Attack on St. Alphonsa Church shameful : Belthangady Bishop

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Nov 5, 2011: Retired Rev Lawrence Mukuzhy, the bishop of Belthangady Diocese, told reporters at St. Alphonsa Catholic Church in Kankanady on Friday that the attack on the church has “not only shattered our psyche, but also demoralized our feelings.” He also said that it is a “shameful act to Constitution of India.”

Expressing his unhappiness regarding the incident, he said that this is the first such incident reported in the church’s 23-year-long history. Besides demanding legal action to be taken against the accused, the bishop has also sought protection for the church.

 

Fr. Shibi’s Statement

 

Fr. Shibi Puthiyara, the assistant parish priest of the church, who was the eyewitness to the event, recalled the incident and said that he was in the dining room with a few students from the hostel when a stranger walked in. When questioned, he ran toward the church hall and began damaging the statue of Jesus Christ. When he raised the alarm, the stranger ran into the sacristy, removed his clothes, and began wearing a piece a white cloth kept near the altar.

Further, the priest said that the stranger was arrested shortly afterwards and his clothes, footwear, and wallet were seized.

Fr. Shibi also expressed his opinion that the stranger appeared to be acting, and not inebriated, because he tried to avoid the reporters who were trying to get his photographs.

In the Police Station
Mangalore Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said that interrogation has not revealed any new details because the accused is in an inebriated state. He has been identified as Shibu alias Subbu (24) of Jalligudde, who works as a conductor on Route No. 5.

Mr. Singh said that, since the accused was in an inebriated state on Friday too, the police produced him before the magistrate and sought police custody of 5 – 7 days for more interrogation. The police are trying to find out why he attacked the church and whether he acted on his own or was instructed by someone else.

Mangalore Bishop’s Statement
Terming the attack as a “deplorable act,” Bishop of Mangalore Diocese Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza said that when Christians live in harmony with people of other faiths, attacks on Christian institutions disturb harmony.

Urging people to maintain peace and harmony, he said that no arrests have been made and no action taken against miscreants although churches, convents, schools, and places of worship have been attacked several times in the past.

Janardhan Poojary Condemns Attack
Janardhan Poojary, who visited the church, condemned the attack. He stated that showing disrespect to any religion or community is condemnable and that the government should urge the police to speed up the investigation and arrest the culprits at the earliest possible. He also said that the accused should not be granted bail.

Flaying the state government for its apathetic attitude toward the Somashekar Commission, he said that if the government had taken action right at the beginning, such incidents would not have been repeated. He urged the police to protect all temples, churches, and mosques from anti-social elements.