Priest welcomes 'meeting' of RSS and Christian leaders

Kochi, Jan 7: A senior Catholic priest in Keralaon Thursday, Jan 7 welcomed a meeting of RSS and Christian leaders, which was reportedly held last month.

Father Paul Thelekkatt, former spokesperson of the influential Syro-Malabar Church and Editor of Church-run publication "Sathyadeepam", said in a democratic country one cannot proclaim a group to be against anyone and go on indefinitely.

"Personally I do welcome the proposal....," he said here today days after the reported meeting between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Christian leaders as part of a plan to reach out to the community. RSS leaders reportedly held meetings with Christian leaders on December 17 in New Delhi.

"I believe that the RSS is ready to dialogue with Christians and not to impose anything on the Christians but to listen to the followers of another religion and to create a better atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation and thus to grow together as equal citizens of this country," Thelekkatt said.

The priest, who still articulates Syro-Malabar Church's position on various issues including politics and religion, said, "uniqueness of Christianity cannot be compromised with; however we as Christians are committed to this culture and this tradition. "

The identity of Christianity is its universal humanism which is winged humanism where love of God becomes love of any and every man who irrespective of time and space, caste or creed is son or daughter of God.

We will be missionaries of this humanism which must some way deconstruct the Indian culture and way of life," he said.

PTI