Letter to the editor – Rev. Thamphu’s letter to the CM of Kerala with a request not to allow immediate opening of churches
Varghese Pamplanil
What an eye opener, the letter (posted on 1st June 2020 in Church Citizen's Voice) of Dr. Valson Thambu to the Chief Minister of Kerala on the subject of opening of Christian Churches for congressional prayer. But rest assured, those pretending to be asleep will not open their eyes; they are afraid to look at the sun, least it’s rays blind them.
The eyes of the clerics of Syro-Malabar Churchare riveted to the wallets of the believers, whom to them are mere brainless “SHEEP”, (in fact most of them seem to deserve the name “sheep”). Let there be thunder or lightening, cyclones or hurricanes, deluge or draught and let anything may happen to the credulous, the CHURCH CASH COLLECTION BOXES SHOULD RESONATE WITH THE TINKLING OF PETER’S PENCE, NAY RS.2,000 DENOMINATION GANDHI PROFILE RESERVE BANK NOTES. Even forged notes are okay, since the “anointed” can turn them to be genuine ones, by sprinkling “holy water”.
The Church seems be insatiable for the “blood of the innocents”, euphemistically called “martyrs” to quench its thirst. The wordings of the "Missal” for the Syro-Malabar laity gives emphasis to this aspect.
Until Mithraic practices took total control of Christianity, the focal point of the Christian worship, was the sharing of food in a communal meal.Then on, the ecclesiastical resorted to cheating the worshippers by dispensing to them, the thinnest and smallest wafer as communion.
A few suggestions by this writer, who firmly believes that he is neither a sheep nor a buffalo, particularly, never a swine, are given under:
1. Children below the age of 10, and adults above the age of 65 should never be allowed to participate in the Mass or other prayers. Also persons having acute medical conditions such as cardiac problems, hypertension, diabetes, in short PHD qualified, should be barred from attending any church service.
2. At the entrance of the church, instead of the so-called holy water, soap dispenser and sufficient water and paper napkins should be provided; all should be made to wash their hands, in the prescribed manner,scrupulously before being admitted inside the church.
3. Everyone before entering the church, should be subjected to thermal scanning and those found with body temperature above the prescribed limit should be turned away.
4. It should be ensured that everyone including the celebrant of the mass should wear suitable masks during the entire period of the service.
5. Every worshipper should be provided with kneelers.
6. At all times, social distancing as per the norms of ICMR should be maintained.
7. Eucharist wafers should be placed in advance at convenient places for the consumption of the worshippers.
8. The duration of the Catholic mass in the UK and USA even on a Sunday, lasts maximum half-an-hour. In view of Covid-19, no church service shall exceed 20 minutes.
9. Everyone in the churches over there, lines up in orderly manner, for receiving Communion one by one. In the Syria-Malabar churches, on the contrary, worshippers rush like swines (at the sight of food) pell mell. Under the proposed arrangements, at least for some more months, the stampedes will not be there, hopefully.
10. At the alter, in addition to the usual accessories, alcohol-based sanitiser should kept and used regularly.
11. All the churches should be closed on Wednesdays as in UK.
12. No water dunking a.k.a of infants; no first holy communion (sic ); no auricular confession; and noSunday catechism class hence forward.
13. Always be aware, the Church is for thepeople, andnot people for the church.
14. Under the new arrangement the brokers for God will be unemployed with less cash, “kyakarega, Bahai ?”
15. If the recommendations above are not adhered to, the final trip of the believers to the PURGATORY will be hastened.
AMEN.
Varghese Pamplanil
