Debate on over Catholic Church properties

Debate on over Catholic Church properties

New Delhi: A debate in whether church properties in India should be governed by the government. Some leading figures from the community demanded a law at the recently held All India Catholic Union Conclave. But, the bishops are not ready.

The Catholic Church in India owns the largest chunk of non-agricultural land, and is known as the second largest employer after the Government of India.

It's annual budget equals that of the Indian Navy but the Catholic community has been asking where is the money and where is the transparency?

Their recent conclave in Goa discussed the tangle.

"All over the world churches are subjected to the law of the state. There cannot be a state within a state. Religious organisations cannot form a state within a state," says Catholic leader and former Union minister Eduardo Faleiro.

But, the shocked clergy are not in a mood to change their system. They claim that the demand is absurd and allows government interference.

"If you have a Waqf Board you are giving too much control to the government. That will add to large scale corruption as we have seen where ever government has been in control of religious properties and institutions either in Islam or even in Hindu temples," claims Catholic community leader Dr John Dayal.

The Catholic Church in India is over 500 years old and has total control over its assets across the country.

Some Catholics feel the bishops are not the right people to handle properties worth several lakh crores. But so far, the government has kept quite on the row.