Catholic leaders have urged their people across India to strictly follow Covid-19 restrictions as they dedicated a day of prayer to contain the infection spreading like wildfire.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India president Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai has written to bishops asking them to hold a day of prayer and fast on May 7 seeking divine intervention to save the country from the spreading pandemic.
“We are recording around 300,000 new cases of corona-virus every single day. The second wave has hit us like a tsunami and we are yet to reach the peak,” his April 22 letter said. “Added to this is the apparent lack of planning, resulting in a shortage of hospital beds, anti-viral drugs, oxygen and vaccines. It could get worse before it gets better.”
Cardinal Gracias urged people to follow Covid-19 protocols such as wearing masks, main-taining physical distancing and sanitizing hands as well as adhering to restrictions and curfews imposed to break the chain of infections.
The prelate also wants every-one to get vaccinated against the viral disease.

The Supreme Court on April 9 said people are free to choose their own religion, even as it lashed out at a “very, very harmful kind” of “public interest” petition claiming there is mass religious conversion happening “by hook or by crook” across the country.
Instead, a Bench led by Justice Rohinton F. Nariman said people have a right under the Constitution to profess, practice and propagate religion.
“Why should a person above 18 years not choose his religion? What kind of a writ petition is this? We will impose heavy costs on you… Withdraw it or argue and risk the consequences,” Justice Nariman asked petitioner – advocate Ashwini Kumar Upa-dhyay.
Justice Nariman reminded Upadhyay of the fundamental right under Article 25 of the Constitution to freely profess, practice and propagate religion, subject to public order, morality and health. “Why do you think there is the word ‘propagate’?’” Justice Nariman asked the petitioner.
Religious conversion is being done through a “carrot-and-stick” approach, Upadhyay had claimed in his petition.
Justice Nariman said every person is the final judge of their own choice of religion or who their life partner should be. Courts cannot sit in judgment of a person’s choice of religion or life partner.
Religious faith is a part of the fundamental right to privacy. Justice Nariman reminded Upadhyay of the Constitution Bench judgment which upheld inviolability of the right to privacy, equating it with the rights to life, of dignity and liberty.
Upadhyay’s petition was dismissed as withdrawn. His plea to approach the Law Commission or the High Court with the plea was not expressly allowed by the Bench.
The petition alleged that the court should direct the federal and the state governments to control black magic, superstition and religious conversion being done through threats, intimidation or bribes.
“There is not even one district which is free of black magic, superstition and religious conversion… Incidents are reported every week throughout the country where conversion is done by intimidating, threatening, luring through gifts and monetary benefits,” the petition had alleged.
Further, the petition said the federal and state governments were obligated under Article 46 to protect the SC/ST community from social injustice and other forms of exploitation.

The diocese of Miao marked the World Health Day with the inauguration of a modern dental care unit at the only Catholic hospital in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal.
“Proper health care is big concern in Arunachal Pradesh, particularly in Changlang district,” said Somlung Mossang, who represents the Borduma-Diyun constituency in the state legislative assembly.
Inaugurating the clinic in Krick and Bourry Memorial Hospital at Injan in Changalang district on April 7, he said people of Arunachal Pradesh often are compelled to travel to neighbouring Assam for their basic medical treatments. “Due to the long journey undertaken many have lost their lives on the way to the hospital. It also results in huge expense of money,” he added.
The dental care wing will cater to agrarian people of nearby areas such as Miao, Jairampur, Nampong, Manmao, Bordumsa, Diyun, Nampahi, Balinong and Kharsang. They can now avail hassle-free and affordable round the clock dental treatment, saving both money and time, Mossang said.
The diocese of Miao set up the hospital in 2016 as a response to the people’s request for a better health care facility within Arunachal Pradesh.
Speaking on the occasion, Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao congratulated the doctors and the Sacred Heart Sisters of Pala province in Kerala and the nurses for their dedicated healthcare service to the people. Echoing the theme of World Health Day 2021, the Salesian prelate said, the dental care unit will now help the hospital serve the people and build a ‘fairer and healthier world.’

