A church stands rigid to its rules, despite protest by Chopra.
By Sreekanth A. Nair
Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra may not quite agree with the notion of Kerala being ‘God’s own country.’ A church in the state denied burying the body of her grandmother citing that she was not a member of the church.
The St. John Attamangalam Church at Kumarakom in Kottayam district that belongs to the Jacobite Syrian community refused to bury the body of Mary John, maternal grandmother of Priyanka. The church authorities said that they couldn’t allow the burial as she failed to renew her membership at the church, reported First Post.
They also pointed that Mary’s marriage with a Hindu also didn’t permit them to allow her burial. This charge was dropped later when the family informed the church that Mary was a practicing Christian despite her marriage with a Hindu man and also she had received Holy Eucharist a few years back at the same church.
After completing a nursing course in Kerala, Mary John went to Bihar to find a job and married a Hindu man called Dr. Akhouri.
Priyanka Chopra and her family members had flown down to Kerala along with the body of Mary in expectation of burying the body in the St. John Attamangalam Church. But they were about to go back to Mumbai when it seemed impossible to bury the body at the church.
When the issue got media attention, understanding the helpless situation of the family, the bishop of the Kottayam diocese of Jacobite Syrian Christian Church Thomas Mar Themothios intervened and arrangements were made to bury the body at the cemetery of another church at Ponkunnam, that comes under the same diocese.
But, in a shocking twist, Thomas Mar Themothios was suspended by his synod for violating the rules of the community. Later, a higher Bishop revoked the order suspending Themothios.
Later, Chopra herself came down heavily on the practices of churches denying basic rights of human beings.
But the church denied the allegations. “All are equal to us. We do not go by the fame or financial might of the individuals. We would ensure equal justice for all,” said Shins Mathew, the church secretary.
For many people, who go out of the state to find a job, it is very difficult to get the body of their relatives buried in the churches in Kerala. This practice is common among Malankara Syrian, Orthodox factions.
1 Comment
high handed bitch CHOPRA is out of her place passing comments on the church. No you cant go there demanding your dictats be done. since your family is hindu why not follow those rites and shut up for once you dirty nasty whore.