By Matters India Reporter
Guntur, June 23, 2020: Police in Andhra Pradesh have launched a probe into the death of a Catholic priest, an alleged case of suicide because of loneliness and depression.
The 50-year-old Bala Showry Reddy, the vicar of Kolakalur parish under the diocese of Guntur diocese, was on June 20 found hanging from the ceiling fan in the presbytery.
Diocesan chancellor Father Madhu Balaswamy said the police, in presence of priests, parishioners and the priest’s family members, broke open the door and took down the body, Later, it was sent for autopsy.
The body was buried his home parish in the presence of Bishop Bhagaiah Chinnabathini and 50 priests from the diocese.
Family members and local people also attended the funeral.
The police recovered a knife from his room after found wound marks on his body, apparently to kill him first by stabbing.
The death was discovered by the catechist, who came to prepare for the Sunday Mass on June 21. He found the priest hanging and informed the diocesan authorities and others.
The chancellor said Father Reddy had celebrated the silver jubilee of his priestly ordination this year.
The priest also stayed at his home for two months during the Covid-lockdown and returned to the parish after the government relaxed lockdown rules.
The police also recovered a note in the handwriting of the priest in Telugu language where he speaks of loneliness.
“We feel that he took the extreme step under loneliness or depression and nobody in the diocese knew about it,” Father Balaswamy added.
The police have sealed the presbytery and collected the blood samples, knife and other evidences. “We will come to know exact reason how he died only after the completion of police probe,” the chancellor added.
Claretian Father Johny Kattuppara, who first discussed the death in social media platform, described Father Reddy as a mild mannered social worker and spiritual guide.
Father Kattupara told Matters India that when he contacted Bishop Bhagaiah Chinnabathini of Guntur, the prelate told him that they “are doing everything possible to cooperate with the family and police” to find out the truth behind his death.
The prelate has asked his three vicars general, the priest’s family and the police department “so that maximum information could be gathered to help understand the reason behind this death,” Father Kattupara explained in his note posted in a network of lawyers who are priests and nuns.
Even as he tries to probe the death, the bishop “has also asked the family of the deceased to take time and raise anything that appears to be suspicious, so that fair enquiry could be carried out to their satisfaction,” the Claretian priest added.
Father Kattupara also said that people in Guntur have told him that Father Reddy was both in pastoral and social works. He had got many projects for the diocese as well as for the religious congregations to help the poor and needy.
Meanwhile concern was raised in Church circles over the increasing number of Catholic priests dying in mysterious circumstances.
Two days after Father Reddy’s death, the body of another priest was found in a well in parish compound in Kerala, southern India.
Father Thomas Ettuparayil, priest-in-charge of St Thomas Church Punnathura under the Archdiocese of Changanacherry, was missing since June 21. His body was found on June 22 after a search involving the Kerala police and Fire Force department along with parishioners.
On October 11, 2019, Father Mahesh D’Souza of Udupi diocese in Karnataka diocese was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room in Shirva in Udupi district. The 36-year-old priest was serving as assistant parish priest of Our Lady of Health Church and the principal of Don Bosco School attached to the parish.
Increasing reports of priest suicides and clergy sexual abuse cases have prompted the editor of the Indian Currents weekly to call for a review of seminary formation and monitoring of the life of priests at work places.
“A few things need unadulterated attention of the hierarchy – a relook at the protracted training imparted in seminaries and formation houses; a review and monitoring of the life of priests at their work places; and heed to the feedback from the ground and act upon it,” Capuchin Father Suresh Mathew, wrote in the weekly’s latest edition.
Eighteen years ago my parish priest phoned me at 3 a.m. threatening to jump from the school roof. I convinced him to wait till morning when I took home cooked food for him (he had not eaten for several days) and then got him admitted in a hospital under the care of a doctor friend. It probably saved his life. However, I did come to know that he was hard on the bottle and was also having an active sex life. He was then sent to rehab, of which I have documentary evidence. I would not like to say more at this point. But I do believe that the then bishop lacked the guts or gumption to deal with the situation.
Priests thought of themselves as indispensable for salvation. Covid has taught them that they are not so.
How can we look up to priests as spiritual gurus if they themselves are so susceptible to sociological changes like quarantine?
The CBCI CPCI can no longer remain mute spectators. There is a growing pattern. These are not isolated instances.
What a solution ! Marriage solves all problems ! We shall recommend this to Modi and Rahul also
Can we not analyse “ suicide “ in a broader way ?
End strict Celibacy to let those of our brothers and children who chose Priesthood, but later wish to marry and lead a family life.