'Nobody gets drunk on church wine': Kerala priest's Facebook video goes viral, stirs debate

A priest associated with the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church has posted two videos on Facebook, defending the usage of wine for mass at churches in Kerala and the level of alcohol content in it.

The videos, from Fr Rinju P Koshy, have come at a time when the social media is witnessing several debates for and against usage of wine in churches in Kerala, with many suggesting churches should either do away with it or use non-alcoholic wine for mass instead.

"No one gets drunk by consuming the wine given during mass," the priest tells doubting Thomases.

Fr Rinju, an Orthodox priest, has now defended the tradition on his Facebook page. In the videos, he can be seen explaining the process behind the making of wine for church and the manner in which it is served during mass.

Also read: After pushing for liquor ban, archbishop now demands 900% more wine for church

The priest said that the wine used for mass has only five per cent alcohol content, which is reduced even further when mixed with equal amounts of water. The alcohol content in cough syrups is way more, he pointed out.

Fr Rinju also stressed that church doesn't view people who consume alcohol as "sinners" though they would always try and encourage believers to leave the habit.

The post with the two videos have been shared over 2,600 times by Facebook users, stirring strong debates, while the first video alone has been shared another 2,500 times. The videos are also circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.

• Kerala
• church wine