Church leaders have criticized fringe elements in India’s ruling pro-Hindu party for giving a “communal colour” to the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples celebrations in the country, which has the second-largest tribal population in the world. The day was celebrated in different parts of the country on Aug. 9. However, the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (all India tribal welfare body), alleged that “external forces and Christian missionaries in India are hatching up a large-scale conspiracy to divide society in the name of the celebration.” The organization is affiliated with the ultranationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is considered the mother organization of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Its president Satyendra Singh said on Aug. 8 that the celebration was meant for other countries like America, Australia, New Zealand and Canada” and had no relevance for India. “All people of our country are indigenous to this land, and we are now free from the clutches of colonial forces,” Singh said. Observing the international day whose theme this year is ‘Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact’ has nothing to do with any religion, said Father Vincent Ekka. “Blaming Christian missionaries of a conspiracy is misleading,” the Jesuit priest told . Ekka, who heads the tribal studies department in the Church-run Indian Social Institute in the national capital New Delhi, said Hindu groups are afraid that the tribal people may become aware of their rights “and may revolt.” The RSS has been campaigning against Christian missionary activities among tribal people and their conversion to Christianity. Its affiliate organizations run a nationwide campaign called Ghar Wapsi (homecoming) to convert tribal people and Dalits or former untouchables and bring them into the Hindu religion. “Blaming Christian missionaries is purely a political agenda [for them], said Ekka who belongs to the Oraon tribal community in the central state of Chhattisgarh. The Jesuit appealed to fellow tribal people not to fall prey to the “false campaign.” India’s tribal people make up 8.6 percent of its 1.4 billion people, according to the last Census conducted in 2011. The RSS and its fringe elements always come up with “new ideas to attack Christian missionaries,” said Ratan Tirkey, a former member of the tribal advisory committee in eastern Jharkhand state, which has a large tribal population. “Will they recognize the contributions made by Christian missionaries” for the welfare of the tribal people, the Catholic lay leader asked.
Christians skeptical of Indian child rights panel’s directive
Ahead of a Hindu festival, India’s child protection panel has issued a directive asking schools not to discriminate against children, which some Church leaders said could become a tool to harass Christian schools. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, in its Aug. 8 directive, asked education departments in all Indian states not to “engage in practices that expose children to any form of corporal punishment or discrimination.” The directive comes ahead of Aug. 9 Raksha Bandhan, the Hindu festival celebrating the bond of siblings. Hindu girls and women tie a sacred decorated thread (rakhi) on the wrists of their brothers, who, in turn, promise life-long protection. Christian leaders fear the directive could help the panel file non-compliance with the directive based on some children not wearing the rakhi on their wrists. “The directive is superfluous as all education departments already have ample guidelines in this regard,” said Father Babu Joseph, former spokesperson of the Indian bishops’ Conference. Priyank Kanoongo, the chairperson of the child protection panel, noted some instances of students in some schools not being allowed to wear rakhis and other Hindu symbols by teachers and school management during Hindu festivals. The directive also has asked relevant state authorities to ensure its compliance and sought a report by Aug. 17. Christian groups accuse right-wing Hindu groups of harassing Christian schools for not celebrating Hindu festivals, particularly after the pro-Hindu party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. “Our schools will abide by the decision of education departments in respective states,” Father Maria Charles, secretary of the education office national bishops’ conference told. The child rights panel has a history of targeting Christian institutions aiming to tarnish their image, said the Church leader based in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, a Christian leader who did not want to be named. The panel has “unleashed targeted attacks” on our institutions and registered false cases under the draconian anti-conversion law against “our bishops, priests, nuns and other school staff,” he said. He recalled that the panel had registered several cases against Church-run institutions in his state. Christians comprise 2.3 percent of India’s 1.4 billion population. However, they run thousands of educational institutions nationwide. The Catholic Church runs some 50,000 institutions, including 400 colleges, six universities, and six medical colleges in different parts of the country. India’s constitution allows Christians who are grouped along with Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, and Parsees as minorities to set up schools and colleges to propagate their faith.
