In a strongly worded order, the Allahabad High Court has ruled that distributing the Bible or preaching Christianity does not, by itself, amount to an offence under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. The Bench of Justice Abdul Moin and Justice Babita Rani criticised the Uttar Pradesh Police for “bending backward” to arrest the accused immediately after the FIR, despite the absence of any victim alleging forced conversion.

The case arose from an FIR filed by Manoj Kumar Singh, who claimed that the accused had organised a prayer meeting intending to convert Dalits and economically weaker individuals. He alleged that he saw an LED screen displaying Christian teachings and that Bibles were being distributed. While hearing the plea to quash the FIR, the Court examined Section 3 of the 2021 Act, which requires a specific person to claim that attempts were made to convert them through force, allurement or misrepresentation. The Bench noted that when the FIR was lodged on August 17, 2025, no such victim had appeared, and the FIR merely mentioned the recovery of an LED screen and Bibles.

The Court further pointed out inconsistencies in statements, including one alleged victim who initially said nothing about conversion but later changed his version two months after the FIR. Referring to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Rajendra Bihari Lal vs State of UP, the Bench stressed that the 2021 Act is a “special law” and its procedures must be followed strictly. The Court also questioned the complainant’s authority to enter the accused’s house and issued him a notice seeking clarification.

Msgr. Antony Kattiparampil was ordained as the 36th Bishop of the diocese of Cochin in Kerala on December 7, 2025. Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), was the principle consecrator. Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil of Verapoly and Bishop Joseph Kariyil, the Bishop Emeritus of Cochin, were co-consecrators. Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, Mar Raphael Thattil, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church and Metropolitan Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, President of the CBCI and Archbishop Dr. Varghese Chakkalakal, President of the Kerala Latin Catholic Bishops’ Council, conveyed their greetings. Mar Joseph Pamplany, Metropolitan Archbishop of Thalassery and Vicar of the Major Archbishop for Ernakulam–Angamaly, delivered the homily. Bishop James Raphael Anaparambil, Apostolic Administrator of Cochin, welcomed the gathering.

During the Holy Mass, the Bishop-elect publicly declared his willingness to accept the episcopal office. This was followed by the Litany of the Saints and the laying on of hands. The principal celebrant then vested the new Bishop with the ring and mitre. He handed over the pastoral staff and seated him on the Cathedra, the chair of authority. The concelebrant bishops then gave the kiss of peace, and representatives of clergy, religious, and laity greeted the new Bishop. The Eucharistic celebration was continued by the newly ordained Bishop. Thousands gathered at the Santacruz Ground to receive their shepherd after a wait of one and a half years. Bishop Antony Kattiparampil becomes the fifth indigenous Bishop since the Diocese was established in 1557.

The MSJ Congregation has announced the death of Mother Philomy, who, according to Sr. Merina, Assistant General of the Congregation, was “called by God to her eternal reward.” In a message shared with members, Sr. Merina expressed the community’s profound grief, stating, “With deep sorrow and grief we share that our beloved Mother Philomy was called by God to her eternal reward. Kindly remember her in your prayers and pray for the repose of her soul.” The congregation and its wider community have extended their prayerful condolences to all MSJ members as they come to terms with this loss. Many have joined in praying for the repose of Mother Philomy’s soul, commending her to the peace of the risen Lord.

Thousands gathered at the Pilar hillock in Goa on November 20 to commemorate the 98th death anniversary of Venerable Agnelo de Souza, the saintly priest of the Society of Pilar. The day, revered as Venerable Agnelo’s Day, drew pilgrims from across Goa and beyond. Auxiliary Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes of Bombay presided over the feast day Mass. He was assisted among others by Bishop Emeritus Alex Dias of Port Blair and Pilar superior general Father Nazareth Fernandes.

Bishop Fernandes, in his homily, expressed joy at the commemoration of the saintly priest, saying that the Church rejoiced because God had blessed Goa with “a priest of extraordinary holiness from its own soil.” He explained that the celebration was not only about remembering Venerable Agnelo but about taking him as a model: “We take him as our model so that we too may live with the same steadfast hope that shaped his entire life.”

