At least 12,000 people thronged India’s western state of Goa on November 21 to participate in the ceremonies marking the start of the once-in-ten-year exposition of St. Francis Xavier’s relics. The 18th expo-sition started with a Mass at the Basilica of Bom Jesus, a 16th-century UNESCO-approved world heritage monument that houses the saint’s body. “We come here as pilgrims to his feet, begging for Goa’s mercy through his intercession,” Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi, who led the Mass, said in his sermon. Four centuries have passed since “his incorrupt body” arrived in Goa from the island of Sancian [now Shangchuan] via Malucca,” the prelate said. Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão of Goa and Daman said the theme of this year’s exposition is “We are messengers of the Good News of Jesus Christ.” “We are called to spread it as St. Francis did in his life,” the prelate said. Goa archdiocese has commissioned a book, Stories in Silver, with photos and text by Pantaleao Fernandes, which will be sold during the exposition. Fernandes said whenever he visited the basilica, he was curious to know the details of the 32-panel plates that adorn the casket. Fernandes told that the book narrates the stories and miracles contained in the panels and also tells the story of St.Francis Xavier’s journey from Europe. After the Mass, the relics were taken out in an electric carriage, deviating from the practice of Catholics carrying them on their shoulders. Over 2,000 men and women formed a human chain to view the relics from the basilica’s entrance to the nearby cathedral, and many joined the procession. According to authorities, all 10,000 chairs set for the visitors were occupied, and many stood to witness the opening ceremony on Nov. 21. The relics were brought down and kept inside the nearby 16th-century cathedral, open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. “We expect 8 million people to visit this year,” Father Henry Falcao, diocesan convener of the exposi-tion committee, told.
Christians appeal Indian govt to restore peace in Manipur
A Christian ecumenical body has urged India’s federal government to restore peace in Manipur state, where life was disrupted by the latest bout of violence between indigenous Christians and Meitei Hindus. “The gravity of the situation cannot be overstated. The peo-ple of Manipur are caught in a state of utter hopelessness and insecurity,” said Reverend Asir Ebenezer, general secretary of the National Council of Chur-ches in India (NCCI), repre-senting Protestant and Ortho-dox Churches in the country. In a public appeal on Nov. 19, the NCCI referred to the brutal killing of 20 people, including women and children, since Nov. 7 in the state bordering civil war-hit Myanmar. “Fami-lies have been torn apart, and entire communities have been displaced from their homes. Children cannot continue their studies,” it said. The NCCI also referred to the miseries caused to the people by the acute shortage of basic nece-ssities such as food, health-care, and transport facilities. “The continued instability is eroding the very social fabric of Manipur, and the toll on the mental and physical well-being of the people is staggering,” it said. The spate of violence began on May 3 last year and has claimed around 250 lives besides displacing some 60,000 people, mostly Christians. Over 360 Churches have been destroyed. “We condemn the violence in the strongest terms and express our grave concern over the lack of sufficient and timely intervention by the authorities,” the NCCI said.
Tribal Christians hail secular alliance’s win in India’s Jharkhand
Tribal Christian leaders have welcomed a secular regio-nal party returning to power in India’s eastern Jharkhand state in the recently concluded polls. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which advocates tribal people’s rights and interests, secured 34 seats in the 81-seat state assembly. Its secular allies, including the Indian National Congress and socialist and communist parties, won 22 seats, bringing the alliance tally to 56 when the results were announced on November 23. “More than happiness, tribal Christians are relieved they won’t have to live in fear and uncertainty under a BJP government,” said Ratan Tirkey, a former member of the Jharkhand government’s tribal advisory panel. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could secure only 21 seats. Smaller parties, including those allied with the BJP, won the rest of the seats. The JMM-led alliance impro-ved its performance with 56 seats, up from 47 in the 2019 election, and its leader, Hemant Soren, will again be the chief minister. Tirkey told that the BJP tried its “best to polarize the voters” based on religion and caste “but did not succe-ed.” Tirkey, a tribal Catholic leader, said the JMM is favo-urable to Christians. “Hence, we are planning to put forth some of our long pending demands like the revival of subsidies for pilgrimages in and outside India for Christians, and establishment of a minority commission office to ensure the welfare of minority commu-nities in the state,” he said.
