Indian Bishop Backs Catholic as Candidate for Communist Party

The Catholic Herald (UK) ^ | 1/25/21 | Ferdie Rous

[marshmallow]

The Bishop of Palakkad, Jacob Manathodath, has courted controversy after recommending a Catholic as a candidate for the Communist Party of India (CPI) for an election in Kerala.

In his letter, dated 11th January, to Kanam Rajendram, the CPI State secretary, the bishop demanded the candidature of Isaac Varghese, a local industrialist for the upcoming elections for Kerala’s 140-seat legislative assembly.

“Mr Isaac Varghesse who has applied to you for animation to contend the election for the Legislative Assembly constituency of Mannarkkad is a prominent and respected member of our community,” he wrote.

“He will therefore get our support. He therefore has a good chance of winning the election. Hence I gladly recommend his application for your favourable consideration.”

Manathodath’s letter has been perceived as a breach with church doctrine which prohibits the support of communist parties, linked as they are to atheism.

In comments to AsiaNews, Fr Paul Thelakkat, a former spokesman for the Syro-Malabar Church, spoke out against clergy involving themselves in politics.

“It is not good for a bishop or a priest to show public support for a political party. This is contrary to the secular nature of democracy. Furthermore, it is always good to keep a healthy distance from political and religious parties,” he said.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

The Kerala Province has almost always been a Communist stronghold in Indian politics since the mid 50s or so.

That a Catholic Bishop would nominate someone to run as a CPI candidate is not surprising given that there is a Marxist Pope and many of his aides are of the same ideology.

[Wuli]

The Left now owns so much of academic Catholicism (and academic Protestantism as well) and from it arrives so much of the priesthood today that if many Catholic clerics would not profess to be card carrying Communists is what would be surprising, to me.

[Zionist Conspirator]

The "indigenous" chrstians of Israel traditionally voted for the Israeli Communist party, and kept Nazareth under a Communist mayor for years.

It's also the native chrstians among the Arabs who tended to Marxism; for example, the Greek Orthodox George Habash, founder of the Communist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Like Jews in Europe and America decades ago, it is the chrstians in the Middle East who feel alienated from their societies and turn to Marxism.