From The States

Cardinal Gracias re-elected bishops’ conference president

Card. Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, on February 17 reelected president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India for a second term. The election took place on the fifth day of the conferences’ 34 plenary assembly at St John’s Medical College in Bengaluru, capital of Karnataka. The 75-year-old cardinal is among the six advisers of […]

RSS chief’s divorce remarks “regressive foolish”: Sonam Kapoor

Actor Sonam Kapoor jumped headlong into a controversial debate by calling Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comments on divorce “regressive” in a tweet on Feb. 17. “Which sane man speaks like this? Regressive foolish statements,” Sonam Kapoor tweeted, responding sharply to the news report on the RSS chief’s comments.

Indian Church mourns pioneer of interreligious dialogue

The Catholic Church in India has mourned the death of Msgr Hilary Rodrigues, a pioneer of Interreligious dialogue in India and close friend of Saint Teresa of Kolkata. He was 93. The monsignor died on Feb. 20 from old age ailments at the Clergy Home, Bandra, Mumbai suburb, where he resting after a surgery a […]

India’s ‘Singing Bishop’ dies

Retired Bishop Valerian D’Souza of Poona, who was known as the singing prelate of India, died on Feb 25. He was 86. The funeral was held at 11:30 am on February 27 at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Pune. Bishop D’Souza was born in Pune on October 3, 1933. He completed his Bachelor of Science course in […]

Indian Franciscans respond to the current challenges with their historical roots

The Indian Franciscan Major Superiors, 97 of them from all over India gathered together in the Orlong Hada hill area in Meghalaya in North Eastern India to spend four days (from Feb 17 to 20) of deep personal and collective reflection on their lives and their various apostolates to society, especially to the least and […]

Dialogue only way forward for social harmony: Cardinal Gracias

Cardinal Oswald Gracias, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, says consistent dialogue with all sections of people is important and necessary to maintain unity and harmony in society. “Dialogue is the tapestry of different cultures, languages and ethnic diversity and the Church has always stood for service of society,” the cardinal, who is […]

Church leaders wary of Kerala’s burial rights bill

Catholic Church leaders in Kerala have expressed apprehension about the state’s communistled government proposing a new law on the burial rights of Christians. The proposed law has several aspects that need clarification to ensure that it does not end up obscuring the rights and freedom Christians currently enjoy, Cardinal George Alencherry, major archbishop of the […]

Proclaim good news through joyful service: Nuncio

Apostolic Nuncio to India Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro on February 13 urged Catholic bishops in the country to lead their people in proclaiming the good news through joyful services. Nearly 200 bishops representing 174 dioceses in India are currently attending their biennial plenary assembly at Bengaluru’s St John’s Academy of Medical Sciences. Speaking at the opening […]

Indian bishops slam terror attack on tourists in India’s Kashmir

No action taken against police who assaulted Catholic priests in India