A group Catholic priests and nuns working among the poorest and most marginalized communities in Maharashtra has opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as unconstitutional.

“The CAA is the first instance of religion being overtly used as criterion for citizenship under Indian nationality laws and therefore fundamentally discriminatory and divisive in nature,” says a press release from 36 representatives of 16 Catholic congregations that oppose the act.

The group called Justice Coalition of Religious that met in Mumbai recently also opposed National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

They said these laws are at odds with secular principles enshrined in the Constitution and contradict Articles 13, 14, 15, 16 and 21 that guarantee to every citizen the right to equality, equality before the law, and non-discriminatory treatment by the State.

The group attended on January 16-18 a capacity-building workshop titled, “Rights-based Advocacy in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).”

These religious work with urban and rural poor, Dalits and Adivasis, street children, women in prostitution, homeless populations, persons with disabilities and other poor and marginalized communities.

“As citizens deeply committed to a just and rights-based implementation of the SDGs, we strongly oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act as unconstitutional and therefore counterproductive with respect to SDG 16,” their statement asserts.

It expresses their deep concern about the negative fallout the proposed all-India-level National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) will have on the people of the country, “disproportionately harming the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized and thereby nullifying efforts toward SDG 10 among others.”

Renowned preacher and author, Father Danny Capuchin is set to make a landmark in south Indian film industry with his story and screenplay in the upcoming Malayalam movie titled Varayan (striped).

According to reports made available to media on the first day of the project, Father Danny narrates the story of a young Capuchin priest who lands up in a remote and scary island and the events thereafter.

The lead role of the priest will be played by South Indian film actor Siju Wilson.

The first look poster of the movie was released on Jan 17 by Manju Warrier who is popularly known as the lady super star of Malayalam cinema. The poster features a firebrand young priest in a Capuchin friar’s habit.

Artists and the production team have high expectations for this movie which is reported to have a storyline that will appeal to the masses.

The scriptwriter himself being a Capuchin priest has created an extra interest to this upcoming movie. As the actor Siju Wilson mentioned in an interview, although he initially expected the story to have a religious theme, he was quite surprised by the serious content and entertainment offered by the story.

Father Danny is known for his unique way of preaching and talks both in India and abroad. He is also popular through several programs on television and radio.

He has authored several books including Daivom Peythirangunnu (God is raining down) – a novel in Malayalam; Prakasathinte Nizhal (shadow of light) – a character analysis, Mounam (silence) – a collection of articles. He is also a well known lyricist in Christian music.

Catholic churches under Calcutta arch-diocese will read out the Preamble to the Constitution after Sunday service on January 26, India’s Republic Day.

Archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta will send a circular to all 65 parishes in the city and the seven districts, conveying the decision to them. “The Preamble to the Constitution will be read out to uphold and safeguard the Constitution. I think under the present situation, understanding, upholding and being aware of the Constitution is more important than ever.

“We thanked God for the Constitution. We prayed for our country as we always do,” the archbishop said. “This is also an occasion to tell the congregation about the Constitution and many may not be aware of it. It will remind us of the values of liberty, equality and fraternity that the Preamble stands for.”

The Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, and it came into force on January 26, 1950.

The pastors will decide whether to read the Preamble inside the church or outside.

“Since childhood we have pledged to the nation and said ‘all Indians are my brothers and sisters.’ In the current context, it is our own brothers and sisters who are feeling that certain values of the Constitution are under threat. Reading the Preamble in front of God is also to say that it is sacred and cannot be taken lightly and guarding the Constitution is a duty each one of us have,” said Father Rodney Borneo, parish priest of St Ignatius Church in Kolkata. An inter-faith organization has called for the formation of a human chain from Golpark in the south to Shyambazar in the north on Republic Day to “celebrate and uphold the Constitution.”

“I am also asking the congregation to join the human chain wherever possible,” the archbishop said. Churches across the country traditionally celebrate the Republic Day and the Independence Day on August 15 with a variety of programs such as flag hoisting, singing of the National Anthem and talks on patriotism.

India’s Supreme Court has allowed the government to control the appointment of teachers in educational institutions run by religious minorities, a ruling Church leaders say violates their right to manage such institutions.

The country’s top court on Jan. 6 upheld a West Bengal State law that allowed a government commission to screen candidates to be appointed as teachers in government-funded madrasas, Muslim religious schools.

“The order definitely will have a bearing in the administration of Church-run education institutions too,” says Salesian Father Joseph Manipadam, secretary to the Indian Catholic bishops office for education and culture.

The verdict came while deciding on an appeal challenging a provision in the West Bengal Madrasa Service Commission Act 2008, which said the government panel could screen teachers to be appointed to state-aided Madrasas.

Madrasas were declared minority education institutions in West Bengal State, just as thousands of Christian schools in the country. The Indian Constitution allows religious and linguistic minorities to establish and manage educational institutions of their choice to help with the social advancement of their people.

The Catholic Church runs some 54,000 educational institutions in the country and at least half of them get financial aid from the state. With this order, “our right to administer our institution is curtailed. Freedom to appoint teachers is also part of the administration,” Father Manipadam told UCA News on Jan. 9, three days after the top court pronounced.

The provisions were challenged in 2013 before the West Bengal State’s Calcutta High Court on the grounds that they violated the rights of minority institutions. The single-judge bench of the High Court allowed the challenge and found the provisions to be unconstitutional.