Achuthanandan's remark most unfortunate: Cardinal

Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, C.SS.R.

Function: Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, India

Title: Cardinal Priest of San Bernardo alle Terme

Birthdate: May 29, 1927	Country: India

Elevated: Feb 21, 2001	More information: www.catholic-hierarchy.org

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Achuthanandan's remark most unfortunate: Cardinal
Jul 12, 2006
Taking a strong exception to Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan's remark that Christian religious leaders were making money running educational institutions in Kerala, Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithyathil Monday said the comment was most unfortunate.

Kochi (Kerala), July 10 (Indo Asian News Service) 'The chief minister's statement was most unfortunate. He has questioned a fundamental right of ours and it was not proper on his part to make such statements,' the cardinal told reporters here.

Achuthanandan had Sunday told reporters here that the Christian religious leaders should think about the common man rather than only making money by running educational institutions.

The chief minister was reacting to the Christian leaders' opposition to a new law to regulate the professional colleges - many of them run by them.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) Monday decided to send a team to meet the prime minister, president and the National Minority Commission to put forward its views on the new law passed by the assembly last month.

The KCBC feels that the new law violated the fundamental rights of religious minorities guaranteed by Section 30(1) of the constitution.

The KCBC represents the Zero Malabar, Latin and the Malankara Catholic denomination communities who together account for more than 50 percent of the Christian community in the state. Christians account for 22 percent of Kerala's 32 million population.

In a related development, the Kerala High Court said that it would give its verdict Wednesday on a petition filed by the association of professional engineering colleges challenging the new law.

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