Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 3 (IANS): A day after Rev Kuriakose Mattem, a Catholic priest in Kerala took membership of the BJP and was quickly moved out as Vicar of the St Thomas Catholic Church in Idukki district, the case will now be heard by the higher ups, according to a Church spokesperson.

Rev Fr Jins Karakattil, the spokesperson of the Idukki dioceses, said the Church premises cannot be used for party work.

“At the moment, he has been moved out as the vicar and we will be forming a Commission to look into it. The priest who took this decision will be asked to appear before the Commission as the Church wishes to know about it and then a decision will be arrived,” said Karakattil.

The orders of his temporary removal as vicar was given by the Idukki diocese of Catholic Church to which he is attached an hour after news surfaced thathe has taken the saffron party membership.

BJP sources claimed that this is the first time a Catholic priest in Kerala has joined the saffron party.

The 62-year-old Catholic priest after joining the party said that he did not agree to the common belief that the BJP is not the party for Christians.

In Kerala, Christians constitute about 18 per cent of the state's 3.30 crore population.