For The Safety Of Church Personnel

In the light of Satna incident, FORUM has taken the initiative and prepared a write up on the basic precautions that are to be taken by the Church personnel

Today there is a growing climate of religious intolerance that is aimed primarily at minorities.

One of the strategies of Hindutva right wing organizations is to harass and defame the priests and nuns by making use of the existing laws. The police in the BJP ruled states are very often on the side of the activists of the Sangh Parivar organizations. Hence false cases are filed against the priest and nuns. Due to ignorance and imprudence, often the priests and nuns are trapped in criminal cases. The latest case is booking a CSST sister at Satna Railway station for kidnapping a tribal girl while she was travelling with four tribal girls from Jharkhand to Bhopal. The girls were brought to work in the convents and other institutions of the congregation. First, the sister was accused of taking girls for conversion. When it was found to be a false accusation by the magistrate, a case of kidnapping was slapped on her, as one of the girls was a minor, below the age of 18.

Against this backdrop the following guidelines are prepared for the priests and nuns who are dealing with children.

SOME BASIC STEPS/PRECAUTIONS THAT ARE TO BE TAKEN

1. Priests and sisters should not accompany girls/boys when they come from home to our houses as candidates or as domestic workers.

2. It is advisable that the parents bring them to our place, even if we need to spend on their travel as well.

3. The girls/boys who come to us should have all the necessary documents in order, such as school leaving certificate, Adhar Card etc., to prove their age and religion.

4. An application written by the girl/boy as well as her/his parents should be procured and kept in the file for ready reference.

5. The priests and nuns should not indulge in providing and transporting domestic workers to other states.

6. Strictly no minor girl/boy should be brought for joining the convent or for work (Even if they have given consent, it is not a valid consent as per law). Till the completion of 18 years of age the candidates should be shown in the documents as students and the consent from the parents should be for studies and not for joining the congregation.

7. If the minors are coming for studies, it is the responsibility of the parents to bring them along with application and proper documents.

8. Get an Affidavit from the father/mother of the girl/boy stating that it is with their full consent that the person is sent and for what purpose the person is sent to such and such place. A sample affidavit is attached. The affidavit can be prepared on 100 rupee stamp paper. It is to be attested by a notary.

9. A medical certificate of the girl/boy should be obtained.

10. Do not compel the children of other faith to join for Eucharist and other Christian prayers. It is safe not to take children of other faiths for Christian prayers and Eucharist even if the children want to participate.

There still remains a lot that needs to be done. These are only a few basic steps that have to be taken for the safety of Church personnel.

Advocate Sr Julie SSpS & Team for Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace (FORUM)

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