WHY BISHOPS GO BERSERK?

Recently I read a news item in Deccan Chronicle entitled "Church assets need protection " written by Mr. J. STALIN that appeared in the Chennai edition dated 19-01-2011.

Now-a-days most of the CSI Bishops are engaged in looting money that belonged to the Christian community as a whole. As executive heads of the churches Bishops have their own authoritarian regime.

In early days, American and British missionaries either got as gift or purchased lands for a noble cause - to build churches and educational institutions. These lands are now in prime locations in major cities. Now-a-days, bishops either 'sell' these lands or build (from the money offered as "காணிக்கை") shopping complexes and rent them. This they do in the name of 'raising funds' for the diocese. From the selling and renting they illegally 'pocket' crores of rupees, the money should actually go to the respective diocese that should ultimately benefit the Christian community as a whole.

Bishops are greedy too. They have also started 'grabbing the lands' of Church independent Christian institutions either in the name of 'dioces'ing or under the umbrella of minority rights.

Many schools and colleges are now being targeted by the bishops just for the sake of their properties. These atrocities of bishops are possible because "the Christian community have thousands of crores of rupees worth property and assets, which are outside the regulatory control of any law". Note that there is NO NEED TO AUDIT THE ACCOUNTS. Hence it is possible for the bishops to 'manipulate' accounts and swindle money.

The news item that appeared in DECCAN CHRONICLE would throw light on Madurai-Ramnad CSI Bishop Christopher Asir's motive behind the move to 'illegally' take-over The American College.

- peakay

Church assets need protection

Deccan Chronicle, Chennai, 19th Jan 2011.

"The Christian community in India Catholic and Protestant have thousands of crores of rupees worth property and assets, which are out side the regulatory control of any law.

The community has practically no say in the administration of these huge wealth/assets, which are being squandered and misappropriated by the priestly class," argues JCAC, a body of leading people who wish to see such misuse being ended.

Lord Jesus Christ had said, "My Kingship is not of this world" (John 18:36).

This meant that His disciples and their successors should keep away from the temptation of `temporal wealth'. But, today, Christianity is in grave crisis as there are several litigations alleging misappropriation of funds and attempts to grab church properties. Rising to the occasion, eminent personalities like judges, lawyers and bureaucrats demand formulating a separate law like Muslim Wakf and Sikh Gurdwara Acts, to pro ect the properties and finances of Indian churches.

Foreign missionaries and the forefathers of Indian Christians purchased landed properties in the name of churches, educational institutions, trusts, hospitals and orphanages for the noble cause of doing service to society. As a result, various educational institutions, hospitals and orphanages flourished and were doing yeoman service to the nation. Almost all Christian congregations own properties in every metropolitan city and town in India.

According to advocates P.T. Perumal, E. Edwig and V. Varghese, who are handling cases relating to church properties, "With so much wealth under their control and with no effective mechanism to monitor them, the heads of Christian organisations are allegedly tempted to dilute those properties. As a result, litigations pile up based on allegations of corruption, forgery and misappropriation. Recently, a bishop of a Christian congregation was put in jail. Violent incidents and law order problems were created in a bishop's headquarters in Tiruchy in a group fight over sale of properties."

Justice K.T. Thomas, a former judge of the Supreme Court, former IAS officers L.M. Menezes and M.G.

Devasahayam, former Kerala minister N.M. Joseph, Major Joseph Victor, president, CSI Laity Association, Bhaskar Benny, president Indian Christian Party, Andhra Pradesh, and others have formed a Joint Christian Action Council (JCAC).

The JCAC held its first convention meeting on `Protecting Church Properties and Assets' in Chennai on Nov. 20, 2010, in which Catholics, Lutherans and Christians belonging to the Church of South India, representing Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Puducherry, participated.

According to JCAC, "The Christian community in India Catholic and Protestant have thousands of crores of rupees worth property and assets, which are outside the regulatory control of any law. The community has practically no say in the administration of these huge wealth/assets, which are being squandered and misappropriated by the priestly class".

Muslim Wakf and Sikh Gurdwara Acts, enacted under Article 25 of the Constitution, were protecting the properties and assets of these minorities without government intervention. Article 26 of the Constitution permits religious denominations to own and acquire moveable and immoveable property and administer them in accordance with law.

Christianity was the only religious community that has no law to protect its properties, the JCAC added, and passed a resolution, appealing to Parliament and state legislatures to enact a suitable law to protect the properties, assets and institutions of Christian churches.

It also entrusted with JCAC the task of drafting a model bill to be submitted to the authorities and pursue other means if the law is not formulated in time. A copy of the resolution was sent to the President, Prime Minister and Union law minister.

Mr Devasahayam and Clement Selvaraj, JCAC members from Chennai, said Mr Devasahayam received a copy of the communication from the President's Secretariat, forwarding the petition to the Union home ministry stating that the petitioner would be informed of the action taken, after intimation to the President's Secretariat.

When attempts were made to get comments, CSI bishop V. Devasahayam was unavailable, according to CSI office, and Dr A.M. Chinnappa, archbishop of Madras-Mylapore, could not be reached over phone.