Mumbai Catholics call off hunger strike against corruption 

Published on: 2:10 am, April 9, 2016 Story By: mattersindia.com

Mumbai: The two Catholic laymen undertook a six-day hunger strike to protest what they alleged was corruption in the Church.

Rupesh Gomes and George Miranda on Friday drank juice and ate some food at the Door of Mercy at Holy Name Cathedral in downtown Colaba.

They began the fast on Sunday. The duo was on a fast unto death at Mount Mary’s Basilica in Bandra where the Door of Mercy was closed since Wednesday, reported mid-day.com.

Archie Sodder from Association of Concerned Catholics who has been supporting the fast said, “The Archbishop’s House promised us that they will call us and address the issue we have in seven days. Rupesh and George were fed by the mothers and called off the fast at the Door of Mercy at Holy Name Cathedral.”

The group was joined by Catholic Residents Organisation for Social Service and more than 100 Catholics who sat outside the Bishop’s House since 11 am. “We have all come together to ask Cardinal Oswald Gracias to look into our concerns and put an end to the corruption in the church.”

Fr K T Emmanuel, secretary to Cardinal Gracias, assured the protestors and said, “Write your grievances and in seven days the cardinal will call a meeting and address them.”

The group was not satisfied with that and started a campaign on change.org asking Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, to help end the alleged corruption in the Archdiocese of Bombay. The petition received 50 signatures within 12 hours of being posted online.

“Many of our supporters are senior citizens and not so technologically savvy. We have almost 200 signatures in our offline petition. The signatures will only increase in the days to come,” claimed Robert D’Souza, a parishioner of St Joseph’s Mira Road a supporter of the campaign.

Bandra’s Mount Mary’s Basilica witnessed high drama on April 6 when the authorities closed its “Door of Mercy” after a group of protesters gathered to fight corruption and mismanagement by church authorities. Three protesters said they were on a fast unto death strike.

Several Catholics who had come to pass through the “Door of Mercy” to gain indulgences had to go back disappointed. “We were taken aback at the closure,” said Wilma D’souza Shirke and her family from Good Shepherd Church, Four Bungalows, Andheri.

Like Shirke, Tomazinho Pinero who had come along with his family said they came because the children had a school holiday. “The other Door of Mercy is at Holy Name Cathedral in Colaba. We live at Malad, so that is a real distance. We were only able to pray in the Church. I hope God shows us mercy, we wanted to walk through the Door.”

A notice on the Bandra Church’s Door of Mercy said it was temporarily closed.

Gomes and Miranda were among 15 people who sat by the door of the church.

Sodder alleged corruption in the management of Mount Mary’s. “Nobody knows what happens to the jewelry and saris that are donated to the Church.

Gomes, who was put on drip on April 5, said their strike was not for publicity, but for “a just casue.”

Fr. Aniceto Pereira, vice-rector of Mount Mary’s Basilica said they closed the door because the protestors caused inconvenience to people.

Auxiliary Bishop Agnelo Gracias of Bombay described the fast at a shrine as a shame. “They should have had it at the Bishop’s House. We are ready to dialogue with them. The fast is not the best way to get their demands met. The Archbishop was willing to meet them on Thursday evening, but they did not come. We will not yield to pressure in any way.”

You may also like...

2 Responses

  1. francis says:

        Holy Father

    You are the tree and cardinal bishops are trunk and we are branches.Then why we lay people rights are not considered by Mumbai church

    From last several years I am fighting for transparency in Funds collected by Church .Mumbai Church is full of news about land selling to builders,demanding donations,Not giving  records of fund collected

       Why Holy Father instead of giving instruction does not come heavily on those who go against Church teachings.Why we are tutored like child that God is merciful and we can go on sinning  The first trunk part that will crack is Mumbai archdiocese.

       My Church Nativity of Lord kandivali east Mumbai collects building fund of rs two lacks from public every month .The priest refuses to give balance sheet showing where cores from last seven years or more kept .We want to know which banks hold this money .We want expenditure /income details from start of fund.This father has completed five years then why he is not transferred .Should I believe their are God Father?Our Church is closed full day on Monday ,No mass.Why one assistant not given to this church as we have seven hundred families.

    The contribution to fund is volantary but they hane made cumpolsary by closing nose saying no minority/baptism /mariage certificate be given unless latest reciept of contribution to fund is shown

       Holy father has to act against Arch bishop  as my letters fall on deaf ear

  2. Isaac Gomes says:

    This is the attitude (that of Auxiliary Bishop Agnelo Gracias of Bombay) which clearly lays bare the teeth and iron claws hidden in the kid gloves of the Clergy of the Indian Church.

    While at the recently concluded CBCI Plenary Session at Bangalore, all the 180 Bishops adopted (vowed) the pious statement that "dialogue is the crying need of the hour and was essential in solving problems affecting the  society", here we have Bombay's high-nosed Auxiliary Bishop Agnelo Gracias who in his ego says "We will not yield to pressure in any way.” 

    Bravo rhino-skinned Archbishop, you have exposed yourself (the king's new clothes) by dishonouring your own and that of 179 other bishops' statement while at the same time trumpeting the Year of Mercy! Bravo!!

     

     

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.