Bishop shows no tolerance towards wayward clergy

Regrettably, the headline does not refer to Bishop Moses Doraboina Prakasam of Nellore Diocese. 

There is, however,  an encouraging report from the news agency Crux about Bishop Gaspard Beby Gneba from the African nation of Ivory Coast, who clearly regards it as a serious matter for a priest to have a "wife" and children, or to be involved in financial crimes.  

                                     Bishop Gaspard Béby Gnéba of Man in Ivory Coast. (Credit: Vatican Media.)

In a recent (4 Jan 2024) letter to the faithful of his diocese, Bishop Gneba wrote:  "Any lay faithful who knows that a priest is not faithful to his celibacy, has a wife or child, has committed sexual abuse or economic crimes, must have the courage to denounce him to the bishop, otherwise he commits a sin of complicity before God, the Pope and the Church." 

The letter notes:  "The Pope speaks of zero tolerance towards these priests."

Bishop Gneba made clear - as has Pope Francis - that priests who father children cannot remain in the clerical state.

It is shocking to report that (Fr) Gali Arulraj, though he has a "wife" and (at least) two children, still remains a priest of the Diocese of Nellore in south India.  He has not been laicized.

His nephew, (Fr) Vatakali Paulin Raj, was not disciplined in any way for his collaboration with Arulraj in embezzling about one million pounds.  Unbelievably, he has now hit the jackpot of opportunities for embezzling, as he is working currently in a diocese of the United States.

Far from showing the "zero tolerance" requested by Pope Francis,  Bishop Moses Prakasam of Nellore Diocese has demonstrated that it is pointless denouncing wayward priests of his diocese to him, as he will do nothing.  It is deeply lamentable  that he doesn't have the same concern for the integrity of his priests as Bishop Gneba.

But mindful of Bishop Gneba's appeal for the laity to have courage in denouncing such priests so as not to "commit a sin of of complicity before God,  the Pope and the Church," this blog will continue to appeal to Bishop Prakasam to act as an honorable bishop should.