Archbishop accused of misusing church property

Bangalore:?

Accusing Archbishop Bernard Moras of misusing church property, Karnataka Christian association held a demonstration against him yesterday.

The Akhila (all) Karnataka Catholic Christian Association alleged that Archbishop Moras leased to a realtor one acre of land that belonged to St. Pius Church in Kammanahalli, Bangalore.

Raphael Raj, general secretary of the association, said the realtor was planning to construct a mall on the land, leased for 40 years.

He said that the association and residents of the area have opposed the move and managed to get a stay order by a court.

?The land is meant for religious activities and being the head of the community, the archbishop tried to commercialise the area,? he said.

Demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the case, the protestors also submitted a memorandum to chief minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda.

However, archdiocese spokesperson Fr. A.S. Anthonyswamy said that the land has not been sold but leased to generate financial resources.

He said the archbishop authorized the lease agreement as per the church norms and directives and had discussed the matter with the members concerned before signing the deal.

Joseph Reddy, a donor from Andhra Pradesh had donated 2.8 acres of land for the construction of a church, school and hospital for the poor. Out of this one acre has been leased out.

Source: DNA

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