National

Guide to interfaith marriages to be drawn up in India

Cardinal George Alencherry has formed a commission to frame guidelines for interfaith marriages following a controversy over a retired bishop solemnizing such a marriage between a Christian bride and a Muslim groom in a church in India’s Kerala State. Cardinal Alencherry, the head of the Eastern-rite Syro-Malabar Church based in southern India, “wants to clear the confusion […]

Elderly Jesuit priest describes ‘joy’ of Indian prison life

An elderly Jesuit priest struggling in an Indian jail with ill health says he still finds happiness in listening to the stories of other inmates and credits his congregation for the training that helped him cope with such a difficult situation. Father Stan Swamy, 84, has been in Taloja Central Jail in Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra […]

Driven out Indian Christians return, threat lingers

Some 100 Christians have returned to their villages in India’s Chhattisgarh State following a court order, almost two months after they were attacked and driven out of their homes. The state High Court in Bilaspur ordered the Kondagaon district administration to facilitate the safe return of the displaced Christians from three villages and to ensure […]

New television serial on Jesus set to begin next month

A new television serial on Jesus in Hindi is set to begin next month on TV. The story for the serial entitled “Yeshu” that deals with Jesus’ life story, is done by Utkarsh Naithani, an actor, flute player, and writer based on Divine Word missionary Father John Paul Herman’s research. “First of all, let me […]

Massive Christian protest in India over blocked church refit

More than 10,000 Christians demonstrated in India’s Arunachal Pradesh State on Nov. 2, accusing the government of violating their right to worship by refusing permission to renovate a church. Christians have been protesting since Oct. 6 when police in Tawang on the India-China border arrested Joseph Singhi, a pastor of Tawang Christian Revival Church, a neo-Christian […]

Jesuit college waives fees for poor students amid pandemic

Loyola College of Arts and Science, one of the Jesuit institutions in Tamil Nadu, has come forward to sponsor the academic fees of poor students amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The college is located in Mettala near Salem but in Namakkal district in Tamil Nadu. It was started in 2015, affiliated to the Periyar University, […]

Jesuits to start St Xavier’s University, Meghalaya

The draft bill was brought by the education department and the same was approved by the cabinet. The bill will be placed in the autumn session of the State Assembly on November 5. Speaking to media persons, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said, “St Xavier’s is one of the most successful uni-versities in the country. […]

Hindu groups want to deny benefits to Indian tribal Christians

Right-wing Hindu groups in India have stepped up a campaign seeking to strip tribal Christians of government concessions with the aim of stopping more indigenous people converting to Christianity. A group of right-wing Hindu activists marched through Jhabua town in the central State of Madhya Pradesh on Nov. 4. They shouted slogans asking the government to remove tribal […]

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

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica