A day after the Syro-Malabar Church's Public Affairs Commission rallied behind Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt in the 'narcotic jihad' row, the denomination's largest religious publication, Sathyadeepam, has struck a contradictory note.
In the editorial headlined 'Avar Adyam Parayatte', Sathyadeepam calls for introspection on Christian youth falling into the 'love trap'.
The editorial is not in sync with what Bishop Kallarangatt had said during his infamous speech delivered at a church at Kuravilangad in Kottayam district on September 8.
The Bishop had said that Christian youth were lured into jihad by faking love and through drug abuse.
His mention of 'narcotic jihad' has spiralled into a controversy.
"It is not spiritual education if Christianity is propagated over hatred of other religions," the editorial notes.
"If our youth are getting lost by falling into the love trap it could be that Christ was lost to them. We should ask ourselves why Christ isn't their addiction.
Sathyadeepam further calls for soul-searching on the true outcome of 12 years of spiritual education (catechism classes) done by the church.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had trashed Bishop Kallarangatt's claims of 'love and narcotic jihad'. Earlier, the opposition Congress had heavily criticised bishop Kallarangatt. Various Mulsim organisations had also come out in protest of the controversial claims.
