Police spoil move to vandalize Cathedral| Cathnews India

Police spoil move to vandalize Cathedral

Published Date: March 11, 2010

Tags: cathedral attack, church vandalize, Hindu radicals

Police spoil move to vandalize Cathedral thumbnail

A file photo of a demonstration of Hindu radicals

Christians in Satna, central India, expressed relief after police thwarted today an attempt by some Hindu radicals to vandalize the Catholic cathedral in the city.

Some 60 people came in a procession to Satna diocese’s St. Vincent Cathedral around 5 pm but the police prevented them from entering the church complex, Father Joseph Kodakallil, diocesan vicar general, told UCA News.

The crowd shouted some anti-Christian slogans and burned an effigy on the road before dispersing after 30 minutes.

Hindu radicals planned to burn effigies of Church people inside Cathedral today to protest the Church’s alleged conversion activities, said some newspapers in Madhya Pradesh.

The media also reported of Hindu radicals’ plan take out a mock funeral procession before burning the effigies.

“We feel relieved since no untoward incident has happened,” said Father Kodakallil, who is also the cathedral parish priest. He said the police had advised him and his assistant priest not to appear before the crowd.

The parish priest also said the media did not reveal who had issued the threat, but the reports mentioned the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (world Hindu council) and Bajrang Dal (the party of the strong and stout) as behind the threat.

“The threat was a serious and the Church could not take it lightly. So, we sought police protection for the cathedral,” he said and added the Church submitted separate complaints to top police and civil officials in Satna district demanding protection for the church and action against those behind the threat.

Father Kodakallil said the officials had promised to protect the cathedral.

The media reports said the Hindu radicals were upset over a Christian marriage that took place in May 2009 that they alleged was a case of conversion.

However, assistant parish priest Father Jolly Konnukodan said the Church has not conducted the marriage of anyone from another religious community as the media alleged. Such reports, he regretted, creates confusion and tarnish the Church’s image. He demanded a “fair probe” to identify mischief mongers.

The priest also expressed relief the police presence prevented the crowd from vandalizing the church. The young priest dismissed the Hindu threat as “well orchestrated strategy” to target the Church for doing “good work” among the poor.

Source: UCAN

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