From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Apr 5: Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Bernard Moras, who has just returned from Rome after attending the Eighth Plenary Session of the Pontifical Council for Health at the Vatican, took time off from his busy schedule to visit the Parappanaagrahara Central Jail on Saturday morning to meet the Bangalore Archdiocesan priest Fr William Patrick, who had been recently arrested by the Bangalore police, in connection with the brutal murder of the Rector of St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary at Malleswaram last year.
Fr William Patrick, who was serving as the Parish Priest of the Kengeri Church, another Carmelite priest Fr Elias Daniel and their accomplice Peter, had been arrested by the Bangalore city police on March 21 in connection with the ghastly murder of the 62-year-old Rector of the Seminary, Fr K J Thomas, on the night of March 31-April 1 last year, and have been subsequently remanded to police custody.
Fr Elias Daniel belonged to the Religious Order of Carmelities and had also served as the Councilor of the Provincialate.
The Archbishop has issued an official circular letter to all priests, brothers, sisters and lay faithful late in the evening after holding a meeting of the Archdiocesan College of Consultors meeting in the evening with the information that he along with the Karnataka Provincial of the Order of Decalced Carmelites (OCD) Fr Archibald Gonsalves and three of his priests had visited the Central Jail in the morning to meet the arrested priests.
'' We were as much sad and pained as they were. It is really unfortunate that they are there,” the Archbishop said in his circular letter and explained that, ''The main purpose of writing this letter is to appeal to all concerned priests, religious and lay faithful to keep calm and to pray earnestly that all involved in the murder of Fr K J Thomas are nabbed and punished.”
''No innocent persons in any way are to be harmed or to be punished. I want the truth to come out in the interest of the Church, the Seminary and the Archdiocese. Let the truth prevail and set us free,” the Archbishop said.
Pastoral Consultation on Apr 10 Cancelled
The Archbishop also announced that the College of Consultors felt that the Pastoral Consultation scheduled to be held on April 10 be cancelled ''as the present atmosphere is not conducive to hold the Pastoral Consultation.” However, he said the Chrism Mass scheduled to be held on that will be celebrated at the St Francis Xavier Cathedral at 5 pm.
''In this Year of Reconciliation, as we come closer to the Holy Week. may the Passion and Death of our Lord strengthen all of us and may the Peace of Christ reign in the hearts of all and in the Archdiocese of Bangalore,” Archbishop said appealing ''all the parish priests, heads of religious communities and institutions, and the faithful to hold special prayers, Eucharistic adoration, Rosary recitation and do acts of charity that the Good Lord may help the truth to come to light at the earliest, and also help us experience peace and harmony in the Archdiocese.”
''Let the truth triumph,” the Archbishop said.
The Archbishop also said that, ''I am accused by a section of priests and the faithful that the Archbishop used his influence to arrest these priests, and that he is trying to take revenge on those who are fighting for the Kannada cause,” and clarified that, ''It is totally false and baseless.”
''As announced earlier in my circular, I was away in Rome from March 23 onwards and returned to Bangalore only on April 4 morning. Today April 5, along with Fr Archibald Gonsalves, Provincial Superior of the Carmelites and three of his priests, I visited the central jail and met Fr William Patrick and Fr Elias. We were as much sad and pained as they were. It is really unfortunate that they are there,” he said and pointed out that, ''All of us have been praying, not only for the repose of the soul Fr K J Thomas, but also that the perpetrators of the murder of Fr K J Thomas may be nabbed and truth may come to light.”
''Besides the Board of Bishops of St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, there have been demands from the family of Fr K J Thomas and the public to the Chief Minister, Home Minister and to the Police Department, to speed up the investigation and to nab the culprits, as the murder of Fr K J Thomas has wide implications, not only on the local church, but also on the universal Church and the community at large,” he said pointing out that it was ''The investigation team called back Fr William Patrick, who was on pilgrimage, for investigation. The investigation team held a Press Conference on 21.03.2014 and announced the action it has taken by arresting the two priests and a lay man to conduct further investigation.”
