With the risk of war escalating between India and Pakistan following an Indian airstrike inside Pakistan on Feb 26, a Pakistani bishop has appealed for peace talks. The Indian government claimed it carried out air raids against an Islamist militant training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed, killing “a very large number” of fighters, raising the risk of a war between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Pakistan denied there had been any casualties but condemned the Indian action and vowed it would respond.

The airstrike near the town of Balakot, some 50 kilometres from the IndoPakistani border was the deepest crossborder raid launched by India since the last of its three wars with Pakistan in 1971. Tensions between the south-Asian neighbours have escalated dramatically since a suicide car bomb attack on Feb. 14 that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir.

The Pakistan-based Islamist Jaish group claimed responsibility for the attack.

“We condemn the terrorist attacks in Kashmir, but also any armed reaction: we ask God to change the hearts of men to stop any act that may lead to war,” said Pakistani Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad. “Let us pray for the victims and pray for peace between India and Pakistan,” he told the Vatican’s Fides news agency.

In December 2001, Jaish fighters, along with members of another Pakistanbased militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, launched an attack on India’s parliament, which almost led to a fourth war.

A Catholic nun, who has promoted women’s hygiene in Indian villages for years, on February 26 expressed happiness that a documentary on menstruation has won an Oscar award. “We are very happy,” Sister Liza Ignatius, gynecologist at Our Lady of Graces Hospital in Sardhana, in the northern Indian State of Uttar Pradesh.

The documentary film “Period – End of Sentence,” available on Netflix, on February 25 won the Best Documentary category at the 91st Academy Awards.

The documentary by American-Iranian director Rayka Zehtabchi tells the difficulties of seven Indian women working in a small sanitary towel factory, since their use is considered unacceptable.

According to Sister Ignatius, the award “is good news for us who serve poor women in rural areas. This will help us to improve our initiatives in favour of women’s hygiene.”

“My patients are very poor and come from rural villages. We regularly organize programs and courses on women’s issues, such as menstrual hygiene. The hospital is at the service of the poorest of the poor,” Sister Ignatius says.

A Salesian social development agency has been awarded the first Father Edward D’souza Memorial award meant to honour services rendered to the poor and under privileged.

The Sahayini Social Development Society Vocational Training Centre was given the award on Feb. 23 at a function in Mumbai.

Sister Rosaline Pereira, in charge of Sahayini received the award from Auxiliary Bishop Savio Dominic Fernandes of Bombay archdiocese.

Sahayini has trained and placed 500 marginalized youth and contributed social advancement of the poor.

Adrian Rosario, a member of Bombay catholic Sabha and in-charge of the award selection team said the Sabha instituted the award to perpetuate the memory of Father Edward D’souza, the Sabha’s chaplain who passed away four years ago.

Sahayini Social Development was created to provide programs and services to the poorer and needy children, adolescent girls, women through the community centres established in various locations of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Goa.

A national consultation “We Too Are Church” has appealed for the convening of Vatican III. In an era of breaking news, and shifting goal posts, it is not enough to hark back to Vatican II that concluded 54 years ago. It is now time for Vatican III to address the rapidly mutating issues faced by the church in the modern world, says a press release from the consultation.

As many as 60 delegates from 15 Indian states attended the Feb 9-11 consultation held at Proggaloy Pastoral Centre, Kolkata. The gathering of lay leaders, clergy and religious was a collective response to the various political and moral crises that the church finds itself embroiled in, without an adequate or credible response, the press release explains. It also says “Pastoral Letters” on elections issued by three archbishops and the alleged rape of a nun by a bishop have attracted a hostile press. The bishops of Kerala in a recent statement have labelled those raising their voices as “enemies of the church,” it adds.

A student union in Aruna chal on Feb. 25 organized a peaceful candlelight rally and fundraising campaign to support the families of the four boys who were killed in police firing.

“Our four brave hearts have laid their lives for us and for our future generations. It is because of their supreme sacrifice, the Arunachal government has decided not to table the Permanent Citizen Bill in state assembly again,” Sengman Ronrang, president of the Tangsa Students Union’s Changlang district, told the rally at Miao.

“The lost lives will not come back again but they will live in our hearts forever. We must stand together and support the families of our brave men who sacrificed their lives today for our tomorrow,” Ronrang added.

The rally urged welfare societies to generously contribute to the fund.

Nearly 500 people took part in the rally that saw the participation of Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society, Yobin Welfare Society, Yobin Youth Association, Galo Welfare Society, Tagin Student Union, Singpho Women Organization, Muklom Elite Society, Singpho Development Society, officers, public leaders and Church representatives.

“We are not against anyone. We are a very peace loving community. Impulsive decisions without reference to the true sentiments of the people of the state and the untimely death of the four young lives all could have been easily avoided. We have come here to condole the death of our brave boys and to express our solidarity with the bereaved families,” said Ms. Pinna Kitnal, a women leader from the district.