Mizoram Health Minister Dr Lalthangliana on April 7 urged churches, NGOs and local volunteers to revive efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 as the state has registered a spike in coronavirus cases since March last week, an official statement said.
The health minister held interaction with representatives of churches, NGOs, Mizoram Village Council Association and Aizawl City Local Council Association in view of spike in Covid-19 cases.
Christians form 87% of the state’s 1.12 million people.
The minister urged the leaders to make collective efforts and take immediate preventive measures to avoid the situation from going from bad to worse, the statement said.
The health minister said that the state has registered a spike in Covid-19 cases since late March following the relaxation of COVID-19 protocols.
He said that at least 32 Covid-19 cases were reported in the first week of April and most of the patients came from other states. “With the rising Covid-19 cases, our present situation is hard to explain,” he told the meeting. The meeting discussed the need to review night curfew, church service, sports activities, screening of Myanmar nationals, who sneak into the state and stepping up vigil at various entry points along international and inter-state borders.

Catholic Church leaders have welcomed India’s top court dis-missing a petition that sought a federal law to check religious conversion and black magic.
The Supreme Court of India on April 9 said persons above 18 years of age are free to choose their religion and dismissed a plea seeking directions to the federal government to enact a nationwide law against religious conversion.
The petition in the form of public interest litigation was filed by Ashwini Upadhyay, a Supreme Court lawyer and a member of the ruling pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A bench of Justices R.F. Nariman, B.R. Gavai and Hrishikesh Roy disagreed with the demand, directed the petitioner to withdraw it and threatened to impose heavy costs if he persisted with it.
The court directions are “in the right spirit” of the constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to profess, practice and propagate a religion of choice, said Father Babu Joseph, former spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.
“Several states have enacted laws curbing the religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution and it has had an adverse impact on several communities, especially Christians,” he told.

A Catholic archbishop joined an Indian state’s chief minister on a special one-day fast to create awareness among people about the need to protect themselves from Covid-19.
“It is our duty and respon-sibility to protect ourselves and others from the danger of Covid-19,” said Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal.
Madhya Pradesh’s Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan started a 24-hour fast in state capital Bhopal on April 6 in a specially erected tent.
He said it is time that “we all should take a firm resolution that we will wear masks and en-courage others” to do so to ensure the safety of everyone.
Archbishop Cornelio was among many religious leaders who joined Chouhan on his fast.
“It is high time that we all take the pandemic seriously and prepare to protect ourselves from its impending attack that could be fatal for many and precarious for others,” the prelate told on April 7.
“We need to ensure our safety by following government pro-tocols when we move in public as it is essential to ensure that we do not become a carrier.
“We need to cover our faces and wash our hands regularly as prevention is better than cure.”
Archbishop Cornelio praised Chouhan for his special initiative to reach out to people about Covid-19.
Father Maria Stephen, public relations officer of the Catholic Church in Madhya Pradesh, told that “we are now in a war with Covid-19” and urged everyone to be more serious about their health.

Two nuns and two trainees travelling along with them on a train were forced to deboard in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi railway station and detained briefly for questioning, after ABVP members accused them of illegal conversions.
The four were allowed to resume their journey after an enquiry by railway officials found there was no conversion involved.
The incident happened on March 19. On Wednesday, amid an outrage over the incident, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the harassment of the two nuns and two postulants was “shocking.”
Mr. Vijayan demanded that Mr. Shah instruct the authorities concerned to take strict action against “all groups and indi-viduals who disrupt and impair the freedom of individual rights.”
Naeem Khan Mansuri, SP Railway Jhansi, said that the ABVP members were travelling back from a training camp in Rishikesh. The four Christian women were travelling from Nizamuddin in Delhi to Rourkela in Odisha.
Government Railway Police (GRP) Jhansi said that their control room received infor-mation on March 19 that some women were being taken on the Utkal Express train for religious conversion. On the basis of this information, the RPF asked them to deboard, and upon investigation by the GRP it turned out that the allegations were false, GRP Jhansi said on Twitter.
Videos from the day showed police and other unidentified persons questioning the nuns and scanning through their Aadhaar cards while they were seated on their berths. The four then get off the train and could be seen heading towards what appeared to be a police station.
The GRP found that the two girls from Odisha were undergoing training in Delhi. The police found baptism certificates of 2003 in their possession.
“This proved that they were Christian by birth. They were not going to be converted,” said Mr. Mansuri.

