Churches to restrict parking within 40ft; prohibit large bags

Gracias along with Maulana Mahmood Madani, the general secretary of Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind (body of Islamic scholars), also issued a joint statement condemning the terror attacks in Sri Lanka.

Two weeks after 257 people were killed in suicide bombings across three churches and four hotels in Sri Lanka, the churches in the city are contemplating measures to upgrade their security.

Churches to restrict parking within 40ft; prohibit large bags(AP)

Nigel Barrett, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Bombay – the apex body for Roman Catholic churches in the city – told HT that they are planning to restrict vehicle parking 40 feet away from the church. There will also be a prohibition on haversacks and large bags being allowed inside the church premises. The decision was taken during a meeting conducted by the archbishop of Mumbai, cardinal Oswald Gracias, with priests from the Roman Catholic churches on Thursday.

“Last week, the archbishop held at meeting at his house, which was attended by representatives of various churches and the Mumbai police commissioner. Based on those discussions, we decided to take these measures,” Barrett said.

He added that the cardinal has also asked the priests in-charge of various churches to take all necessary security measures after consultation with the local police.

Gracias along with Maulana Mahmood Madani, the general secretary of Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind (body of Islamic scholars), also issued a joint statement condemning the terror attacks in Sri Lanka.

“Apart from causing loss of innocent lives, terrorist attacks leave an impact on the peace and harmony of society. It is the duty of all religious leaders to stand up and use all our resources to cleanse society of this evil,” read the statement.