Miffed at alleged irregularities by the church in Marinagar land deal, residents take to the streets; will lead a morcha to the bishop's office today
Why are people leaving the Church? Is the Church corrupt?
Abroad: Sex scam. Mumbai: Land scam THAT'S only a sampling of slogans that residents of Marinagar, a Catholic colony in Mahim, will carry today when they take a morcha to the Bishop's office in Colaba.
Residents are against alleged irregularities in a land deal (see box) involving their colony. They said they suspect the involvement of higher Church authorities.
The protest may be the first such in India where Catholic laypersons have decided to protest against the clergy.
Nod from up above?
"We understand such a deal could never have gone ahead without the approval of the Bishop's House," said Marinagar resident advocate Arcanjo Sodders.
Sodders said that for over 10 months, residents had been seeking details of the land deal between the Bishop's House and Rajan Thomas of Suraj Estate Developers Pvt Ltd.
Last straw
Residents said they had personally met senior leaders of the Catholic Church in Mumbai.
"We tried to seek a solution within the Church. When I met Bishop Agnelo Gracias, I told him that bishops were | The Other Side | | BISHOP Agnelo Gracias said the parish priest of
St Michael's was the signing authority for any such deal. "In this case, the signing authority was the former parish priest, late Fr Nelson Mascarenhas. The residents can go to the charity commissioner to get details. I believe the power of attorney to redevelop Marinagar is given to Rajan Thomas
(of the real estate firm)."
As for publishing information about Church property deals in The Examiner, its editor,
Fr Tony Charanghat said, "I can carry an advertisement if someone sends it. I think you should ask this to the properties committee under the Diocesan Estates Office." | supposed to be above board," said Vincy Nazareth, another Marinagar resident. "But he rudely asked me who had told me so and said they were above board. That's when we decided this was the last resort for us."
Remote control?
Residents told MiD DAY that all decisions were taken by the Archbishop's House which controls the St Michael's Church Trust and that the parish priest of the church was just a signing authority.
"There are moves to make the parish priest a scapegoat. It seems the bishops will blame him and then transfer him," said a Marinagar resident who requested anonymity. "If the bishops are innocent, why have they chosen not to react despite several emails sent to them?"
What's the big deal?
RESIDENTS of Marinagar, an exclusively Catholic colony in Mahim (West) had written to the church authorities that advertisements calling for tenders for development of lands were never advertised in 'The Examiner', the official publication of the Catholic Church in the city.
The residents' letter further said that flats belonging to St Michael's Church in Mahim which should have been rented out to deserving Catholics to be used as residences, were instead being rented to the real estate development firm to be used as its office, defeating the very purpose for which the flats had been constructed by St Michael's Church. | 
