By our religious Correspondent
Mangalore , March 16 (IVC) The Mangalore Diocese of the Catholic Church has removed Father Nelson Olivera , parish priest of the Christ the King Church from the pastoral ministry on March 02 , for attacking elderly couple.
“ We are sincerely sorry for what has happened “ said in a statement signed by Father Donald Castelino, diocesan public relations officer.
The incident caught on camera showed that the priest physically assaulted the elderly couple Gregory Monteiro and Philomena Monteiro when the priest was at the couple’s house on Feb 29 to bless them.
The priest got into an argument with the couple who asked him not to visit them again. The video clip went viral on social media. It also showed that the couple trying to fight back against the priest in Periyalthadka village in the Bantwal district of Karnataka. The couple , recuperating in a hospital, has filed a criminal case against the priest.
The statement of the Public Relations Officer, Castelino said that the diocese would cooperate with the police investigation in the matter.
“We will also conduct an internal probe”, the statement added. Mangalore now Mangaluru, is based in the coastal Karnataka region and is considered a Catholic stronghold. Christian influence since the 16the century is reflected in its socio-cultural aspects. The diocese has produced hundreds of missionaries for the Church and has provided 41 bishops and ten archbishops.
