Tension flared up at the Holy Trinity Church, Benaulim, on Monday as hundreds of parishioners assembled at the church and launched a marathon protest spanning morning to evening with a steadfast demand to transfer the parish priest. The fact that district authorities and police drawn from various police stations were at sight along with Episcopal Vicar Fr Lucio Dias explains the seriousness of the issue. Finally, peace prevailed when the parish priest wrote a letter to the Archbishop, tendering his resignation effective May 31.
The incident throws open a sensitive issue that has to be dealt with from a holistic standpoint — from the perspective of the church leadership and the parishioners. Placements of parish priests, assistant parish priests and chaplains have been closely watched and intensely debated by parishioners lately, mindful of the protocols the church leadership follows while undertaking the exercise. Parishioners have begun questioning certain transfers and have even campaigned for their favourites. Also, many churches in Goa have seen sharp divisions among parishioners over the posting of priests and have moved the Archbishop, who holds the exclusive authority to the exercise.
The protest seeking an ouster of a priest as against the decree of transfer issued by the Archbishop sets a dangerous precedent because this move could embolden aggrieved parishioners elsewhere to take matters into their hands when they are not favourably resolved, like in the case of Benaulim. The trend exposes the friction areas and cuts out a sorry picture when we talk about tolerance, compassion and forgiveness, and the leadership could find it difficult to negotiate going forward.
On the flip side, while the increasing involvement of people in the affairs of churches could have its positives, it also has negatives. In politics, they say an overdose of democracy comes with its own problems because it has a heady mix of freedom and choices.
Religion has always been a very sensitive and emotive subject, mainly because of people's attachment and the involvement of faith. While transfers of priests have been a constant, people's approach towards the exercise has seen a change to the extent that even authority and systems have been increasingly questioned. The cracks are showing, and it turns unsavoury when parishioners seek accountability and push forward a narrative that challenges the church order.
The Benaulim incident is a grim reminder that the 'golden phase of silence' may end sooner, and protests could be the way forward, even at churches. We have seen crowd swelling, questioning decisions, and even engaging in violent acts. For example, four youths assaulted the assistant parish priest at the Carmona church last year. The incident triggered outrage, and police had to rush to the spot and diffuse the tension as a large number of people assembled near the church.
While there is a need for restraint and respect for the church leadership, there is also the need for better communication and transparency so that issues in parishes are resolved amicably and seamlessly. Angry outbursts, intolerance and unresponsiveness, are hallmarks of a system that needs some touches of healing.
