Denying burial to Priyanka Chopra's granny against Christianity: Bishop

Kottayam: The denial of burial to actress Priyanka Chopra`s grandmother by the Church here was against the principles of Christianity, said a bishop here on Friday.

The incident occurred last week when the body of Mary John Akhouri was brought to the St John`s Attamangalam Jacobite Syrian Church at Kumarakom, the famed tourist destination, for the last rites.

Mary John Akhouri, who hails from Kumarakom, is the maternal grandmother of actress Priyanka Chopra.

Incidentally, this Church is the home parish of Mary John`s parents and her parents are buried in the Church cemetery.

According to Mary John`s relatives, it was her last wish that she be buried along with her parents in the church cemetery here.

When the body was brought here from Mumbai, a section of the Church stoutly resisted the burial, forcing Priyanka to look elsewhere. Then Bishop Thomas Mar Thimeothios, of the Jacobite Syrian Church, who knew Mary John well, came to the rescue and took the lead for the burial at another Church in the same district.

Speaking to reporters here, Bishop Thomas Mar Thimeothios said the action of the local Church was not in tune with Christian principles.

"What happened was neither humane nor was it in tune with Christian principles," said Thimeothios.

The actress was heartbroken when she was told that the burial will not be allowed at her grandmother`s ancestral church.

The actress was very close to her grandmother and was deeply saddened by the action of the local church committee.

The Church which denied the burial place happens to be the erstwhile ancestral church of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy`s mother.