A Catholic man has alleged that his church has been making efforts to block his son’s marriage which is to be conducted in Ollur St Antony's Forane Church, Thrissur because he had filed a case in court against the church for using firecrackers.
Thekkiniyath Raphael had approached the court in 2014 stating that the high-decibel fireworks being organized as part of the church feast will damage his house. Later Supreme Court allowed the church to use fireworks as it was a part of long tradition.
However, Raphael again approached a lower court later claiming that his house was damaged by fireworks. The case is still pending, but it is now being alleged that the church is arm-twisting the family into withdrawing the case.
Raphael’s son Sanju Raphael in his recent Facebook post has raised serious allegations against Assistant Bishop. Sanju’s Facebook post :
Few dialogues by Assistant Bishop of Thrissur Arch Diocese.
"First you withdraw the case. After that we will consider about marriage. If you don't withdraw the case, your family will not be able to live peacefully. Once you withdraw the case, people might Celebrate and burst firecrackers in front of your house and might throw few crackers inside your compound. You don't need to respond. Church can't conduct fireworks with the help of normal people like you. Church needs goons to conduct fireworks. So we support them."
Meanwhile processions were conducted by parishioners against the family conducting the wedding in the church.
Sanju also said that initially there were eight other families who were affected by fireworks but the church threatened them into withdrawing the case.
“We never filed a case for stopping fireworks. We just asked high court to make sure that they are being used by the Supreme Court guidelines,” Sanju writes.
Sanju also said that the wedding will be conducted without any compromises, and that it was the church authorities who are instigating the parishioners against him.
But the church denied the allegations and told The News Minute that they have not put forward such a demand to conduct the wedding.
“His case and solemnization of marriage is no way related. We will willfully celebrate their marriage in Church. But we had requested them to withdraw case in compromise talks but neither put a demand nor compelled them and that was not related to marriage,” the parish Priest Fr Noby said.
People in the locality even held a protest against the family recently, demanding that the wedding should not be allowed in the church.