Visit to Rome Fixed in Nov 2013, Vatican Decided Shimoga Bishop
The Archbishop further disclosed that his visit to Rome to attend the Pastoral Health Care Meeting was decided as early as in November 2013, when the meeting was fixed and that the air ticket was booked months ago. ''It was wrong to connect my recent going to Rome and the events that took place subsequently,” he said also explained that ''the announcement of the new Bishop of Shimoga on March 19 is a coincidence. The date for such announcement is fixed by Rome and not by anyone else.”
He further said ''There was also an accusation against me that I have sent a large section of priests on a pilgrimage by spending lakhs of rupees to win them over on my side. The request came from the priests themselves to give them a Diamond Jubilee gift by organizing a Pilgrimage to the places of St Paul’s missionary journey. This proposal was discussed and approved at the College of Consultors’ Meeting held on November 18, 2013, and a team comprising of Msgr C Francis, Very Rev Fr A S Anthony Swamy and Very Rev Fr Edward David was constituted to arrange this pilgrimage for the Archdiocesan priests in two batches.”
''I am also accused, at times, by some sections of people (priests and faithful) that I have handed over to the police investigation team the letters written to St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary or to me. When the investigation team asks for such letters and correspondence, I don’t think any one has any choice except to provide them with all information and correspondence to facilitate the investigation,” he said.
Archbishop, Provincial had Applied for Bail to Arrested Priests
It may be recalled that the Archbishop had taken steps to apply for bail for the arrested priest of the Bangalore Archdiocese by engaging a lawyer of the Archdiocese. The Carmelites Religious Order had also engaged a lawyer to apply for bail for its arrested member. However, the bail plea was rejected.
''The priest belongs to the Bangalore Archdiocese. It is my duty as the Archbishop and shepherd of the Archdiocese to take steps to protect my flock,” Archbishop Moras had said, making it clear that, ''As Chairman of the Governing Board of the St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary to urge the law enforcement authorities to investigate the cold-blooded murder of the Rector and see that those guilty of the heinous crime are brought to book. But at the same, I am firm in my conviction and belief that innocent persons should not be punished.”
''However, the investigation into the murder of the Rector is entirely the responsibility of the police,” he had said pointing out that he had met the State’s Director General of Police Lalrokhuma Pachau as well as the Governor H R Bhardwaj besides taking up the issue of expediting the investigation with Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister K J George on different occasions.
The Archbishop of Bangalore had asserted that he was deeply worried and perturbed by the gruesome murder of a scholarly and mild-mannered priest like Fr K J Thomas, who had endeared himself to his fellow-priests and seminarians due to his erudition, inside the seminary campus as he was repeatedly being asked by persons in authority in the church and the faithful as well as other Bishops, Priests and religious sisters.
Though the Catholic faithful and many organizations had been holding candle-light vigil and other pressure tactics to urge the Bangalore City Police and the State Government to expedite the investigation into the murder of the Rector inside the seminary campus itself, which is less than a kilometer away from the Yeshwanthpur police station, bus and railway stations, the family members of the deceased Fr K J Thomas had filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking a CBI probe into the murder.
According to informed sources, the Kannada Catholic Yajakara Balaga, which had recently organized a press conference to claim that the arrested trio, including two priests, were ''completely innocent” and that the arrests was part of the conspiracy hatched by the Archbishop and Home Minister K J George to nail the Kannada Catholic priests, have planned dharna and other demonstrations before the Archbishop’s House on Sunday and also during the Pastoral visit of the Archbishop to Varthur to participate in a pre-arranged programme.
It is, however, not clear whether the planned demonstration would actually take place as there is tight security at the Archbishop’s House.
The Kannada Catholic Yajakara Balaga had also demanded a CBI probe into the murder.
Full Text of the Archbishop’s Circular:
''Development regarding the murder of Fr K J Thomas, the former Rector of St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary:
At the College of Consulters Meeting held on April 5, 2014 at 4 pm, it was decided that I send the following information and clarification regarding the recent developments after the brutal murder of Fr K J Thomas, the former Rector of St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Bangalore.
A year has passed by after the murder of Fr K J Thomas on April 1, 2013. All of us have been praying, not only for the repose of the soul Fr K.J. Thomas, but also that the perpetrators of the murder of Fr K J Thomas may be nabbed and truth may come to light.