Jesuit Father Swebert D’Silva, a prominent educationist and renowned visionary in the southern state of Karnataka, died November 20, following a massive cardiac arrest. He was 68. He died at 1:15 pm at St Philomena Hospital in Bengaluru, Karnataka capital. His sudden death has deeply saddened colleagues, students, alumni, and well-wishers across Karnataka. “It was a life of selfless service, boundless love and unwavering faith”, said Jesuit Father Praveen Martis, the vice chancellor of the St. Aloysisus University in Mangaluru.

Father D’Silva had also served as the rector and pro-chancellor of St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru. Jesuit Father Victor Lobo, the vice chancellor of St Joseph’s University, requested everyone to pray for the repose of his soul and expressed his condolences in a message. Several members of the Jesuit community shared their tributes, acknowledging the confrere’s steadfast commitment to education, social service, and pastoral care. He was serving as the director of Arrupe Nivas, Bengaluru, at the time of his death. Father Dionysius Vaz, Jesuit’s Karnataka provincial, highlighted Father D’Silva’s transformative leadership in shaping St Aloysius College into a deemed-to-be university, blending infrastructure development with value-based education.

Police in Goa have stopped a controversial event after strong protests from the Catholic Church, NGOs and civil society groups, who said the program wrongly linked sexuality with the holy Christmas festival. The event, titled “Tales of Kamasutra and Christmas Celebration,” was planned for Dec. 25–28 in Panaji. But on Nov. 23, police ordered organizers to cancel it after a poster showing explicit content went viral on social media. In a statement, Goa Police said they had directed organizers to stop the event and remove all related advertisements from social media. The Church in Goa condemned the program, saying it deeply hurt Christian sentiments.

Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Archbishop of Goa and Daman, said Christmas is a sacred time of joy and peace. Linking it with unrelated and explicit themes was “deeply offensive” and disrespectful to millions of believers. The Catholic Association of Goa (CAG) also filed a formal complaint, calling the event “illicit, obscene, and insulting.” CAG president Cyril A Fernandes said the organizers appeared to promote sexual activities under the name of spirituality, which could harm Goa’s reputation as a family-friendly place. Social activists also demanded action. Arun Pandey of the NGO Arz said authorities should check for possible violations of laws related to obscenity or exploitation.

The organizers, Osho Ludhiana Meditation Society, later apologized. They said their intention was to hold a tantra-based meditation retreat, not a sexual event. They admitted the poster caused misunderstanding by placing the words “Kamasutra” and “Christmas” together. The group has now cancelled the event and withdrawn all posters, saying they never meant to hurt religious feelings.

Pope Leo XIV on November 22 appointed Father Rabindra Kumar Ranasingh as the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. “It is with profound joy and gratitude to God that I hereby formally announce to you the good news of the appointment of our new Auxiliary Bishop,” said an official letter from Divine Word Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. The archbishop said the appoint signals the Pope’s “pastoral concern for our local Church and its growing needs.”

He said the auxiliary bishop will greatly strengthen the archdiocese’s pastoral outreach, support its clergy, religious, and faithful, and enhance the mission entrusted to it by Christ. “I invite all of you to join me in prayer for our bishop-elect as he prepares to assume this sacred responsibility in the service of the Church. May the Holy Spirit grant him wisdom, strength, and a shepherd’s heart to lead God’s people with humility and dedication,” the archbishop added.

The bishop-elect is, at present, the parish priest of Sacred Heart Church, Jatni and dean of Cuttack deanery. He was born on July 9, 1972, as the first of seven children of Janas and Helena Ranasingh in Kasabasa, a village in Odisha’s Kandhamal district. Three of his four sisters are nuns and the other is a nurse. He studied philosophy at Jnanadeepa Vidyapeeth in Pune and theology at Khristo Jyoti Institute of Theology at Sambalpur in Odisha. He was ordained a priest on April 18, 2001 at Daringbadi Parish in Kandhamal. The bishop-elect has a doctorate from the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome. Father Pradosh Chandra Nayak, the vicar general of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese, welcomed the appointment terming the bishop-elect as the right choice with proper qualification.