Contextualized academic research attempts conflict resolution
A premier college in violence hit Manipur state conducted a three-day innovative Faculty Deve-lopment Program Workshop on Innovative Research Writing, November 21-23. The faculty members of Don Bosco College Autonomous Maram who belonged to the different communities of the state having experienced or known persons who were affected by the ongoing conflict participated in the workshop. The college is headed by Dr Sebastian Karot the principal and noted historian of the region. Former Salesian College Siliguri and Sonada Principal and General Coordinator of Salesian Higher Education International (SHEI) Global Network, Rome, Italy Prof. George Thadathil was the resource person. During the workshop, participants identified the conflict causes from their perspective and prepared conflict resolution document on Manipur 2023-24 with possible solutions. They intend to make their findings known to the government of India and the United Nations through the Salesian Representative member at United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York.
Indian Baptist pastor arrested for ‘magical healing’
Police in India’s Assam state have arrested a Baptist pastor on charges of violating a newly enacted law that curbs magical healing after he prayed over some tribal people in a village. Pastor Pranjal Bhuyan was arrested on Nov. 22 in the northeastern state for violating the Assam Magical Healing (Prevention of Evil Practices) Act and attempting to convert people to Christianity. He has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days, police said. Bhuyan was arrested in Upper Golaghat district after a resident of Padampur village complained that the pastor was trying to convert tribal people, claiming to heal their illness through prayers. The state law came into force in March purportedly to create science-based knowledge and a safe environment to protect human health. It also aims to end evil and sinister practices that thrive on ignorance and people’s ill health. The law criminalizes practices resorting to magical healing and stipulates a three-year jail term and a fine for violations. “We had objected to the bill when it was introduced in the state assembly. The bill targets minorities like Christians and Musli-ms,” Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati in Assam told on Nov. 26. Under the law, people can be arrested when they pray for their relatives, said Moolachira, who is the president of the Assam Christian Forum. Prayer is a universal practice used to invoke divine intervention. The prelate observed that labeling it as a “magical healing” is misleading. “Healing is not synonymous with proselytization,” he said, adding that lawyers have been engaged in helping the pastor get bail. “We are planning to meet next month to discuss the controversial law,” Moolachira said. The Hindu right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) runs the state government. The BJP and its supporters oppose Christian missionary work, considering it a challenge to their aim of establishing Hindu hegemony in India.
Teen rep at COP29 made climate ambassador
A student delegate from Don Bosco School Park Circus, Kolkata at COP29 held in Baku Azerbaijan last week, was declared Climate Ambassador by United Nations Agency for Develop-ment and Peace (UNADAP).
The citation presented to 14 year old student Swanik Choudhury of Class 9 reads: We commend your invaluable contribution as part of the official delegation to COP29. Your efforts have been recognised by the Secretariat, and we commend your commitment to mitigating climate change through responsible steward-ship, dedicated advocacy, and align-ment with the UNFCCC and UNSDG goals. Your participation exemplifies the spirit of global cooperation needed to drive impactful and sustainable change. The citation is signed by Executive Director of UNADAP Dr Dominic F Dixon.
Swanik, a minor, who traveled with his mother Swati Chowdhury, a teacher in the same school says, “Meeting campaigners and activists from around the world reinforced my belief in the power of unity.”
Assam college marks Constitution Day
Faculty members and students of a college in Upper Assam marked 75th anniversary of the adoption of Indian Constitution with seminar, pledge taking and medley of patriotic songs on Nov. 26.
Faculty members and students of Don Bosco College Golaghat, the second oldest Salesian Educational Centre in Assam started in 1941 cele-brated the constitution in the presence of Coordinator of Salesian Higher Education and Vice Chancellor of Don Bosco University Guwahati.
