Has anyone seen the ad? What was it about? Is the CBCI's president's post so hotly contested? FN
Archbishop Moras' Full Page Colour Advertisement In Newspaper Criticized BY SAR NEWS BANGALORE, Karnataka (SAR NEWS) -- A full-page colour advertisement issued by Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore during the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) has kicked up a controversy, many questioning the need to spend such a huge amount of money. The advertisement published on Feb. 8 on the occasion of 27th General Body Meeting of CBCI held Feb.8-15 in the garden city cost the archdiocese Rs 4,90, 912 with a discount while the commercial rate for the same is Rs 6,05,450. The colour advertisement, first of its kind, was issued to one of the Bangalore-based leading English daily Deccan Herald. Scores of lay Catholics and priests told SAR News that the advertisement was a "sheer waste of precious money of the people" which could have been used for constructive purposes of the poor. Some Catholic Church officials said there was no need to spend such a big amount for an advertisement in one newspaper. They added that it could have been used effectively for "better purposes". The incumbent Cardinal Telesphore P.Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, Archbishop Bernard Moras and a couple of other bishops were in the hot race for the post of president of CBCI. Cardinal Toppo won with a thumping majority polling 130 votes while Archbishop Moras polled "a couple of votes" in the first straight ballot, highly placed sources. "The Archdiocese of Bangalore issued the advertisement with the generous contribution from the people for the love of the bishops gathered in the city", Archbishop Moras, in a telephonic interview told SAR News Feb. 17. Defending the advertisement, he said there could be "many opinions" on the issue but "I have not heard any single complaint about it till date". When queried that the parish priests of the archdiocese were "forced" to contribute money, the prelate said, "Nobody was forced to send the money. I had only appealed to the parishes in my official circular to help out." CBCI spokesperson Father Babu Joseph said, "The CBCI had nothing do with the full-page colour advertisement issued to one English newspaper. Instead of spending so much money for one advertisement, the amount could have been better utilized to ensure coverage in all the media, including the popular electronic media". Besides, he said, he was disappointed that there was "no coverage in the mainstream media" and only towards the end the CBCI event got "some press publicity of the important event." "It was a free, fair and very democratic election for the post of the prestigious CBCI President which was carried out without canvassing, rancour and partisanship," another highly placed Church official said. About 160 bishops participated in the biennial general body meeting, deliberating on the theme Catholic Education and Church’s Concern for the Marginalized.