A forum backed by Hindu hardliners organized a protest march against the tribal Christian celebration of the Christ the King festival in Jharkhand, causing frustration and fear among the Christian community already facing rising pressure for their faith. The protest was held on Nov. 23 in Ranchi by the Janjati Suraksha Manch (JSM), a group supported by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the main umbrella body of Hindu right-wing organizations. The RSS and its political arm, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claim that Christian celebrations are attempts to convert tribal people. JSM activists alleged that the festival was another example of “forced conversion” and demanded that it be banned in the state.

Christian leaders strongly rejected the accusations, calling them part of a growing campaign to spread fear among tribal Christians. “Tribal Catholics have been celebrating the Christ the King festival for more than twenty years. This is the first time such a protest was deliberately held on the same day to disturb peace,” said Ratan Tirkey, a tribal Christian leader. He said the organizers wanted attention and attempted to create suspicion against Christians. Another leader, Praween Kachhap, said groups like JSM aim to control tribal land, culture, and traditions. He pointed out that most JSM members support the BJP, and such protests are used to create division among tribal communities. Local tribal leader Prabhakar Tirkey said it was wrong to blame Christian missionaries for harming tribal culture. “In reality, they have helped protect tribal languages and identity,” he said.

Jharkhand has seen a rise in hostility toward Christians, especially after a strict anti-conversion law was passed in 2017. The law carries a penalty of three years in jail and a heavy fine. Christians form about 1.4 million of the state’s 33 million people, most of them belonging to tribal communities.

The Thamarassery Diocese in Kerala organized a special event to mark 100 years of the historic Malabar Migration, when thousands of Christian families moved from southern Kerala to the Malabar region in search of land and better opportunities. The program, held on November 22 at Kozhikode Town Hall, also formed part of the diocese’s 40th anniversary celebrations. Church leaders, political representatives, scholars, and members of the community came together to remember the sacrifices and contributions of the early migrant families. The Malabar Migration refers to the movement of Saint Thomas Christians—mainly from the Travancore region—to Malabar between the two World Wars. These families left due to shortage of cultivable land and economic struggles, and they helped develop Malabar’s agriculture, infrastructure, education, and health systems.

George Kurian, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, praised the migrants for transforming the region with innovative farming methods like intercropping and for their hardworking and peace-loving nature. He also thanked the local communities of Malabar for welcoming the settlers with generosity. Presiding over the meeting, Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil said the migrants “rewrote the history of Malabar” through their faith and determination. He announced that the diocese will observe a Migration Remembrance Day every year and plans to set up a Migration Museum within the next decade. Scholars P. J. Vincent and Joy Varghese presented papers on the history and socioeconomic impact of migration, followed by a panel discussion. At the public meeting, M. K. Raghavan, Member of Parliament, highlighted the key role of the Church in Kerala’s social and educational progress. He encouraged Church institutions to start new-generation courses to meet modern needs. Archbishop Varghese Chakkalakal of Calicut reminded the audience that societies grow when they value their history. MLA Thottathil Ravindran added that today’s achievements are the result of the hard work of migrant ancestors and must be passed on to the younger generation.

Dalit Liberation Sunday, observed annually on the second Sunday of November, was celebrated across India on November 9, reaffirming the Church’s commitment to justice and equality for Dalit Christians.

Speaking to Catholic Connect News, Fr. Vijay Kumar Nayak, Secretary, CBCI Office for Scheduled Castes/Backward Classes (CBCI), explained that the observance was officially approved by the CBCI in 2016 “for the cause of Dalits.”

“Dalit Liberation Sunday is approved by the Catholic Church from 2016 onwards. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India has dedicated the second Sunday of November for this purpose,” Fr. Vijay Kumar Nayak said.