Large number of priests of the Church of South India (CSI) who had attended an annual retreat last month in Munnar have reportedly tested positive for the Wuhan Virus.
As of now, two of the priests have died and five others are in serious condition. Among them are CSI moderator and Bishop of South Kerala Diocese Rev A Dharmaraj Rasalam, who is in-home quarantine.
The annual retreat cum conference of priests and community members was held from April 13 to 17 at CSI Christ Church in Munnar despite requests for postponement in view of the pandemic.
Those members who had said this meeting should be canceled were warned of disciplinary action if they failed to attend.
Jacob Mathew, secretary of Church of South India Trust Association and member of the Joint Christian Council, alleged that “The annual retreats of Central Kerala Diocese and Kochi diocese were also scheduled last month and they were postponed due to a surge in Covid cases. But CSI South Kerala held the retreat secretly at Munnar without informing the government. As per the government instructions, only 50 people are allowed in a conference. But here all safety guidelines went for a toss,”.
However, T T Praveen, secretary of South Kerala Diocese of CSI, said “The retreat was organised adhering to protocol and we had got permission from the government. It is true that some of the priests have tested positive. But it has been proven that the infection was not spread from that conference. Two priests died due to the various diseases they had been suffering from. It is evident that it is the propaganda by anti-CSI lobbies to defame the Church, which is going to hold polls in the coming months,”.
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