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Dear George,
Here is what you asked for:
On the basis of an anonymous letter and two CDs, the Honble Kerala High
Court had ordered an enquiry into all the activities of the Divine Retreat
Centre on 10th March, 2006. A Special Investigation Team headed by the IG of
Police was constituted to enquire into the matter.
When the case came up for hearing, the Director General of Prosecutions had
argued that investigation had been conducted properly and there is no merit in
the complaints of the de-facto complainant
It was also argued that the other
allegations levelled against the Centre are too vague and general and no
further action is necessary regarding those allegations.
In spite of this, on 30th September and 1st October, 2006, a large contingent
of police in seven large vehicles and a team of doctors reached the Divine
Retreat Centre, took control and raided the Centre. The police obstructed the
celebration of the Eucharist, Eucharistic adoration, etc. and misbehaved with
the women and the sick. The police surrounded Fr George Panackal, Director of
the Centre and prevented him from getting in touch with the Provincial of the
Congregation and the members of the Church hierarchy.
The attitude of the police who raided the Divine Retreat Centre in Kerala
indicates that it was done to malign the good and humanitarian works being
carried on by the Divine Retreat Centre.
To clarify the misgivings, an article, The truth in the recent happening at
Divine by Fr Augustine Vallooran VC has been published in the December, 2006
issue of Charisindia.
The background:
Hindu radicals have opposed the Catholic center since its beginning, but they
stepped up their opposition after March 10, when the Kerala High Court ordered
an investigation into its activities. The Hindu groups have banded under Hindu
Aikya Vedi (HAV, Hindu united front), which has the backing of the Bharatiya
Janata Party (Indian people's party), the main federal opposition party.
"Our investigations have revealed that the Divine center is involved in
large-scale religious conversions," HAV organizing secretary Kummanam
Rajasekharan added. Other allegations against the center, he added, include
murder and money laundering. He said his front would continue the campaign
against the retreat center until it folds up.
Father George Panackal says the controversies have not affected the center's
credibility. Soon after the news of the probe spread, thousands of people
visited the center to offer prayers, he said. People from various religions
have "pledged their support to us," the priest told UCA News.
regards
Maurice
George wrote:
Maurice, is'nt the Government of Kerala investigating the center for financial
and other irregularities? A news article was posted on Goanet (around March or
April 2006 if I remember correctly) to that effect. What is the current status
of this inquiry? Does any one know?
Regards,
George
--- maurice dmello <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Divine Retreat Centre Muringoor - Potta, Kerala, is the largest
Catholic
> Retreat Centre in the world. Retreats in English and other Indian
languages
> (Hindi, Konkani and Kannada) & Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu are held
> back-to-back non-stop every week of the year.
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