From The States

2 Indian pastors held for desecrating Sikh holy book

Police in a northern Indian state have arrested two pastors for allegedly desecrating the Sikh holy book.Pastors Vicky Masih and Roop Lal of the Believers Church in Golewala village in Faridkot district in Sikh-majority Punjab state were arrested on April 24 for allegedly tearing out pages from the Sri Gutka Sahib, a pocket-sized book containing […]

Indian archdiocese makes marriage concession amid court battle

A parish in an Indian arch-diocese established to serve a strictly endogamous communi-ty has taken the unprecedented step of permitting a member to marry a Catholic from another diocese. Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Church, Monippally, in the Archeparchy of Kotta-yam. Shijan Kaakkara via Wi-kimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). The pastor of St. Anne’s Knanaya Catholic Church […]

Vatican court rejects appeal over Indian Church land deals

The Church’s highest judicial authority has rejected an appeal to reexamine issues surrounding land deals that provoked uproar among Indian Catholics. In a decree dated Jan. 31, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura dismissed the appeal concerning the proposed sale of two properties and the restitution of land losses sustained by the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Ernakulam-Angamaly is […]

Pauline Brother, who promoted peace clubs for children, dies

Brother Jesu-das Gabriel Amirtham, a member of the Society of St. Paul who promo-ted peace clubs for children and ran mobile bookshops among other activities, has died. The death occurred at 4 pm on April 10 at the congregation’s house in Kochi, Kerala, following a massive heart attack. He was 67.

Indian appointed Jesuits’ general treasurer

An Indian will now handle the funds of the worldwide Society of Jesus, the second largest Catholic religious congregation for men after the Salesians. Jesuit superior general Father Arturo Sosa on March 28 announced the name of Father Sebastian J Jeerakassery, a former head of the congregation’s Delhi province. He will assume office from April […]

Jabalpur bishop, priests get temporary relief from arrest

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on April 13 granted bail to a Catholic school principal accused of sexual abuse of student. A day earlier, the court granted temporary relief from arrest to Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur and Father Jagan Raj in an alleged cheating case. The high court’s principle bench in Jabalpur granted bail […]

Indian diocese gets police protection for Holy Week

The pro-Hindu government in a central Indian state has agreed to provide police protection during Holy Week to churches in a diocese where Christians face hostility from Hindu nationalist groups. “We will provide adequate security for churches in the Jhabua diocese during the Holy Week,” said Agam Jain, superintendent of police, the top cop in […]

Modi at Delhi Cathedral on Easter Sunday

In a rare and significant gesture for India, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi on the occasion of Easter 2023. Modi – welcomed by Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto – spoke to the faithful; he also lit a candle in front of the image of the Risen Christ and […]

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

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica