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A.P. Varkey mission a model worth emulating: Cardinal

By Our Staff Reporter

Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of the Syro Malabar Church, flanked by the CPI(M) leaders, K. Chandran Pillai, MP (left) and the party district secretary, Gopi Kottamurickal, at the inaugural function of the Pain Relief and Palli ative Care Centre of the A. P. Varkey Mission Hospital, Ayarkunnam, on Wednesday.

KOCHI, JUNE 30. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) had set an example in the A.P. Varkey Mission Hospital for other political parties to imitate, Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of the Syro Malabar Church, has said.

The Cardinal was inaugurating the Pain Relief and Palliative Care centre of the hospital at Ayarkunnam here today.

The CPI(M) had always worked for the uplift of the poor, the Cardinal said. The hospital was raised with public contributions in memory of A.P. Varkey who was the Ernakulam district president of the CPI(M).

The Cardinal did not comment on reports in a section of the press that the CPI(M) and the Church were surprised by his decision to participate in a function that was directly linked to the CPI(M). He looked perfectly at home on the dais flanked by K. Chandran Pillai, MP, S. Sarma, former Minister, and Gopi Kottamurickal, party district secretary.

The Cardinal did not make much of the newspaper reports as he drew a parallel between the strong relationship that existed between Mother Teresa and the former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu.

The inaugural function began without a prayer, but the Cardinal lighted a traditional lamp to signal an auspicious beginning to the Pain Relief and Palliative Care centre. As Mr. Pillai and Mr. Kottamurickal joined the Cardinal in lighting the lamp, fire-crackers were burst and the small gathering of party workers, hospital employees and others were on their feet.

The secretary of the mission, M.M. Monayi, welcomed the gathering.

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