THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India (UCAN) -- A section of Catholics in Kerala used an important feast day to protest policies of the southern Indian state's communist government.

Parishes in Trichur Syro-Malabar archdiocese organized a meeting on July 3, Saint Thomas' feast, to protest government policies that their archbishop says infringe on Christian educational rights.

In a pastoral letter, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur urged his people to observe the feast day, an important solemnity in the Oriental tradition, as a protest day.

His Oriental Catholic Church and other Eastern-rite Churches in India trace their faith to Saint Thomas the Apostle. According to tradition, the saint landed in Kerala in A.D. 52 and was martyred on July 3 in the year 72 on a hill in neighboring Tamil Nadu state.

The letter, which was read in all archdiocesan parishes on Sunday July 1, alleged Kerala's communist government is trying to take over the Church's health-care and educational institutions through "skewed" political tactics.

It appealed to Catholics to register protests by organizing peaceful meetings and passing resolutions in every parish.

Archbishop Thazhath told UCA News on July 3 that the Church has "no other way," since the government violates minority rights and runs "politically motivated campaigns" against its leaders. The prelate said the government plans to revise Kerala educational rules to eliminate "faith in God."

What has upset the prelate is the state education department's decision to hand government schools and schools receiving government grants over to panchayat, the local administrative bodies. A majority of the aided schools are now under Church management. The move would give the panchayat control of teacher appointments and school administration.

Media reports also outline a government plan to make Saturdays and Sundays working days for schools.

The pastoral letter also noted that the government wants to remove religious symbols and images from aided schools and ban prayers at them. This would lead children to "atheism" and "throw their moral values out of gear," the letter warned.

The government also insists the Church give 50 percent of seats in its professional colleges to students selected by government norms. Such a step violates the constitution, which allows religious and linguistic minorities to establish and manage educational institutions, the letter said.

Hundreds of people joined a protest meeting in front of the Thrissur Corporation building. Thrissur, Kerala's cultural capital, is 2,510 kilometers south of New Delhi. The archdiocese continues to use Trichur, the name by which the city was formerly known.

The protest was limited to Trichur archdiocese, clarified Father Paul Thelakat, spokesperson for the Syro-Malabar Church.

"The Syro-Malabar Church collectively is not organizing protests," he told UCA News.

State Education Minister M.A. Baby told UCA News the protest was a "pressure tactic" to "confuse the people." The government policies are "very transparent," he said, adding the government wants to improve state educational quality.

"If we reach consensus on issues, we will execute what is good for the people," asserted the politician, who was born a Catholic.

However, Archbishop Thazhath's assessment finds support among Catholics outside his archdiocese who also see the government policies as anti-Christian.

"The Church is not united in fighting such policies," regretted Charlie Paul, a member of Ernakulam-Angamaly Syro-Malabar archdiocese's pastoral council. He told UCA News the localization of the protest to Trichur archdiocese revealed a lack of Church unity.

"Only through collective responses will the Church check these anti-people policies," added Paul, a lawyer.

Most of the Syro-Malabar Church's 3.5 million members live in Kerala. It has 15 dioceses there, 10 in other parts of India and one in the United States.

Another smaller Oriental Catholic church, the Syro-Malankara Church, is also based in Kerala. The Latin-rite and two Oriental Churches comprise the Indian Catholic Church. While the Orientals follow Syrian Church traditions, the Latin-rite, established by European missioners, follows the Roman liturgy.

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