On the day of the murder, the then Police Commissioner had announced of setting up a few police teams for the investigations. From then on, they have been intensely doing their job to find out the various reasons and causes for the murder.
Besides the Board of Bishops of St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, there have been demands from the family of Fr K J Thomas and the public to the Chief Minister, Home Minister and to the Police Department, to speed up the investigation and to nab the culprits, as the murder of Fr K J Thomas has wide implications, not only on the local church, but also on the universal Church and the community at large.
The investigation team called back Fr William Patrick, who was on pilgrimage, for investigation. The investigation team held a Press Conference on 21.03.2014 and announced the action it has taken by arresting the two priests and a lay man to conduct further investigation.
As announced earlier in my circular, I was away in Rome from March 23 onwards and returned to Bangalore only on April 4 morning. Today, April 5, along with Fr Archibald Gonsalves, Provincial Superior of the Carmelites and three of his priests, I visited the central jail and met Fr William Patrick and Fr Elias. We were as much sad and pained as they were. It is really unfortunate that they are there.
I am accused by a section of priests and the faithful that the Archbishop used his influence to arrest these priests, and that he is trying to take revenge on those who are fighting for the Kannada cause. It is totally false and baseless.
Here, I would like to make it clear to all concerned, specially priests, religious and lay faithful, that, as Chairman of the Board of Bishops, I have been demanding a speedy investigation of the murder of Fr K J Thomas. In no way I am involved directly or indirectly in the arrest of any one, much less the priests. I will never want, at any time, that any innocent person to be punished. I am prepared to suffer rather than take revenge. May the Lord judge those who accuse me falsely and baselessly, and mislead the innocent faithful and the general public.
My going to Rome for the Pastoral Health Care Meeting was decided in November 2013, when the meeting was fixed. My ticket was booked months ago. It was wrong to connect my recent going to Rome and the events that took place subsequently.
Similarly, the announcement of the new Bishop of Shimoga on March 19 is a coincidence. The date for such announcement is fixed by Rome and not by anyone else.
There was also an accusation against me that I have sent a large section of priests on a pilgrimage by spending lakhs of rupees to win them over on my side. The request came from the priests themselves to give them a Diamond Jubilee gift by organizing a Pilgrimage to the places of St Paul’s missionary journey. This proposal was discussed and approved at the College of Consultors’ Meeting held on November 18, 2013, and a team comprising of Msgr C Francis, Very Rev Fr A S Anthony Swamy and Very Rev Fr Edward David was constituted to arrange this pilgrimage for the Archdiocesan priests in two batches.
I am also accused, at times, by some sections of people (priests and faithful) that I have handed over to the police investigation team the letters written to St. Peter’s Pontifical Seminary or to me. When the investigation team asks for such letters and correspondence, I don’t think any one has any choice except to provide them with all information and correspondence to facilitate the investigation.
The main purpose of writing this letter is to appeal to all concerned priests, religious and lay faithful to keep calm and to pray earnestly that all involved in the murder of Fr K J Thomas are nabbed and punished. No innocent persons in any way are to be harmed or to be punished. I want the truth to come out in the interest of the Church, the Seminary and the Archdiocese. Let the truth prevail and set us free.
In this Year of Reconciliation, as we come closer to the Holy Week may the Passion and Death of our Lord strengthen all of us, and may the Peace of Christ reign in the hearts of all and in the Archdiocese of Bangalore.
At today’s meeting of the College of Consultors, the members also felt that, as the present atmosphere is not conducive to hold the Pastoral Consultation, it could be cancelled. Hence, the scheduled Pastoral Consultation to be held on April 10 is hereby cancelled. However, the Chrism Mass will be celebrated at St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral at 5 pm
May I appeal all the parish priests, heads of religious communities and institutions, and the faithful to hold special prayers, Eucharistic adoration, Rosary recitation and do acts of charity that the Good Lord may help the truth to come to light at the earliest, and also help us experience peace and harmony in the Archdiocese. Let the truth triumph.
With every good wish and God’s blessings,
Yours sincerely,
Bernard Moras
Archbishop of Bangalore"