From The States

Nun rape survivor resumes court appearance after nine years

A Catholic nun, who survived gangrape, has gone back to a court to give evidence after a gap of nine years. The nun, who cannot be named because of legal reasons, appeared before the district and sessions judge court in Cuttack on August 16 and 17 to give evidence against 18 accused in the case. […]

Hundreds of Pakistan Catholics celebrate Mass outside burned church days after mob attacks

Just four days after a mob of Islamist extremists burned down a Christian community in the Pakistani city of Jaran-wala, over 700 Catholics ga-thered to celebrate Mass out-side the decimated St. Paul Catholic Church on Aug. 20. Despite the incredible de-vastation and widespread fears that another anti-Christian riot would break out, hundreds of Catholics turned […]

For young Indians and Pakistanis, meeting in Lisbon for the WYD is a ‘unique experience’

World Youth Day is a “unique experience” that allows people to get to know others from all over the world. Above all it favours relations between people of nations, often in conflict with each other. This is the case for Indian and Pakistani Catholics, says Godfrey Malu, who hails from the Archdiocese of Bombay (Mumbai). […]

Bishops join leaders to applaud India’s moon mission success

The head of the Catholic Church in India on August 23 joined the nation’s leaders to applaud the Indian Space Research Organization for the success of the country’s third lunar exploration mission. On the same day, when Chandrayaan (moon craft)-3 successfully landed on the lunar surface, India created history as the first country to land […]

Pontifical delegate apprises Pope about Ernakulam-Angamaly crises

Jesuit Archbishop Cyril Vasil, pontifical delegate for Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, has met Pope Francis on his return to the Vatican after his 18-day stay in the southern Indian state of Kerala. A press statement from the Media Commission of the Syro-Malabar Church says the Jesuit archbishop informed the Pope on August 23 about his visit to […]

INDIAN PASTOR, WIFE HELD FOR ALLEGED RELIGIOUS CONVERSION

A Protestant pastor in a northern Indian state has been attacked for allegedly conducting religious conver-sions. Pastor Shyju Joseph was condu-cting Sunday worship on Aug. 6 at his place in Bihar state’s Nawada district. Members of the Bajrang Dal (brigade of Lord Hanuman), a Hindu nationalist organisation, disrupted the service after accusing him of conver-ting […]

Manipur elders declare indefinite fast, prayer for “immature youth”

The elders of Vaishnavite commu-nity in Imphal have declared indefinite fast and prayer after taking moral responsibility for what they call the misdeeds of their immature youth. The declaration came during the third visit of Archbishop Emeritus Thomas Menamparampil to the violence-torn northeastern Indian state.

Mangaluru Catholics remember Jesuit who helped make Indian Republic

The contribution of Jesuit Father Jerome D’Souza as one of the architects of the Indian Constitution was recalled at a function in Mangaluru, southern India. Father D’Souza (1897-1977), a native of Mangaluru, was a member of India’s Constituent Assembly that met 1946-1950 in New Delhi to draft the country’s Constitution that came into effect on […]

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

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica