Father Thomas Uzhunnalil, who was released from his kidnappers on Sept 12, says his Islamic abductors who spoke Arabic did not mistreat him but provided him with medicine for his severe diabetic condition.

Father Uzhunnalil said throughout his captivity, he celebrated Mass daily, remem-bering readings and parts of text, without liturgical texts or species to celebrate.

Father Uzhunnalil appeared calm and answered the questions of the confreres but without giving much details. He recalled that he was kidnapped from the chapel of the community of the Missionaries of Charity of Aden. He was moved two or three times but always blindfolded in such circumstances, the report said.

“I never thought I could be killed,” said the priest.

“No ransom was paid and the reason why Oman got into the efforts for release is… when direct efforts do not yield results, indirect measures are adopted and what’s important is to solve the problem,” Singh said while addressing the media here. On a question when the priest is expected to return to India, the Minister said: “He (Tom) will have to decide that.”

Cardinal George Alencherry, the head of Kerala-based Syro-Malabar Church, led a Mass for hearing impaired people Sept. 11 assisted by priests train-ed in sign language, with local media calling it a first in India. Some 200 people, including school-going children to 83-year grandmother, attended the mass and gathering at the Church’s headquarters in Kochi. Hearing impaired people from all the 15 dioceses of the Church in the southern state attended the program. As the Cardinal said the Mass prayers, a priest and a nun trained in sign language stood behind him in the altar commu-nicating the prayers through signs to the gathering that could not hear or speak a word. They also responded to the prayers in sign language. “All the dioceses would arrange Mass for you, whenever you need. Please let us know,” Cardinal Alencherry said at the end of the Mass. The Church is realizing the increasing need of pastoral care for physically challenged people. Other sacraments including confession also would be administered in sign language, he said.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) senior vice-president, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Thrissur, has expre-ssed anxiety over the UP govern-ment’s move to make compulsory the attendance at the state’s primary schools as a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebrations.

The archbishop of Thrissur told reporters here on Sept 9 that such a move was against prote-cting the minority rights.

All 1.6 lakh government primary schools in UP would celebrate Mr Modi’s birthday on Sep 17, and it would be mandatory for all students to attend, the archbishop said quoting media reports. “Sunday is not a simple holiday for Christians all over the country.”

The Catholic Church in Kerala is upset with the new liquor policy of the state’s LDF govern-ment, as closed bars are being allowed to reopen despite assura-nces from CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury to the contrary, a bishop said.

Expressing deep anguish, Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchana-niyil, Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Thamarassery, told the media that the present “Left government has cheated.”

“Yechury had assured that not a single closed bar would be opened and now it (assurance) has fallen flat. What came as a shock was the relaxation made recently in the distance liquor vends need to keep from educational and religious institutions…it has been reduced from 200 metres to 50 metres,” said the bishop.

“It’s now clear that ‘money’ is all supreme and everything comes after it. The liquor policy of the Congress-led UDF (United Democratic Front) was also flawed. We will organise a protest against the new policy,” added the bishop. Yechury had said during the state assembly election campaign that if the Left came to power, not a single closed down bar would be reopened.

Catholic groups in Mumbai are pitting against one another over surveillance cameras installed in the women’s wash-room of St Michael’s Church in Mumbai’s Mahim.

While two women filed a police complaint against the church authorities, accusing the priests of voyeurism and stalk-ing, Catholic association has called it a campaign to defame priests, the Hindustan Times reported.

On Sept 9, groups supporting the priests walked to the Mahim police station to submit a memorandum supporting the priests. They said they will consult their lawyers to discuss legal action against those accusing the priests of crime.

The police have not yet registered a FIR, but have said that they are investigating the complaints and have spoken to the women who felt the cameras were obtrusive.

The church said that the cameras were put up after complaints of thefts in the washrooms, but a group called the Association of Concerned Catholics (AOCC) said that the devices violate voyeurism and stalking laws.

“The cameras can film women in a private affair. Applying lipstick or combing hair in front of the washroom mirror is also a private affair,” said Joseph Sodder, a lawyer and member of AOCC.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on August 24 told a delegation of Catholic prelates that the Church’s work for the poor and downtrodden was commendable.

While the whole world speaks of development, spirituality in this development is also important; the president told the eight-member delegation led by Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). The 14th head of the world’s largest democracy appealed to the bishops to continue the spiritual development, a CBCI press note said.

Besides Cardinal Cleemis, the Church team comprised Cardinals Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, and Telesphore P Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi and Archbishops Filipe Neri Ferrão of Goa, Abraham Viru-thakulangara of Nagpur, Albert D’Souza of Agra, Anil Couto of Delhi. CBCI secretary general Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas was also part of the team. The CBCI note explain-ed the prelates made a “courtesy call” on the president, who assumed office on July 25.

Cardinal Cleemis, who spoke for the team, conveyed the Catholic Church’s best wishes and prayers to the president. He said, India was a democratic, secular republic and “we live by the sacred book of the Country – the Indian Constitutions.”

A Catholic priest kidnapped in Yemen last year is alive and could be released soon, a Salesians information service reported India’s foreign minister as saying.

Sushma Swaraj made the comment during recent talks with a delegation from the Salesian religious order, which asked her to ensure the swift release of fellow Salesian Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who was kidnapped in Yemen more than a year ago.

The minister also reportedly told the group that securing his freedom was among the highest priorities of the government.

According to Indian Salesians’ news portal, Bosco Information Service, the minister said she felt for the “unimaginable trauma and suffering” Father Uzhunnalil has endured.

The Supreme Court has sought the Centre’s res-ponse on a plea by Dalit Christians seeking parity in quota with their counter-parts among the Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist com-munities. On Aug 21, a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and D Y Chandrachud issued that notice. The bench was hearing the plea filed by All India Catholic Union challenging the validity of paragraph 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950, which says no person who professes a religion different from Hindus, Sikhs or Buddhists shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste. The plea has sought inclusion of Dalit Christians in the Scheduled Caste category for enabling them to get benefits of reservation under the Constitution.

A 12-member Christian dele-gation on August 23 met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to congratulate him for becoming India’s best administrator.

Abp John Barwa of Cuttack Bhubaneswar led the delegation comprising priests, religious and lay people. They met the chief at his office on behalf of all Chri-stians in the eastern Indian state.
The “Outlook,” a weekly magazine published from New Delhi, chose Patnaik as the “Best Administrator of the Country.”

India’s immediate past President Pranab Mukherjee presented the award at a function in New Delhi on August 21. Patnaik dedicated the award to Odisha’s 45 million people.

Patnaik was chosen from six chief ministers — Nitish Kumar of Bihar, Manik Sarkar of Tripura, Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra and Siddaramaiah of Karnataka.

The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth have come to the aid of people in ten villages reeling under flood fury in Bihar’s Madhepura district. Around 24,000 people live in 81 wards of 12 panchayats under the Goalpara block of the district reeling under the flood fury Goalpara block is around 290 km north of the State capital of Patna.

Two women were killed on Aug. 21 as they waded through water flowing over a small bridge in Fulaut village in Madhepura district. Bihar flood death toll continues to rise. As on August 21, the state reported 253 deaths in 20 districts. The water level in the catchment areas continues to rise in incessant rains.

“Although water seems to recede gradually, many houses are under water,” Sister Lilly Thomas, a trained nurse, told Matters India on August 20.

The worst affected districts are Araria, Sitamarhi, Kishan-ganj, Madhubani, East and West Champaran, Purnia, Katihar and Khagaria. Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated and many are left homeless and shelterless.

The Nazareth nun said local people are afraid that they would face a repeat of the 2008 tragedy when the entire area was submerged under water for days.