Cardinal Fernández: India’s Vailankanni Shrine reveals welcoming Mother, not syncretism
The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith sends a letter ahead of the feast of Our Lady of Health in Vailankanni, India, expressing the Pope’s appreciation for the shrine and noting the spiritual fruits enjoyed by pilgrims, including non-Christians. Millions of pilgrims faithfully visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Health in Vailankanni, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. According to Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, “the many spiritual fruits that are produced at this Shrine make us recognize the constant action of the Holy Spirit in this place.”
The Cardinal Prefect wrote those words in a letter dated August 1, approved by Pope Francis, and addressed to Bishop-elect Sagayaraj Thamburaj, of Tanjore (Thanjavur) Diocese. The Shrine will celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Health on September 8, and devotion in Vailankanni dates back to the 16th century.
“Many non-Christian pilgrims who come seeking solace echo similar experiences,” emphasized Cardinal Fernández. “Some of them are healed of their illnesses and many find peace and hope. Without doubt, the Holy Spirit is also at work in them, responding by Mary’s intercession.” “This,” he noted, “should not be considered as a form of syncretism or mixing of religions. The Sanctuary is a place where the closeness of Mary, who welcomes everyone and demonstrates the love of the Lord to those who reflect on it, is manifested. Those who cannot receive the sacraments of the Catholic Church are not denied the consolation of the Mother of Jesus.”
Cardinal Fernández stated that he and Pope Francis recalled the spiritual beauty of this place of faith during the papal audience he was granted on August 1. “The Holy Father cares a lot about the popular piety of the faithful pilgrims, because they reflect the beauty of the Church on the move which seeks Jesus in the arms of Mary and entrusts its pain and hope to the heart of His Mother,” he said. For this reason, added the Cardinal, Pope Francis has expressed “great appreciation” for this place of faith. In preparation for the September celebrations at the Vailankanni Shrine, he added, the Pope extends his paternal blessing to all pilgrims.
According to an ancient account, the Virgin Mary first appeared in Vailankanni in the 16th century to a young man carrying milk for a customer, asking him to offer it for the Child she was holding in her arms. The young man promptly agreed, only to realize upon reaching the customer that the milk was still in his container. “This,” said Cardinal Fernández, “was an expression of the generosity of those who are willing to give something to others, in their own poverty. You do not need to have much in order to be generous. May this call to share, to assist, to be close to those who need us always resonate in this place. Mary loves the generosity of her children.”
The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith praised the “beautiful traditions ascribed to the encounters that the Virgin had with poor and sick boys at this place of worship. Thus, the tenderness and closeness of Mary, whom Jesus desired to bequeath us as Mother of all, is manifested. Through her intercession, Jesus Christ often pours out his strength and restores health to the sick.” He recalled that, “in 2002, Saint John Paul II chose that place for the celebration of the World Day of the Sick. Thus, the same Virgin Mary who manifested herself at Lourdes also manifested herself in India as the Mother of Health.”
“It is not merely a matter of bodily health,” concluded Cardinal Fernández, “but also one that touches the soul. Contemplating the image of Mary we can all recognize the love of Jesus Christ that can heal our sadness, our anguish and our fears. If we pause before Mary, even in a brief moment of faith and love, her maternal gaze restores peace to us.”
Seoul paves the way for World Youth Day 2027 with launch event
In celebration of the next World Youth Day (WYD), the Catholic Church in South Korea hosted a grand launch event at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul on July 28.
The occasion, which drew more than 1,000 young attendees, consisted of various events intended to reflect the theme “Hope Ignites in Seoul. Success for WYD Seoul 2027.”
During the inauguration ceremony, a flag parade was held in which both young Koreans and international attendees carried colourful flags from 193 different countries into the cathedral.
Following the parade, a puzzle ceremony commenced in which the young participants pieced together the various flags to form the words “WYD SEOUL 2027.”
According to LiCAS News, the highlight of the ceremony was the kickoff declaration in which Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick shared that preparing for World Youth Day would be a good opportunity for young people to become “miracle-makers.”
