India: Congress, Church Castigate Communists For Politicizing Last Supper
By UCA News
The ruling Congress in Kerala and the Church have criticized the Communist Party of India-Marxists (CPI-M) for hurting religious sentiments of Christians by using the Last Supper to make a political point.
The picture, put up by the party’s labor wing, showed US President Barack Obama in the centre of a supposed Last Supper flanked by “disciples” Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, L.K. Advani and Oommen Chandy.
“They (CPI-M) say they have the highest regards for Christ. But they do all sorts of things which belittle Christ and Christianity,” said chief minister Oommen Chandy in Kottayam.
Chandy, who is a Christian, demanded an “immediate apology” from the communist party.
Paul Thelekkat, spokesperson of the Synod of Catholic Bishops, said using The Last Supper to make a political point was wrong.
“The CPI-M has hurt the sentiments of believers,” he said.
However, CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the party had no role in preparing the posters.
“This was not done by our party. When our party leaders came to know of this, they went to the place and removed them. It is not our policy to belittle Jesus or Christianity,” Vijayan said.
The communist party was earlier condemned by the Catholic church for branding Jesus as a communist revolutionary.
