Mumbai:
Parish priest Fr Xavier D'Souza of St Teresa of Child Jesus Church, Airoli, currently in a spot for allegedly beating a nine-year-old boy for not doing his homework, seems to be in no mood to offer any explanation for the untoward incident. Every attempt made by DNA Navi Mumbai on Tuesday to get his version on the incident was stonewalled and resisted vehemently by the priest. After tracking the priest through the day, DNA Navi Mumbai eventually did manage to come face-to-face with Fr Xavier on the church premises last evening, all he offered to say in response to every query was 'No Comments'. Even as our reporter asked him to give his side of the story, he briskly proceeded to his personal space in the church premises and stayed cooped up inside till our team left the church.
Meanwhile, the priest's reluctance to speak on the issue and the parishioners going hammer and tongs against him, have cumulatively added up to a disturbing incident for leaders of the Christian community in the city. "Both, the priest as well as the aggrieved members are from the same community. What could have been sorted out internally by going through the proper channel, has been blown out of proportion and the community's dirty linen is being washed in public," said a priest from a Vashi church, who requested not to be named. Maintaining that the physical attack on the child was wrong, the priest said that the parents and the parishioners could also have been more discreet in getting redressal instead of going all-out to publicise the act.
Supporting this view was Bishop Angelo Gracias of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bombay. He said that the priest has privately apologized for his misdoings and regretted his course of action, but has chosen to remain silent publicly in the wake of the strong backlash. "He is regretful for his behaviour. About the demand for retribution, the issue will be presented before the Archbishop, who will advise on the appropriate course of action," Gracias said.
Copyright restricted. Under license from
www.3dsyndication.com