Catholics across India have been invited to observe a special Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace in the Middle East on March 13. The call was made by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI).

The day is part of the Week of Prayer for Peace, which is being observed from March 8 to March 14. The initiative was announced by the bishops as violence and tensions continue in several parts of the Middle East.

Church leaders have encouraged the faithful to offer fasting, prayer, and personal sacrifices for peace in the troubled region. They are also asked to pray for the protection of innocent people who are suffering because of the conflicts and for wisdom for world leaders working for peace and reconciliation.

The bishops have also asked Catholics to remember the many Indians who live and work in Middle Eastern countries. Many of them support their families in India and contribute greatly to both the Church and society. The faithful have been urged to pray in a special way for their safety and well-being.

During the week, Catholics have been encouraged to pray the Holy Rosary every day, asking the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, for harmony and justice in the region.

Parishes, families, and prayer groups across India have been invited to take part in the March 13 observance. Church leaders hope that united prayer and sacrifice will help bring peace, healing, and hope to people suffering from violence in the Middle East.

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) Commission for Women organized its Second National Resource Team Training Programme from March 9 to 11 at Nava Spoorthy Kendra in Bengaluru. The programme brought together 33 women leaders from five regions across India to strengthen leadership and promote safeguarding within the Church.

The three-day training focused on encouraging women’s active participation in Church life and promoting dignity and equality in communities. Participants attended sessions designed to help them support women’s leadership at parish and diocesan levels.

A major part of the programme discussed the Church’s Pastoral Plan 2033, which aims to increase the participation of women in the mission of the Church in India. Church leaders said the initiative has already gained momentum, with many dioceses across the country taking part in leadership formation programmes.

Participants also discussed important social issues such as gender equality, discrimination, stereotypes, and gender-based violence. Special sessions introduced them to India’s legal protections, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act (POSH). These sessions aimed to help participants promote safer and more respectful environments in Church institutions.

The programme also included daily Eucharistic celebrations and spiritual reflections that encouraged participants to reflect on justice, dignity, and the protection of vulnerable people.

Participants described the training as an important learning experience that helped them better understand their role in strengthening the Church. At the end of the programme, leaders encouraged participants to prepare action plans and share the training in their dioceses, helping build stronger women’s leadership across the Church in India.

Tensions between religious communities in Kopena village of Nabarangpur district in Odisha have led to the closure of a local church, leaving several Christian families afraid and unable to freely practise their faith.

The church, used by around 30 Christian families, was locked on January 25 after disagreements between the Christian community and the majority Hindu population in the village. Since then, Christian residents say they have faced threats and restrictions on their religious activities.

According to villagers, tensions increased on the day the church was closed. Two young Christian men, Jolander and John Santa, were reportedly beaten when they tried to record a video of the church being locked. The incident created fear among many families in the community.

Local authorities say they are aware of the dispute and have formed a peace committee to address the issue. Officials said the disagreement is mainly about the ownership of the land where the church stands, claiming that it belongs to the government.

However, the village pastor said the land was legally purchased in 2007 and that the church has been used for worship for many years.

The situation became more serious after the death of a 13-year-old Christian boy. His family said they were prevented from conducting the burial according to Christian rites in the village. The burial was later carried out on private land in the presence of police officials.

Christian groups say such incidents reflect growing hostility toward Christians in India. Meanwhile, Christian families in the village say they now gather and pray quietly in their homes, hoping the situation will improve.

The Supreme Court of India on March 11 allowed the withdrawal of life support from a man who has been in a vegetative state for more than ten years. The decision is being described as the first time the court has approved passive euthanasia for a specific individual case in the country.

The patient, Harish Rana, suffered severe head injuries after falling from a building in 2013. Since then, he has remained on life support with no signs of recovery. Doctors said he had almost no chance of regaining consciousness and was fully dependent on others for daily care.

Rana’s parents approached the court seeking permission to remove life support, saying they had tried all possible medical treatments without success. The court accepted their request after reviewing medical reports and legal guidelines.

India officially recognized passive euthanasia in 2018, allowing life support to be withdrawn under strict conditions so that death can occur naturally. However, active euthanasia, in which drugs are used to cause death, remains illegal in the country.

Some Christian leaders welcomed the court’s decision, saying it respected the dignity of human life. They noted that the family had taken every possible step to save the patient before making the request.

The debate about euthanasia in India began years earlier during the famous case of Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse who remained in a vegetative state for decades after a violent attack.

The issue continues to raise ethical and moral questions worldwide, as societies balance compassion for suffering patients with the belief in the sanctity of life.

In the frontier town of Akhnoor in the district of Jammu and Kashmir, a small Christian community continues to live with courage despite poverty and the tension of border conflicts. The town lies close to the Line of Control between India and Pakistan, where occasional firing and military activity often disturb daily life.

Around 130 Christian families live in small villages on the outskirts of Akhnoor. Many of them are third-generation Catholics whose ancestors accepted the Christian faith in the early 20th century when missionaries began working in the region. Most families work in low-paying jobs such as street sweeping or daily wage labor.

Despite these difficulties, many parents are determined to give their children a better future through education. One woman from the community works as a municipal street sweeper but dreams of seeing her son become a teacher. She says honest work gives dignity, and she hopes her child will achieve what she could not.

Border tensions also affect daily life. During shelling near the border, families often stay inside their homes and pray for safety. Yet they continue to hope for a better future.

The local Church plays an important role in supporting the community. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Jammu–Srinagar runs social services, including a shelter home for abandoned women.

Education is another focus. St. Francis Higher Secondary School in Akhnoor provides quality education to many children, including those from poor Christian families.

Even in difficult conditions, the Christian community remains united in faith and continues to hope for a brighter future for the next generation.