India: Catholic leaders mourn lifelong Communist

Church leaders organized a multi-religious prayer meeting and offered Mass for Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, who died on Jan. 17 at the age of 95.

Some 5,000 people attended the meeting at the Jesuit St. Xavier’s College and School in Kolkata. Representatives from Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism paid tributes to the late leader.

The college also held a Mass for the former communist leader on Jan. 19.

On the same day, a 30-member Catholic delegation led by Cardinal Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi and Archbishop Lucas Sirkar of Calcutta paid tribute to the late leader at West Bengal Assembly House.

Several Church leaders hailed Basu’s contribution to communal harmony and to Blessed Teresa of Kolkata’s Missionaries of Charity congregation.

Basu studied in St. Xavier’s School for eight years.

Calcutta Jesuit provincial superior Father George Pattery said Basu’s “great humanism” helped him befriend even his adversaries. The Christian community is grateful to Basu for his support for Blessed Teresa and her works, Father Pattery said.

Basu’s help in the congregation’s initial years had helped it to grow, Catholic lay leader Sunil Lucas said. Basu allotted land belonging to his Communist Party of India (Marxist) to the nun, he said.

West Bengal had not suffered sectarian strife for decades because Basu and his party did not mix politics with religion as some political parties in other Indian states did, according to Lucas.

Father Pattery commended the late leader for donating his body for medical research, and hoped many would emulate his example.

Basu’s body was given to Kolkata’s government-run Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital on Jan. 19.

Father Reginald Fernandes, who directs Seva Kendra, the social service center of Calcutta archdiocese, noted that the Church grew in West Bengal during Basu’s 23-year tenure as the state chief minister. This was because Basu’s party did not interfere with people’s religions.

Church leaders from other states also hailed Basu as a towering statesman.

Father Paul Thelakat, who edits a Church weekly in Kerala, another state with a significant presence of Marxists, says Basu could go beyond party limitations, unlike many modern Marxists.

“We have lost a great statesman who had done yeoman service to Indian politics for more than seven decades,” he added.

Source: CathNewsIndia.com