Kozhikode: The Kerala Catholic Congress Central Committee has strongly condemned the circulation of threatening letters sent to the Bishop’s House in Thamarassery, targeting Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil, the Bishop of Thamarassery Diocese. In a statement released after an emergency meeting, the Committee demanded that both the state and central governments, along with the police department, act swiftly and launch a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
According to the Catholic Congress, the nature of the threats warrants serious concern, as they represent a growing pattern of intolerance and hostility toward Christian leadership and institutions in Kerala. The organization has called upon law enforcement agencies to probe not only the immediate culprits behind the letters but also to determine whether terror-linked or extremist elements are involved.
The Committee emphasized that it is equally important to investigate whether political strategies or deliberate efforts to instigate communal divisions lie behind such acts. “If there are forces attempting to polarize communities and weaken Kerala’s tradition of harmony, such motives must be exposed and stopped through decisive action,” the statement said.
Leaders of the Catholic Congress expressed disappointment over what they termed as the silence and inaction of political parties and the government in similar incidents targeting the Christian community. They cautioned that continued neglect of these threats could undermine Kerala’s social fabric and push the state backward from its long-held values of peace and coexistence.
“The government’s indifference to such premeditated moves is deeply worrying,” the statement continued. “We expect the authorities to treat this incident not as an isolated event but as part of a larger trend that must be confronted through vigilance, transparency, and justice.”
Reaffirming its commitment to protect the Christian faithful, the Catholic Congress announced that it will actively mobilize its members and institutions to ensure the safety of church leaders and communities. The organization stated that it would remain “in the field of action” to resist attempts to intimidate or marginalize Christian institutions, particularly at a time when administrative mechanisms appear stagnant and ineffective.
The letter threats, believed to have been received in recent days, have raised serious concerns among the clergy and faithful of the Thamarassery Diocese. The Diocese has not yet released an official statement, but sources suggest that security measures around the Bishop’s House have been reviewed following the incident.
The Catholic Congress concluded its statement by urging the Chief Minister and the Home Department to take urgent and visible steps to identify those responsible and to reassure the Christian community of their safety. It also called for cross-departmental coordination between intelligence, cyber, and law enforcement units to ensure that such acts of intimidation are swiftly curbed before they escalate further.
As Kerala continues to grapple with rising instances of religious tension, the appeal from the Catholic Congress serves as a reminder that maintaining peace and protecting all faith communities must remain a top priority for both the state and central authorities.