By Jessy Joseph
New Delhi, March 25, 2020: A Catholic priest, who has won awards for revolutionizing the healthcare scenario in Maharashtra, now awaits the Vatican response to his appeal against dismissal from a Kerala-based religious congregation.
The Missionary Congregation of Blessed Sacrament (MCBS) superior general Father Joseph Maleparampil through a March 8 circular informed his men that Father Thomas Kariyilakulam was dismissed with the Vatican congregation’s sanction.
The circular does not mention the reason for the dismissal, but upholds the priest’s right to appeal to the Vatican.
Father Kariyilakulam, popularly known as Father Tomy, told Matters India on March 20 that he has appealed the Vatican congregation as the dismissal is “totally misleading.”
MCBS Superior general Father Maleparampil and provincial Father Dominic Mundatt have ignored requests from Matters India for clarifications on the matter. They have even refused to acknowledge the emails.
Meanwhile, Father Kariyilakulam’s former colleagues and associates told Matters India over phone that his dismissal was sad and the result of jealousy and superiors’ obstinacy.
Several MCBS members associated with Father Kariyilakulam have refused to talk on the matter saying their superiors have imposed a gag order.
The 54-year-old priest, an MCBS member for the past 30 years, has been directing Bel Air Hospital at Panchgani, a Red Cross Society of India institution, since 1994.
The 200-bed hospital with 400 staff situated at a hill resort in Maharashtra, some 245 km southeast of Mumbai, caters mainly to HIV/AIDs patients. The campus has a secondary school and a nursing school, all registered under an MCBS trust.
“I believe the reason for his dismissal is his superiors’ difficulty to recognize the goodness in Father Tomy,” says Father Benny Thomas, director of Tellicherry Social Service Society, who worked in the Panchgani hospital as a project manager and counseling in charge from 2006 to 2013.
According to Tellicherry archdiocesan priest, the patients and staff in the Panchgani hospital revere Father Kariyilakulam as a god.
“You can dismiss someone because of sheer obstinacy. But what is done to Father Tomy is utter lack of knowledge about the mission work and the need to witness Christian faith in a region where Christ is least known,” Father Thomas told Matters India.
He says thousands of HIV infected people “are still living just because of Father Tomy’s concern and dedicated work.”
Father Thomas also dismissed as fabricated the MCBS superiors’ allegations of fund misappropriation by Father Kariyilakulam. “There is no proof that he has taken money from the hospital. The accounts are well audited by the Red Cross auditors and no one can take money without proper receipts,” he added.
Another person to express shock over the dismissal is Sister Lourdu Mary Nagothu, who served as the principal of the nursing school in Panchgani from 2011 to 2018.
“It is unfortunate that the congregation has dismissed such a qualified and dedicate priest. It is unfair and the result of personal differences against a good missionary priest,” she told Matters India on March 23.
According to the member of Jesus, Mary and Joseph congregation, Father Kariyilakulam “stands for justice and does not get frightened by anyone.” She said she has learned from him how to take impartial decisions, being just to everyone.
She also considers Father Kariyilakulam as an asset to the Church as he is simple, devout and committed whom others could approach at any time. “However, straightforward people who questions will not be accepted these days,” she added.
According to the decree of the dismissal, the MCBS general administration decided to oust Father Kariyilakulam on July 18, 2019, and the Congregation for the Eastern Churches in Vatican has confirmed it on February 17. The provincial received the Vatican confirmation decree on March 7 from the Apostolic Nunciature and gave it to Father Kariyilakulam the next day.
The dismissal is seen as the outcome of a tussle between Father Kariyilakulam and the provincial, who had worked in Maharashtra.
“I had to oppose some of his decisions that were detrimental to our mission in Maharashtra,” Father Kariyilakulam explained.
The congregation’s main grouse against the priest is his refusal to accept his transfer to a center in Kerala. The superior’s say they transferred Father Kariyilakulam in 2018 in accordance with the congregation’s rules that stipulate against a person staying in a place for a long period of time.
Father Kariyilakulam says he could not accept the transfer as the congregation had failed to respect its contract with the Red Cross Society that insists the congregation find a replacement acceptable to it.
After the Red Cross Society refused to relieve Father Kariyilakulam, the congregation filed a case against it in the Bombay High Court.
The society refused to talk to Matters India about the issue saying the matter is in the court.
Father Kariyilakulam says the superior general has misled the Vatican citing his absence from the Kerala center as an indication that he had left the congregation on his own.
He says the canon law and the congregation’s statutes allow dismissal if a person illegally absents from a house with the intention of withdrawing from the power of the superiors.
“I have never been absent from my congregation or my religious duties,” he asserted and added that his transfer order has been disputed as the Red Cross Society had not accepted it.
Father Kariyilakulam says he has no intention to cling to the present job for the entire life. In a letter addressed to all his conferrers, he noted that his 25 years work has given the congregation the right over a healthcare institution that now costs millions of rupees.
“The Bel Air Hospital has won the national award for the best hospital. Our nursing college has been recognized as the best in the country by the Indian Nursing Council,” his letter notes.
The Catholic priest’s work with the Bel Air hospital has prompted the Maharashtra government to entrust him with other healthcare institutions in the state.
The hospital was visited by the state’s governor and chief minister earlier in the month. The opening of the new hospital is scheduled for May 8.
Father Kariyilakulam alleges that the controversy arose because of his provincial’s illegal and merciless actions. “I have become the symbol of a movement to save the MCBS congregation,” he asserts.