“The event was a significant occasion aimed at fostering awareness and appreciation of constitutional values among students and faculty members,” says Principal of the college, Dr. Fr. A. Amaladoss. The principal called on both students and faculty members, “to embrace their fundamental duties as citizens and to unite as brothers and sisters in upholding the values enshrined in the Constitution.”
To add a patriotic flair to the celebration, students from B.A. 3rd Semester performed a stirring patriotic songs led by Wangli Lowang and his team. Additionally, a vibrant dance performance by Ansila Dung Dung and her team captivated the audience, showcasing their artistic talents while celebrating national pride.
The program ended on a high note with everyone singing the National Anthem.
Irish bishops reject assisted suicide
The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference said that it “totally rejects” a recommendation the incoming government should legalise assisted suicide in restricted circumstances.
Speaking before Ireland’s general election on Friday, 29 November, the bishops said in a statement: “Over recent years, we have witnessed a diminution in the respect for human life in our political discourse.” “The value of people’s lives seems to be calculated as if it were simply part of a cost-benefit analysis. Where is the hope in this?” they challenged.
They suggested that as well as questioning candidates about their stance on assisted suicide, voters should also question them about their position on abor-tion. Since the introduction of what they termed “a very liberal abortion law” in 2018, 40,000 abortions have been carried out in Ireland.
The bishops noted that some politicians want to liberalise the abortion law, while efforts are made to make legislative provision for assisted dying. “We totally reject that recommendation because a fundamental principle of civilised society is that no person can lawfully take the life of another,” they said.
Pope warns Vatican pension fund needs urgent reform as employees demand transparency
Pope Francis, who has imposed a series of cost-cutting measures across the cash-strapped Vatican, warned Nov. 21 that the city state’s troubled pension fund needs urgent reform to guarantee future obligations.Vatican employees responded by expressing concern that their compensation might be targeted in any further cost-cutting to shore up the pension system, and asked for the fund’s finances to be made public.
In a letter to Vatican department heads and cardinals, Francis said he had named a top economic adviser, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, as a special administrator for the fund, suggesting that decisive, immediate action was necessary. The letter was the latest evidence of the Vatican’s precarious financial situation, after years of mismanagement, financial scandals and budget deficits – all worsened by COVID-19 and the monthslong closures of a key source of revenue, the Vatican Museums.
Already, Francis has cut cardinals’ salaries by 10%, suspended some seniority bonuses, trimmed special stipends for Rome-based cardinals and begun charging some market-rate rents for their apartments. The pension fund has long been the source of particular concern, and in the new letter Francis acknowledged that the current analysis “indicates a serious prospective imbalance in the fund, the size of which tends to expand over time in the absence of intervention.” “In concrete terms, this means that the current system is unable to guarantee in the medium term the fulfillment of the pension obligation for future generations,” he wrote.
The Association of Lay Vatican Employees, the closest thing the Vatican has to a labour union, voiced alarm at Francis’ warning about their pensions, insisting that lay employees had already sacrificed enough in his cost-cutting initiatives and that the Vatican leadership should listen to workers’ concerns.
Vatican to Host Global Summit on Children’s Rights: A Bold Call to Action
On November 20, Pope Francis made a significant announcement during his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square: the Vatican will host the “World Meeting on Children’s Rights”, titled “Love Them and Protect Them,” on February 3, 2024. Surrounded by a throng of children, the pontiff emphasized the urgent need to address the plight of millions of children worldwide who remain deprived of their basic rights.
The event will bring together experts and leaders from various nations to explore innovative strategies for safeguarding children who face exploitation, abuse, war, and extreme poverty. In a heartfelt gesture, Pope Francis highlighted the role children themselves will play in preparing for this historic day, symbolizing the essence of empowerment and inclusion.
“Millions of children live in precarious conditions, are exploited and mistreated, and suffer the devastating consequences of conflict,” Pope Francis stated, marking the occasion of the International Day of the Rights of the Child. “This meeting is an opportunity to identify new ways to help and protect them.” The announcement resonated deeply with those gathered, particularly the children present, who rushed to embrace the Holy Father. This visible connection underscored the Pope’s profound commitment to fostering a world where the youngest and most vulnerable are seen and valued.