The government should bring forth new and strong defensive methods to crush the liquor mafia that is in and around the state, says Archbishop Soosapakiam. The memorandums and darna have no effect.  The authorities overtook theabove. He was inaugurating the the darna organized by the Trivandrum Social Service Society, KCYM, The Anti Liquor Samithi which was in the diocese, at the Raktha Sakshi Mandapam in Trivandrum. Kerala is simply drawing on sinking in liquor. No one can run away from this white truth. There was a strong agitation against liquor even that has been vanished. It is pending in the court for years the Punalur, Kalluvathukkal liquor case. The real culprits behind this are saved. They are living freely in the society. The government’s red eyes are on the cash that liquor brings. More than five crores of rupees the government benefits in the sale of liquor. Hence the govt. closes one eye on this very important matter. The liquor tragedy that occurred right now, the government should shoulder the responsibility and punish the concerned at the earliest, he added. Both moral values and will power should be included in the new defensive liquor policy. Only these strong measures can save Kerala from the liquor tragedy. This is what echoes from the chief minister, the internal affairs minister and the excise minister the tragic result is the Vypeen, Punalur, Kalluvathukkal, Malappuram liquor tragedies are on the swing. ‘The Malappuram Liquor Tragedy’ is a planned killing of human beings – says poet Sugathakumari. The after math of these tragedies is women and children. No government bothers about the uplift of them. It is not and to cry on these issues but to retaliate and find defensive measures. On this occasion Vicar General Msgr. Eugene H Perira, Palayam St. Joseph Cathedral Vicar Fr. C. Joseph, Fr. Sabas Ignatius, Fr. Sunny, KLCA Presisent Kannanthura P Stellus, F.M Lazar, Fr. Alexander Kurikatt, Kattaikonam Sasidharan, Deepak Cheerkad, G. Sadanandan, Narayanan Thampy, Elipottkonam Jayan, Shoukkath Ali were the speakers.

A conference of the Diocesan spokespersons and Directors of the Vigilance Commissions of the 30 Catholic Dioceses in Kerala and KCBC expert committee members is to be held tomorrow from 9.30 am to 4 pm at POC to discuss various social issues faced by Kerala Catholics.  Inter-Church Council Chairman Arch Bishop Mar Joseph Powethil will inaugurate the conference and will deliver the keynote address.  The conference will be presided by the KCBC’s Social Harmony and Vigilance Commission Vice Chairman Bishop Mar Thomas Chakkiath.  Fr. Johny Kochuparambil, Secretary, KCBC’s Commission for Social Harmony & Vigilance, Fr. Stephen Alathara, Spokesperson of KCBC and Monsgr. Vincent Arakkal, Vicar General, Kozhikode Diocese will speak on the occasion.  The class will be led by Dr. Jacob Srambickal SJ, Head of Media Division, Gregorian University, Rome.  The Diocesan representatives will present Diocese level activities and future plans, in the conference.  The conference will discuss about the perplexing social issues faced by the Kerala Catholics.  The new website of KCBC’s Social Harmony & Vigilance Commission will also be launched on the occasion.

Sister Marie Stella, 59, talked about her brother’s attack, the difficulties Kerala’s Christian minority faces, dialogue with Muslims and the value of forgiveness, which alone can “alleviate suffering” and “bear fruit”. Her 81-year-old mother and sisters have joined the victim in forgiving. “We forgive everyone,” she said. “We bear no grudge or resentment. All we want is for our brother’s suffering to bear fruit, and open channels of dialogue between Christianity and Islam.”

Msgr. Pauly Kannookadan Consecrated as the Bishop of Irinjalakuda

18 April 2010, Kochi, Kerala, India: Monsignor Pauly Kannookadan who has been appointed as the second bishop of Irinjalakuda diocese of Syro Malabar sui iuris Church was consecrated by its former bishop Mar James Pazhayattil with all canonical solemnities at Thomas Cathedral, Irinjalakuda in Trichur district, Kerala on Sunday 18th April 2010 at 02.00pm. Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy the Archbishop Emeritus of Trichur Archdiocese and Mar Jacob Manathodath, the bishop of Palghat were the principal concelebrants of the Episcopal ordination.

The ordination rite was followed by the installation ceremony and it was officiated by the Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, the Secretary General of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council and the Metropolitan Archbishop of Trichur. Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolakkatt of the Kottayam Archdiocese delivered the homily. There was a public meeting after the liturgical ceremonies to express the gratitude to Bishop Mar James Pazhayattil who had been successfully pioneered and served the diocese for more than three decades with far reaching achievements. Major Archbishop Baselios Mar Cleemis Catholicos of the Syro Malankara sui iuris Church presided over the meeting. Most Rev. Dr. Francis Kallarakal, Metropolitan Archbishop of Verapoly Archdiocese, Honourable Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh Mr. Kurian Joseph and Msgr. Vincent Alappat, Vicar General of the diocese attend the meeting. Thousands of faithful along with their priests and civil dignitaries witnessed and took part in the ordination ceremonies and the public meeting.

Bishop Pauly Kannookadan, is from the parish of Kuzhikattuserry of the Irinjalakuda diocese. He was born on 14th February 1961 and having completed his major seminary studies at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary Vadavathoor, Kottayam, Kerala was ordained priest on December 28, 1985. He obtained doctorate in Sacred Liturgy from Rome. He held the office of minor seminary prefect, vice rector and diocesan catechetical department director. While holding the office of the Executive Director of Liturgical Research Centre and Secretary to the Major Archiepiscopal Commission for Liturgy and Commission for Clergy and Institutes of Consecrated Life at Mount St. Thomas, the headquarters of the Syro Malabar Church at Kochi, he was nominated the second bishop of the diocese of Irinjalakuda on 18th January 2010.

The diocese of Irinjalakuda was established bifurcating Trichur Archdiocese by the Papal bull “Trichuriensis Eparchiae” of His Holiness Pope Paul VI on 22nd June, 1978 and Msgr. James Pazhayattil was nominated the first Bishop. The diocese of Irinjalakuda covers an area of about 1180 Sq.km and has at present 43301 families with a population of about 2,52,863 Catholics.