NCW suggestion on confession practice sparks row, Kerala Church body complains to PM Modi
Thiruvananthapuram, July 27 (IBNS): The National Commission for Women (NCW)'s recommendation to abolish the practice of confession in churches to prevent sexual exploitations of women in the wake of reports of rapes in the southern most state by priests, has sparked a row with the Kerala's top Catholic Church body writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and protesting the idea.
In its letter, the body said that they believe the Commission made the remark with the motive of spreading tension and religious unrest among the minorities.
"We believe that the motive of the Commission is to spread tension and religious unrest among the minorities and to create division and polarization among people for political gains," the Kerala Catholic Bishop's Conference said in a letter to PM Modi as reported by NDTV.
"We strongly protest this unbecoming move from the part of a person in a responsible position of the Government," the letter said.
Submitting its report on the Kerala church sex scandals, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has recommended that the government should abolish the practice of confession in churches as it may lead to blackmailing women and threaten their safety and security.
NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said the commission has sought a probe by a central agency into the two Church sex scandals in Kerala that surfaced last month. One of the scandals (read rape over a period) involved four priests of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the second one the Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakka.
“We have recommended a probe by a central agency into these scandals because such incidents are on a rise in Kerala. An investigative agency should probe into these matters. They should go deep into it to see how many churches are involved in these incidents,” Sharma said.
The commission which has prepared a report on the scandals after meeting the victims is sending it to the Home Ministry and copies of it to Kerala and Punjab governments.
“We have recommended that confession should be abolished from the church. It is being misused by the priests. Many women are suffering. Women cannot share their private life with priests,” Sharma told The Indian Express.
The Bishop of Jalandhar was accused by a nun in Kottayam district of Kerala of raping her on several occasions between 2014 and 2016. The nun filed a complaint with the police on June 27.
In another incident, four priests of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church have been accused of sexually exploiting a married woman allegedly by blackmailing her making use of the secret confession she made to them on separate occasions.
Image: Internet Wallpaper/Creative Commons
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