A new study sponsored by Catholic bishops in India has revealed the grim reality for most tribal migrant workers in the capital New Delhi where they suffer from endemic poverty and low wages amid an absence of workplace safety and socio-economic security.
The study, ‘Tribal Migrants in Delhi City: A Pre Covid and Post Covid Analysis,’ a joint venture by the Conference of Catholic Bishops’ of India (CCBI) Commission for Migrants and Workers India Federation, was released earlier this month.
Led by noted researcher Lata Jayaraj, the survey covers the migrants who belong to the tribal communities from neighboring states to Delhi. It analyzes the push and pull factors and the socio-economic compulsions of the migrants in pre-Covid and post-Covid situations.
“The study was an attempt to look into various factors behind migration, the various problems these tribal migrant workers face, and to analyze support system government agencies and NGOs have for them,” said Father Jaison Vadassery, secretary of the CCBI’s Commission for Migrants.
The priest noted that the study recommends a multi-pronged strategy from the government and non-government agencies to assist poor, vulnerable migrant workers effectively to overcome their miserable conditions.
The study used an in-depth analysis covering tribal migrant workers in the construction sector of Delhi. It reached out to 45 respondents, male and female, as samples who provided necessary information through case studies, focus group discussions and participant observations.
About 91% of tribal migrant workers in the construction sector are below 50 years, while only 8.8% are above 50. The sector is largely male-dominant, men accounting for 93.3%. The majority of them are Hindus.
Some 51% of workers migrated from Rajasthan, 16% from West Bengal, and 9% each from Assam, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
The study found a direct link between their low level of education, poverty, migration and low-paid employment.

Police in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand have arrested nine people in connection with the mob lynching of a 26-year-old Muslim man on the outskirts of Ranchi. According to media reports, this was the second such incident in the state capital in one week. Earlier, a 22-year-old man was beaten in the Upper Bazar area on suspicion of theft and later died.
“No religion or society in this world can accept such a heinous crime. We appeal to the government to make a law to check these inhuman acts,” Ratan Tirkey, a member of the tribal advisory committee of the Jharkhand government, told.
“For the past two to three years, we have been hearing the barbaric news of mob lynchings in the state. It is condemnable and unacceptable because for centuries people here have been living in harmony and brotherhood.
“The state is mostly comprised of tribal people who are by nature a peace-loving people and who have a good rapport with other faiths. We had no such problem in the past, so it is a matter of great concern and it has to be dealt with quickly.”

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has flayed a pastoral letter read in some churches of the Quilon diocese against the southern Indian state’s Left Democratic Front government.
The sanctity of the pastoral letters will be questioned by devotees, the chief minister said March 26. They (a section of church leadership) are attacking the government just like the opposition, he said. The allegations raised by them are not their own, Pinarayi said.
The Latin diocese on March 21 targeted the Kerala and the federal governments, claiming there was an “organized effort” to destroy the fishing sector and sell it to corporates.
State Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma accused the Church of speaking for the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front.
Kerala will go to polls on April 6 to elect its 140-member legislative assembly and the major contenders are LDF and UDF. The pastoral letter, targe-ting the LDF government, said “the controversial agreement with a foreign company, EMCC, was withdrawn following wide-spread opposition.”
The fishing community should also be aware of “Blue Economy” project, a move by the central government giving permission for mining for resources from the sea, it said.