Goa Church body says viral videos attempt to muzzle its voice

Strongly condemning anonymous videos clippings that criticise the influential Roman Catholic Church in Goa, its social wing on Saturday said that the same tantamount to mala fide attacks on the Church and attempts to muzzle its voice.

The Council for Social Justice and Peace, a social arm of the Church, said that it will investigate the allegations made against the relgioius institution in the videos that went viral on social media over two weeks, irrespective of a question mark over their authenticity.

"One video clipping said that the Church struck a secret deal with a political party which is mischievous, especially since the Church is inherently apolitical in nature and does not support or reject any particular party.

"However, the CSJP does, and should, exercise its right and responsibility to question the government policies that go against the public interests," the council's Executive Secretary Fr. Savio Fernandes said in a statement.

"Such efforts by vested interests will surely not muzzle the CSJP from its pursuit of monitoring policies, safeguarding public rights, creating awareness among people and taking positions in public interest, irrespective of the party in power," the statement added.

The statement called the videos as "handiwork of elements frustrated and upset" with the council's support vis-a-vis legitimate concerns on illegal conversion of land from green areas to commercial and settlement zones.

"The CSJP is in the process of ascertaining the allegations levelled against the Church in the video clips and it will probe the matter in its proper context," the statement said.

--IANS

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