Kerala church awaits Vatican’s direction on action against priest

A Roman Catholic Church in Kerala is waiting for “directions” from the Vatican after taking initial action against a priest based on Canon law for allegedly raping a teenaged girl earlier this year.

Police had on Sunday issued a lookout notice against Fr Edwin <g data-gr-id="24">Figarez</g>, a priest attached to the Lourdes Matha Church, Puthenvelikkara in Ernakulam district after Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

The priest, who remained underground to evade the police, has been missing ever since the High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on May 5.

A spokesperson for Kottappuram Diocese said <g data-gr-id="27">Figarez</g> has been "suspended for the time being" from parish services after a pastoral commission appointed by the Bishop prepared a "preliminary report" about the alleged incident of sexually assaulting the 14-year-old in a church complex between the month of January and March this year, mostly when she came for confession.

"The report has been sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in Vatican which looks into the cases of sexual abuse of minors by priests. They may appoint another Commission to further probe the matter. We are waiting for directions from the Vatican," Kottappuram Diocese Spokesman Fr Rocky Roby Kalathil said.

"He (<g data-gr-id="28">Figarez</g>) is still a priest. For the time <g data-gr-id="23">being</g> he is suspended based on Canon law. <g data-gr-id="22">Further</g> decision will be taken by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Vatican," he said. Kalathil, however, said the Church is not expecting a "sudden decision" from the Holy See.