Thrissur: The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) has said it would not issue any fresh pastoral letter to politically conscientise the faithful in view of elections to the Kerala assembly on April 13.
KCBC spokesman Stephen Alathara told that the Church had already made its political stand clear through earlier pastoral letters and circulars.
He said the Election Commission had sought clarifications from the Church in the last Lok Sabha elections on issuing pastoral letters, based on complaints from some individuals.
KCBC in its reply said it had not asked the faithful to exercise their franchise for a particular political party or candidate.
However, the Church had warned the faithful not to vote for atheists and such persons in the garb of independents, since it was the practice of the Church to give guidelines to the faithful for their 'spiritual, social, economic and political enrichment.'
He said it was the inalienable right of the Chruch and it could not be questioned by the EC as the KCBC did not fall under its purview.
The complaint was about the joint pastoral letter issued by Heads of different hierarchies of the Catholic Church in August last, which stated it would not be advisable for the faithful to contest as independents with the support of
political parties with atheist ideology.
The letter had also urged the faithful not to vote for such candidates.
The Church felt that once such persons were elected, they ceased to be independents and were forcibly admitted to political parties professing atheist ideology, Alathara said.
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