Church officials have welcomed a Supreme Court directive instructing a state court to hear a petition challenging subsidies for Christian pilgrims.

The Supreme Court on Aug. 2 also said that the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s hearing of the case, to be done within four months, should not be “influenced” by “unwarranted” observations made in an interim order last year.

The interim order in July 2009 suspended the state subsidy scheme for Christians going to Jerusalem on pilgrimage.

The High Court said the subsidy was improper and that tax payers’ money should not be used to promote any religion.

The Supreme Court’s move “is a step in the right direction. We welcome it so far as it helps Christians obtain the subsidy,” said Father Babu Joseph, spokesperson the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.

The state court’s interim order followed a petition from G. Mohan Rao who argued that state funding of Christian pilgrims discriminates against other religions.

The Supreme Court’s “move is positive,” said Reverend Enos Pradhan, general secretary of the Church of North India, adding that “the subsidy does not violate secular principles.”

The subsidy is part of a state welfare package given to minorities, he said, adding that Muslims also get state help for their pilgrimages to Mecca.

“We will wait for the High Court to make a decision,” said Catholic lay leader John Dayal.

The state subsidy, introduced in 2008, saw Andhra Pradesh spending about 10 million rupees (US$216,200) on Christian pilgrims going to Jerusalem in the scheme’s first year.

The state had spent half that amount in the second year when the subsidy was suspended.

Brother Mani Mekkunnel of the Conference of Religious India says he would like to see the scheme extended nationwide by the federal government.

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