From The States

Cardinal Ferrão attributes success of Indian Church’s charitable to God’s providence

The head of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) attributed the remarkable growth of the charitable initiative ‘Communio’ to divine providence during an event at Sacred Heart Church in Pethapur, Gujarat. “Communio embodies the spirit of solidarity, echoing the early Church’s unity and the power of the Holy Spirit,” said Cardinal Filipe Neri […]

INDIA’S “ENGINEER BISHOP” DIES

Bishop George Mamalassery, who had helped transform a remote and hazardous northeastern Indian region into a modern place, died July 5 due to severe respiratory issues. He was 92. He served the diocese of Tura for 28 years from 1979. The government of Meghalaya had honored Bishop Mamalassery with the Pa Togan Sangma award that […]

India’s oldest archbishop dies

Christians in India have mourned the death of the nation’s oldest Archbishop Alphonsus Mathias, who attended the Second Vatican Council as a participant bishop. The 96-year-old retired archbishop of Bengaluru died at St. John’s Medical College in Bengaluru, the capital of southern Karnataka, due to age-related ailments. “We have lost a great visionary who introduced […]

Church leaders slam public flogging of Indian couple

Church leaders and rights activists have condemned the public flogging of a man and woman accused of adultery in a northern Indian state. “The public flogging of man and woman is terrible and has disturbed me… I have read media reports and watched the video. No one can take the law into their own hands […]

Church leaders slam jail term for Indian activist

Church leaders have condemned an Indian court order to jail for five months a well-known social activist at the center of a 23-year-old libel suit. Medha Patkar, a renowned human rights activist, was sentenced by a metropolitan court in the national capital New Delhi on July 1 in a case filed by the current Delhi […]

13 Christians jailed in northern Indian state

A Protestant pastor along with his wife, and three other pastors are among 13 Christians jailed in separate incidents in a northern Indian state over allegations of religious conversion. “It is an alarming situation. Within 20 days, 13 people went to prison because of their faith in Jesus Christ,” said a Christian leader who is […]

India’s 12th state plans law to criminalize conversions

Yet another Indian state has announced plans to enact a draconian anti-conversion law, which is often used to harass Christians in the country. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the north-we-stern state of Rajasthan dis-closed its intent to curb religious conversions in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the country’s top court, on […]

Teresa nuns closure of centre surprises neighbours in Kottayam

Neighbours of Shanti Bhavan (home of peace), a Missionaries of Charity centre in Kerala’s Kottayam town, have expressed surprise at the closure of the centre that had served the poor and destitute for half a century. The centre, opened by Mother Teresa in 1974, was closed June 21. “We do not know why they closed […]

Eviction-facing Indian Catholics to fight Muslim charity’s claims

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica