Kerala church's silence puzzles

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is something amiss in Kerala this election. The Catholic Church has not issued its pastoral letter.
The church raked up a controversy last year when it issued a clutch of such letters ahead of the local body polls telling the laity how to vote. This time, it is unusually silent. The clergy says it's because there is hardly anything new to convey.Not everyone buys this line.
"Whatever needed to be conveyed has already been said. There are no new instructions. Nobody wants a pastoral letter to give the impression that the church interferes in politics," Paul Thelakkat, spokesman of the Syro-Malabar Church said. "The Church's stand is value-based. It doesn't want to appear as a party. This does not mean that all controversial issues are settled or there is change in perspective," he adds.
Jesmi, a former nun who left the Congregation of Mother of Carmel attributes the 'silence' to "the adverse publicity following earlier letters and to a petition pending before Kerala high court."
The writ petition refers to alleged instances of political interference by religious and caste groups. It urges the court to declare these as bad in law and initiate action against those for whom such canvassing is done.
Critic Joseph Pulikkunnel said this should not be seen as a change in the church's political stand. A pastoral letter ahead of the local polls set off a storm as it said it would be dangerous to elect Independents put up by parties that are atheist or against communal harmony. The "Independent" post was a trap to woo those respected in public life, said the circular. The letter was interpreted as the church's attempt to take on the Left. Recently, church-backed bodies like the Thrissur Archdiocese Jagrata Samiti and the Malankara Association demanded that members be represented in the candidate list.