The Goa Church on Saturday appeared to defend a priest whose remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others had triggered a row and invited scrutiny by the Election Commission.
In a release issued on Saturday, the Church also talked about the "selective treatment being meted out" against the backdrop of the controversy, but didn't elaborate.
The Church also observed that it was duty-bound spiritually to express on the moral aspects of the "ongoing socio-political situations".
A row erupted after a video of speech made by the priest, Concessao D'Silva had surfaced, in which he is seen strongly criticising the BJP, its president Amit Shah, the PM and late Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
D'Silva had apologised to the Election Commission after it ordered an inquiry into the alleged hate speech on the treatment of ruling BJP.
He had made the statement while delivering a sermon in a church.
"In the light of recent controversies, and the selective treatment meted out, the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP)wants to clarify that it is customary and traditional in the Catholic Church to denounce evil and promote good values in society," said a release.
"Priests are bound to conscientise the laity and to help it interpret the socio-political realities of the day, subject, of course to the restrictions laid down by the law," it added.
The Church clarified that its "silence and restraint" should not be interpreted as endorsement of any wrongdoing, "and ought not to be taken advantage of by vested interests, to confuse the public".
"The Church,through her representatives,has the right and spiritual duty to express herself on the moral aspects of the on-going socio-political situations and offer guidance for the building of a just and humane society," it added.
