By Express News Service

KOCHI: Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, courted yet another controversy on Friday after he said it was wrong to measure God’s justice with the country’s law. He said so while delivering the Good Friday message at the Kokkamangalam St Thomas Church at Cherthala in Alappuzha district. Mar George Alencherry was criticised by the Kerala High Court in February this year when his counsel pointed out to the court that as far as the Cardinal was concerned, the appellate authority was the Pope. The court, while considering the controversial land deal of the Syro Malabar Church, observed it was strange to hear that the law of the land was not applicable to the Cardinal.

“It is the duty of the citizen to abide by the law of the land. But the faithful should give importance to the God’s law. It is wrong if you think the God’s justice can be measured with the country’s law. There are some in the Church who think they can control the Church with the help of court orders. The Lord said you should follow his country and his law. Everything else will come to you. This Bible word has not been understood properly,” the Cardinal said in his speech.

Meanwhile, Syro Malabar Church spokesperson Fr Jimmy Poochakkatt clarified in a statement that it was improper to interpret the Cardinal had spoken against the country’s law.“The essence of the speech was that one will get complete justice only through the God’s law,” he said. “We all know that there can be country’s law and, in some cases, even the courts have delivered wrong judgements. It was Roman Emperor Pontius Pilate and Herod who sentenced Jesus Christ to crucifixion.

While the law of that country crucified Christ, the God’s made him the saviour of mankind through his death. This is a language that Christians will understand. The Cardinal was speaking to the faithful at a church. So it is not justified to misinterpret his speech and use issues of faith as weapons to attack a person.”