media reports of a seminar held in Goa last week, speakers there had called for a law to govern church properties that would be enacted in consultation with the church.

Speaking on this John Dayal, AICU official spokesman, said, “There is no question of government control on church and community properties.” He also said since AICU represents the Catholic laity in the country, he was representing the general thought.

What’s more, as indicated by John Dayal, holding property by the church is guaranteed under Article 26 of the Constitution and the properties are “more than adequately covered by the law of the land” and hence there can’t be any dubiousness. “The provisions of the Indian Penal code are more than adequate to investigate and prosecute rare cases of corruption and adequately oversee all aspects of the church’s interaction with the state in matters of finance and properties,” said Dayal.

Commenting on the situation in Goa, the AICU spokesman said the Catholic church in Goa has, “modern, detailed and foolproof written regulations which guarantee transparency and responsibility in temporal transactions in great detail”. Terming the controversy that erupted after the seminar as uncalled for, Dayal said, “the suggestions and allegations are based on misinformation and disinformation, they do not help in the security and nurture of the Christian community as in the final analysis they only subverse the agenda of communal and sectarian forces.”

It is hoped that this statement will subside all qualms. But, if it is not, the government may face greater problems.