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.”