Vizhinjam Port...

 

Good morning, archbishop.

Wish and pray that you are fine along with the priests and people of our diocese.

You need to be appreciated for seemingly in control of the Presbyterium last time, especially when the Vizhinjam Port Agitation issue came up. Reading the mind of the presbyterium rightly, you suggested for a detailed evaluation on it led by a team, headed by the Director of the Fisheries Ministry, which in no way should personally be interested and involved in it and proposed the date for 2nd July.

Considering the gravity of the matter, you communicated rather unusually by an e-mail from your personal mail on 21st followed by a letter n. 2024/AB/384 dated 22nd June, 2024 received on 27th… inviting the clergy for a meeting on ‘Vizhinjam issue’ (the Vizhinjam Port agitation issue).

In this context, i feel rather compelled to bring certain things to your notice, especially after the failed agitation and two years of your child steps in episcopacy.

The last presbyterium showed clear signs of your getting weaned away from those who act on behalf of the bishop, rather the ones seemingly remote control him! In spite of our ‘call’ and ‘ordination’ we are all humans. Even the Popes don’t claim infallibility anymore. ‘Errare humanum est’, that is, to err is human. People and priests are generous enough to forgive our errors, but not the ones committed by those interested persons who act on behalf of the bishop, who seemingly remote control him. You, being new to episcopacy and struggles of this kind and nature, seemingly were not informed enough to lead the agitation on the mighty Vizhinjam Port.

The Port didn’t come unaware as a bolt from the blue! And our diocese was sufficiently informed and involved from the very beginning, though the parish of Vizhinjam somehow had its own stand, many a times contrary to that of the diocese. To this day, the diocese could not win them over and that had its repercussions in the diocesan initiatives and involvements, including the miserably failed 140 days agitation…

Vizhinjam Port was a flagship project of the UDF Government and given to the globally rich and highly influential Adani and thereafter owned and supported by the successive LDF Government besides the BJP Union Government. The way you and your team conducted it, the other communities on the ground took a hostile stand always at loggerheads with the agitating people at Mulloor, the Port site. Here, you seemed to have forgotten of Jesus' teaching on the possibility of having to confront a stronger enemy in Lk 11:31-32!

The unjustifiably and unnecessarily protracted agitation ended up badly in the trap the Government through it police laid, provoking our people to crowd uncontrollably resulting in charging with cane, pelting stones, wounding priests and people and charging them with cases of criminal conspiracy and other serious offences, not even sparing you and the auxiliary and shaming the diocese for ever. As if these were not enough, the two FCRA accounts of the diocese and the TSSS along with a dubious single person account were said to have been freezed!

You have disillusioned priests and people who were looking for a change for the better. As a seminarian and young priest i and others who knew you, you have undergone unbelievable changes ... This seemingly started happening since you became an Assistant at the Cathedral Parish and your studies at Loyola and later in Rome and your association with the kitchen ‘cabinet’ of the former bishop. [However, my only concern was whether i have scandalized you with my open (personal) life of which you were privy to and over which I was not regretful.  For me the gospel values are what matters vis-à-vis that of the church which is to safeguard its institutional and hierarchical interest of comfort and 'security' which Jesus denounced categorically for his disciples (Mk 10:42ff).]

Now, after having missed an opportunity at becoming an auxiliary, somehow you managed to become the archbishop! You don’t seem to learn things even after two years but depend still upon the VG for anything and everything even to the extent of side-lining the auxiliary seemingly having enough experiences with your predecessor. Without slightest thought for the reasons the former bishop might have had for sending his long serving VG to the CBCI, you pulled him back abruptly! It’s a talk of the town that you are an archbishop 'de jure', while the said VG is the 'de facto' one.

The diocese is paying its heavy price for your leading, rather jumping into the quagmire of not properly thought out, planned, equipped and protracted agitation against a mighty Adani Port with the full support of both the ruling and  opposition front of the state and the ruling BJP of the Union Government besides all the other communities on the ground.

As if this unheard of humiliation to the diocese was not enough, you let yourself personally and thoroughly humiliated by the people of Thazhampally on the cemetery issue there! Even Jesus could respond the one who dared to slap him (Jn 18:22-23). And your demeanour and silence seemed to be a confession of guilt, if not moral bankruptcy! 

For further reflection:

-           When the Colachel Port, which came up almost in the same period, could be resisted effectively and packed up, why did we fail, though we had necessary experience in organizing struggles against the governments even?

-           What was the urgency to start the agitation without necessary and effective consultation, preparation and planning?

-           Did you ever consult the statutory bodies like the Senate of Priests, Pastoral Council or at least your College of Consulters on this?

-           Did we ever assess our strength and weakness and that of our opponents, namely the State Government supported by the Opposition even, the Union Government and the very Adani?

-           Organizing an agitation of this nature, did we ensure the support of the people around and other so many stake holders?

-           The stand of the people on the ground, namely Vizhinjam Parish, speaks volumes on the poor co-ordination of parishes by the diocese.

The protracted and miserably failed Vizhinjam Port agitation signalled a personal, pastoral and moral defeat for you. Besides the proposed evaluation on the Vizhinjam Port agitation, it is highly necessary and imperative that you evaluate your episcopacy to set things right for your moral standing, the sanctification and welfare of the people of God in Trivandrum and the greater glory of God.

Thank you,

Pancretius/ 01.07.2024