The Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Gandhinagar on Tuesday wrote a letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel seeking “immediate and stringent action” against a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader and organisers of an event at Kadi for “insulting the Pope and religious personnel”.
Citing and attaching a purported video clip of “hate speech” by a VHP leader in Kadi of Mehsana district, Archbishop Thomas Ignatius Macwan stated in the letter, “The speech is obnoxious and shameful as it denigrates the person of the Holy Father Pope Francis, with wild accusations against his character and integrity… He has also cast aspersion on the integrity of the nuns and priests who have been doing yeoman service to humanity irrespective of caste, creed or religion in Kadi-Unteshwari since many years…”
Demanding action, the Archbishop stated, “We want you to book the said VHP leader and the organisers of the event in Kadi for inciting the people by organising such hate campaign and take stringent action against these hooligans.”
Catholic Church of Gujarat spokesperson Father Vinayak Jadhav said, “The VHP event was held this week at Unteshwari village of Kadi taluka… the villagers informed that it was a trishul diksha programme.”
The letter also cited incidents in two schools in February, when “unruly elements caused ruckus and put the church personnel under great physical and mental risk”. The schools cited are St Mary’s School Amreli and St Thomas School Mahuva…
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