Villagers Seek Action against Parish Priest

The Hindu
May 6, 2015

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/villagers-seek-action-against-parish-priest/article7175140.ece

Villagers thronging Tuticorin Bishop House on Tuesday.— Photo: N. Rajesh

A large number of people from various coastal villages across the district thronged Tuticorin Bishop House on Tuesday.

The villagers,led by S. Maharajan, president, Tharuvaikulam panchayat, met Rev. Fr. Yvon Ambroise, Bishop of Tuticorin Roman Catholic Diocese, and sought action against Fr. William Santhanam, parish priest of Punnaikayal, who was placed under suspension. Mr. Maharajan said a memorandum was submitted to the Bishop in this regard.

Fr. Santhanam allegedly assaulted Fr. Vasanthan of Kudankulam Parish in April last year. Earlier, Fr. Santhanam was the parish priest of Shrine Basilica, Our Lady of Snows, and after the incident he was transferred to Punnaikayal even before his tenure at the Basilica was over. It was unjust and unfair that the fellow priest came under attack, the villagers said.

Hence, the Bishop should enforce the suspension order passed by the Roman Catholic Ministry, Rome, promptly and should not revoke it under any circumstances, they said. People from 14 coastal villages thronged the Bishop House here.