Spokesperson of Archdiocese of Bombay says church prays before every general election
Father Nigel Barrett
On Monday, a letter sent out by the Archbishop of Delhi Anil Couto to various parish priests called for a year-long prayer campaign to save the nation from a 'turbulent political atmosphere.' While the letter evoked strong reactions from leaders in the current government, the Bombay Archdiocese has sided with its counterpart in the national capital.
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"I think people have misread the statement," Fr. Nigel Barrett, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bombay told mid-day, "The turbulent atmosphere of the country does not refer to the government. People are reading into this letter and drawing their own conclusions from it - we need to look at the letter for what it is." He also pointed out that the 'praying' being referred to is a normal practice, wherein they pray for elected leaders every Sunday in 'Prayers of the Faithful'. "Before every general election, we pray for a safe and free election; one that is free from violence," he said.
Barrett said misconstruing Couto's letter could be nothing more than a 'diversion.' "I can't speak for anyone else but I think this is a nice way to divert the people's attention from more important issues, like the diesel and petrol price hike." He added that the Archdiocese of Bombay does not currently have a stance on the so-called 'turbulent political atmosphere' as it is 'premature' to do so now, "...I do not have any data to make a statement one way or another."
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