Chennai: Dalit Christian bodies in Tamil Nadu have reiterated their demand for appointing priests from the communities to the posts to bishops in the southern Indian state.
The office of bishops in five dioceses and one archdiocese now lies vacant in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry; point out groups such as Dalit Christian Liberation Movement (DCLM).
The groups made their demand during a virtual meeting on October 7 with the president of the Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council and Archbishop of Madurai Antony Pappusamy.
The Dalit groups pointed out the lack of representation of Dalits in the hierarchy, particularly among bishops. DCLM president M. Mary John said although Dalits form more than 50 percent of the Catholic population in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, only among the 18 dioceses of the Latin Catholic rite in Tamil Nadu has a Dalit as bishop.
Arguing that the first appointment of a Dalit as bishop happened only in 1993, to the Vellore diocese after considerable pressure from Dalit Christian movements, John said three more were appointed and one was elevated as archbishop in the next 12 years.
“However, even this marginal progress towards equitable representation has been reversed in the last 15 years as there has not been even a single Dalit among at least eight bishops and archbishops appointed during the period,” John bemoans.
He said the situation was similar across the country. Although Dalits are a majority among Catholics in India, only 11 of the roughly 170 bishops are Dalits, he said. The organizations want Dalits appointed to all five vacancies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. They appealed the TNBC president to take up the issue with the Apostolic Nunciature to India and Rome.
“We are only asking for the implementation of what has been said in the Catholic Church’s Dalits-related policies,” John explained.
Besides DCLM, the participants included National Council Of Dalit Christians, National Dalit Christian Watch, Viduthalai Tamil Puligal Katchi and the Christian People’s Forum.
Source: The Hindu