By Jose Kavi

New Delhi: The editor of a Catholic weekly in India, who took the initiative to keep track of deaths among priests and nuns due to Covid-19 in the country, says the findings have shocked him.

“I am shocked at the huge loss to the Church in India,” says Capuchin Father Suresh Mathew, who on May 22 released the latest list of deaths among priests and nuns.

The list shows that the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has so far claimed 181 priests and 166 nuns.

India has more than 30,000 priests, both diocesan and religious. The nuns, on the other hand, are around 103,000 – nearly three and a half times the priests’ number.

So, the death toll is comparatively much high among the priests.

In the list, 87 priest deaths came from 45 of India’s 174 dioceses. The archdiocese of Trichur with 9 deaths topped the list, followed by Bangalore archdiocese and Guntur diocese with four each.

Among the religious, 94 deaths were reported from 26 of 399 congregations, with the Jesuits topping the list with 36, followed by Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 8 and the Society of Divine Word 7.

Among the nuns, the Missionaries of Charity reported 14 deaths, the highest.

Father Mathew says he started collecting the details in early April after he started receiving news about the deaths of many priests and nuns.

“From my past experience, I know we do not bother to collect the statistics. So, the list is my contribution to the Universal Church,” he told Matters India.

The 49-year-old priest said he also wanted to know the reasons of the Covid deaths among priests of his age. “Many who died were below 50,” he pointed out.

Asked what the official Church has done to monitor the deaths, Father Mathew said he was aware of Father Jervis Fernandes, deputy secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), asking bishops and major superiors to share the information of Covid cases. He also said he was not sure what the Conference of Religious India, the national body of heads of the religious congregation, has done.

“Anyone with professionalism in administration or leadership can collect the details without any delay, provided those who hold responsibilities share the details,” the Capuchin priest, who edits one the popular and bold magazines in India.

He could prepare the list, which he says is not complete, after great efforts. In early May he sent out a tentative list of priests to bishops and major superiors and others with a request: Kindly contact me with the missing details or errata if any.”

He has revised the list several times since then. He then started working on the list of religious women.

Although the deaths pain him, he believes they were the will of God. “When we see with the eyes of God they are in heaven,” he says.

At the same time, “questions also need to be raised regarding the reasons. Were these casualties caused by human errors?”

The priest says at least a few cases are human errors.

“Many died while they were in their active ministry. We have cases of sisters who got infected while on hospital duty. Priests who conducted funeral services of Covid deaths got infected,” he explained.

According to him, many priests, who worked in remote areas died because they had no access to better hospital care. “Had they been in cities such as Delhi or Mumbai, they would not have lost their lives,” he says.

According to many priests and nuns lived and died in rural areas. “They worked among the poor who had no access or could afford multispecialty hospitals. They died like the people for whom they lived,” he adds

At the same time, he knew some cases of priests getting infected because of carelessness.

“Many priests and religious are reluctant to wear masks, keep social distance, or use sanitize. We still continue without observing proper Covid protocols. We have taken life lightly,” he regrets.

He also points out many believe there is nothing wrong with getting sick and presume they would get better in a few days. “Call it arrogance or ignorance, we are not serious about Covid protocols even after hearing about the deaths of so many priests and religious.”

According to him, many priests are now reluctant to take vaccines. “Life is God’s property gifted to us. Destruction of our life by negligence is a grave matter. Please take care of oneself and others,” Father Mathew pleads.