By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi: A 31-year-old Catholic priest has died by suicide in the eastern Indian state of Odisha.
The body of Father Pradeep Soreng was on July 4 found hanging from an iron rod in a bathroom attached to his room in St. Vincent Minor Seminary in Gopalpur-on-Sea, some 175 km southwest of the state capital of Bhubaneswar.
He was buried July 5 after completing autopsy and other legal formalities in the seminary cemetery in the presence of his family members from Sundargarh district.
Soreng was ordained a priest on February 23, 2020, in the Congregation of Mission, or the Vincentians.
When he failed to appear for morning Mass and breakfast on July 3 other residents of the seminary went in search of him.
“They found his room locked from inside and there was no response to the calls and knocks. So, they informed the police,” a priest, who did not want to be named, told Matters India.
The police broke open the door and found the priest hanging from the iron rode in the bathroom, he added.
Madhavandand, a police officer, said they have registered a case of unnatural death. The body was sent to a government hospital in Berhampur for autopsy. “After the post-mortem, the body was handed over to the in-charge of the seminary,” he added.
The police have reportedly seized a suicide note from the room.
According to the priest, Father Soreng was suffering from depression for some time.
However, he had dinner with others in the seminary on July 3 and “nobody ever imagined he would take such a cruel step,” the priest said.
According to other Church sources, Father Soreng faced a Vatican probe into some allegations against him.
He was temporarily posted at the minor seminary because of the Covid-19 restrictions.
While the congregation tries to find out what led Father Soreng to take such a step, Father Ajay Singh, a lawyer of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese, stressed the need for grievance mechanism in dioceses and religious congregations.
“It is true the young priest has committed suicide,” he told Matters India and added, “I don’t know the priest and reason leading to end his life.
If the authorities concerned and the priest’s friends were of aware his mental condition they should have handled it better, Father Singh added.
“Moreover, we need to recognize the need of accompaniment of counselors to handle stress, trauma and conflicts although quite difficult and delicate. Quite sad end,” he added.