Church leaders have expressed concern over a southern Indian court’s suggestion to bring Church properties under state control like in the case of Hindus and Muslims following graft allegations. Churches have vast properties and their funds “are drained to fuel a power struggle,” noted the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court in a recent ruling. The court on Oct. 23 served notices on the federal and the provincial Tamil Nadu governments, seeking their opinion on bringing Church properties under a statutory board like in the case of Hindus and Muslims. “We are aware of the court order,” said Father Robinson Rodrigues, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). “Our legal department is conducting a study on its implications,” Father Rodrigues told. The priest, however, refused to divulge details, saying “the matter is subjudice.” Like in the case of Hindu and Muslim charitable endowments, Christian institutions lack a comprehensive statutory body, the court observed. “Unlike the properties of the Hindu endowment or the Muslim Waqf [charity] Board, Church properties are purchased and not donated,” said Father A Santhanam, a Jesuit priest practicing law at the Madurai court. “Therefore, the findings of the court are not entirely correct,” Santhanam told.