Light of Truth

Category: From The States

  • Catholic Forum calls for Vatican III

    Catholic Forum calls for Vatican III

    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.

  • Arunachal students raise fund for police firing victims

    Arunachal students raise fund for police firing victims

    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.

  • GUJARAT’S CHRISTIANS RALLY FOR PEACE

    Over February 17-18, thousands of Christians participated in peace rallies in Ahmedabad, organised by various churches in support of the martyrs of the Pulwama terror attack.

    This is probably the first time that the Christian community in Gujarat, which usually keeps a low profile and stays away from political matters, organised a rally on an issue not related as such purely to their own community.

    Different Christian denominations came together for a peace rally in Maninagar in East Ahmedabad on February 17, where members of the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of North India (CNI), the Methodist Church, Salvation Army and Alliance Church gathered in the thousands for a silent candle march.

  • Peace convention stresses women’s equal right

    Peace convention stresses women’s equal right

    Society expects women to console and love others, but it does not realize that women also need to be consoled and loved, a woman police officer has told a peace convention.

    “Women have the right to be consoled and loved,” asserted Anuradha Shankar, additional director general of police of Madhya Pradesh, at the inauguration of the fifth national peace convention at Shofar Conference Centre Gurgaon, Haryana, on January 30, the 71st death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

    The police officer cited the example of Gandhi’s wife Kasturba who played a crucial role in India’s independence struggle. “Gandhiji became Mahatma because of the support of Kasthurba, Shankar said.

    “While Gandhiji learned from the books, Kasturba learned from the book of life. Kasturba had the courage to organize protest of women in South Africa. Similarly she was leading the anti-liquor movement in Bardoli while Gandhiji was leading the Dandi March,” she explained.

  • Supreme Court denies bail to jailed Mother Teresa nun

    Supreme Court denies bail to jailed Mother Teresa nun

    India’s Supreme Court has rejected bail for a Missionaries of Charity nun arrest-ed and remanded in custody in the eastern State of Jharkhand six months ago on suspicion of child trafficking. The top court turned down the plea from MC Sister Concilia on Jan. 29 on grounds that police had not yet pressed charges in the case. However, the court left the door open for her to file another application and also told the police to file formal charges soon. Sister Concilia, who headed the Nirmal Hriday (tender heart) home for unmarried mothers in Jharkhand’s State capital Ranchi, was initially remanded in judicial custody for 14 days on July 5.

  • Christian bodies slam Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Mother Teresa comment

    Christian bodies slam Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Mother Teresa comment

    Aggrieved over the unwarranted comments made by Baba Ramdev that Mother Teresa had got Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India, just because she was a Christian, the members of Telangana Christian Association and United Christian Association in Mahbubnagar district termed the comments of Baba Ramdev as motivated and unwarranted.

    They said that India is a secular country and every citizen has the right to serve the country and its people. They said Mother Teresa had served the humanity and the downtrodden and even orphan-ed children and people suffering from leprosy and spread the message of love and peace in the society.

    Her services are acknowledged worldwide and she was being regarded as angle of poor, downtrodden and deceased. She gave them food, treat-ed them for their diseases, gave education and made them lead a happy life and Government of India recognised her unparalleled services and bestowed her with the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, and not because of her being a Christian, opined the Association members.

  • Indian reappointed as Divine Word Society’s province in Europe

    Indian reappointed as Divine Word Society’s province in Europe

    An Indian has been reappointed the provincial of the Divine Word Society’s the Netherlands-Belgium Province (NEB).

    Father Avin Kunnekkaden was the first non-European to head the province when he was elected first time in 2016. His second term will last from May 1 this year to April 30, 2023. Father Kunnekkaden was born in 1960 at Kalady, Kerala, and ordained a priest in 1992.

  • Protect members from sexual harassment: Women major superiors urged

    An advocacy group for Catholic religious has urged major superiors of women’s congregation to ensure that their members are protected against sexual harassment. The Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace, in a press release on February 3, also asked the superiors to report to “appropriate civil and ecclesial authorities” any crime against their members.

    This was the advice given by the Union of International Superiors General (UISG) as well as various papal documents; the Ranchi-based forum reminds the superiors. The press release was issues in response to the guidelines issued by the Permanent Synod of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church, through a circulated dated January 18, to ensure “discipline” within the Church.

    “There is a legitimate apprehension among the faithful that with such diktats, the concept of the Church as the People of God is gradually being eroded,” regrets the press release that was endorsed by 78 priests, nuns and lay persons in India.

    It underscores that the Church is the body of Christ where freedom, fraternity and equality among members as well as servant leadership are cherished values.

    “Sadly, the recent happenings in the Church and the present attitude of the Bishop’s Synod do not reflect this self-understanding of the Church as seen in the teachings of Vatican II and explicitly shown by Pope Francis through his prophetic words and example,” the press release says. The forum also asserts that “religious vows are not bonds of slavery as the circular seems to convey, but are diadems signifying freedom and liberation from human limitations.”

  • Church body for Catholic stance on political situation

    The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) Council for Laity, one of the influential Christian bodies in the country, has launched a nationwide drive to formulate a Catholic stance on the current political situation in the country ahead of the general elections.

    The Council for Laity will organize a series of events in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections to raise issues within the community like attacks on churches, growing danger of communalism and challenges to Catholic faith in India. After the exercise, which will take the campaign to the grass roots, a report will be submitted to CBCI on March 10 to firm up a position. CBCI has 14 regional councils and 174 Diocesan Pastoral Council. Among the topics that will be thrown up for discussion include violation of constitutional rights and denial of minority welfare schemes to Christians, challenges to areas of service like educational institutions, hospitals and orphanages and growing dangers of communalism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured Catholic Church leaders that their concerns about the attack on churches and other issues will be looked into.

  • Bishop stalls transfer of nuns out of Kuruvilangadu convent

    Taking a serious note of the attempts to move the nuns, who were part of the public protest against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, out of the Kuravilangadu convent, Bishop Agnelo of the Jalandhar diocese has directed the Missionaries of Jesus congregation to withhold their transfer orders till the case is over.

    In an e-mail addressed to the five nuns, a copy of which is with The Hindu, the Bishop said that he was giving a directive to Regina Kadamthottu, Superior General of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation, not to issue any letters to the five nuns without his explicit permission.

    “This will be an order to her from me as Apostolic Administrator in charge of the Congregation – since it is of Diocesan Right, it comes under me,” read the letter.

    The letter also sought to assure the nuns that there would be no move from the Diocese of Jalandhar to oust them from Kuravilangad Convent as long as they were needed for the court case. “The truth will only emerge when all the evidence is presented. I am sure the Church would want the truth to emerge,” it noted.