‘Schools are being closed down while bars are sprouting’

The situation in Kerala is so pathetic that schools are being closed down and new bars are coming up, said Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) president Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath.

The archbishop was delivering the presidential address at the annual general meeting of the  Kerala Catholic Council, at the Pastoral Orientation Centre (POC), here on Tuesday. The Kerala Catholic Council is the general pastoral council of the Catholic Church in Kerala.

“If the government is really concerned about  the welfare of the people, the authorities should take steps to reduce the availability of liquor.

The situation in Kerala is so pathetic that schools are being closed down and new bars are being opened,” Mar Thazhath said.

KCBC Temperance Commission chairman Sebastian Thekethecheril presented a draft of the  guidelines.

Jose Kallarakkal presented a paper on the recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil-headed Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report.  KCBC secretary general Archbishop Thomas Mar Koorilos, vice-president Archbishop Francis Kallarakkal, M R Joseph, Liju George Ghosh Yohannan and Mary Regina spoke. Syro Malankara Church head Baselios Cleemis, who was elevated to the post of a cardinal recently, was accorded a reception at the meeting.

A wooden statue of St Mary and a copy of the Holy Bible were presented to Cardinal Cleemis by the Syro Malabar Church head Cardinal Mar George Alencherry.

Addressing the gathering, Cardinal Mar Cleemis said that with a strong base in the Indian culture, he would take steps to create unity among the Christian churches. The draft of the guidelines on anti-liquor activities and recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil Committee report will be discussed at the KCBC meeting which will be held on Wednesday and Thursday.

The KCBC’s 20 commissions and 23 departments would present their reports at the conference which is being attended by the around 35 bishops from three major Catholic denominations in the state.