Bishop Thomas Chakiath on Cardinal Pareckattil

Another remarkable instance of his prophetic and readical action was his decision to sell the golden (pectoral) cross of the late Bishop Louis Pazheparambil and of Archbishop Augustine Kandathil, his predecessor, and of his own and to donate the amount to the educational fund he had founded in 1967. Tha Archdiocese has the history of selling a golden cross of the Angamaly parish for raising funds for the construction of St.Joseph's High School, Angamaly. One is reminded here of St Armbrose, the courageous bishop of Milan, who exhorted his priests not to hoard gold in the possession of the Church but to spend it for those who were in need. He even advised the clergy to break up the sacred golden vessels and ornaments of the Church and even the "mystic cup", if necessary to ransom the captives and help the poor.