Chung, who serves as the chair of the local organizing committee for WYD Seoul 2027, marked the official start of preparations with this declaration alongside two young Korean delegates.
Gleison De Paula Souza, secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, also discussed Seoul’s rich cultural history and selection as the host city for WYD.
Additionally, a research team conducted by the KDI School of Public Policy and Management’s Professor Taejun Lee presented an analysis forecasting the economic impact of WYD Seoul 2027. Among the projections of trillions of dollars expected to be generated from the event, it is forecast that 24,725 jobs will also be created related to World Youth Day 2027, according to LiCAS News.
The ceremony’s concluding Mass, which included a universal prayer said in multiple languages, was celebrated by Chung alongside Cardinal Andrew Soo-jung Yeom, Bishop Paul Kyung-sang Lee, Bishop Titus Sang-Bum Seo, and Bishop Job Yo-bi Koo.
Pakistan: young Christian widow beaten in the countryside by Muslims after accusing her of blasphemy
A young Christian mother of two in Pakistan ran for her life after being accused of blasphemy before being cornered in a field and beaten by a mob. Saima Farhad Gill, a widow, living in a village, near Gojra, in the Punjab, was saved by police and placed in custody after being charged under Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws. Saima’s neighbours in Chak 304 Kator, claimed they had found in the bin documents bearing the name of her daughter, Emma, aged nine, which included ripped pages containing the Qur’an. The enraged mob blocked the roads. The police were able to reach Saima and she was taken into custody in Toba Tek Singh. Saima, who is about 33, on 7th August was charged under 295B of the Pakistan Penal Code in which the sentence for desecration of the Qur’an is life imprisonment.
Saima’s maternal uncle is now looking after Emma, and her brother, Saviour, aged seven. Speaking to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which supports persecuted and other suffering Christians, prominent Pakistan Catholic priest Father Bonnie Mendes said: “Saima has had a hard life after losing her husband in a road accident in September 2019. “She continued with courage, giving her children education in a private school, a few kilometres from her home.
Attacks on two churches foiled a month before the Pope’s visit
A little more than a month before Pope Francis’s visit to Indonesia, two Catholic churches were in the crosshair of Islamic extremists. Densus-88 Polri, the counter-terrorism unit of Indonesia’s national police, foiled suicide attacks against the two places of worship in Malang, East Java.
This sends a warning signal ahead of the pontiff’s apostolic journey to Southeast Asia and Oceania from 2 to 13 September, raising questions about security and sectarian violence in Indonesia. Asked by local media about the affair, Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said that “two churches were targeted,” but he did not add further details about the operation and its timing. Indonesian police dismissed rumours that the terrorist operation was linked to the papal visit to the country, which has, for long time, sought to show the world a moderate version of Islam.
Speaking about the foiled attack at the heart of Catholicism in East Java, General Andiko explained that the three suspects arrested are politically linked to the extremist group called Daulah Islamiyah. At night, the Densus-88 Polri unit raided a rented house in Jeding, a village in Junrejo district, Batu regency, about 25 km from Malang. The city of more than 820,000 people is home to many Christian religious groups and congregations, as well as the famous Widya Sasana School of Philosophy and Theology, where hundreds of seminarians study.
One of the three suspected terrorists arrested is known as “Hok”, a high school student believed to be one of the would-be suicide attacker.Yesterday afternoon, he reportedly admitted under questioning that he wanted to blow himself up in one of the churches in Malang, after he was indoctrinated “for six or seven months” by Daulah Islamiyah.“The social media of the terror group seriously affected his mindset,” said Densus 88 police spokesman Senior Superintendent Aswin Siregar speaking to AsiaNews. The young man used some of the money he received from his family to buy bomb material.
The police detained Hok’s parents on board a train bound for the capital, Jakarta. However, since they found no dangerous material in their possession, the two were released. The counter-terror squad did confiscate materials – triacetone triperoxide (TATP) – to make a bomb better known as the “Mother of Satan” for the big blasts it generates. Police also found other items, including iron balls, which terrorists usually add to amplify the damage of the blast and cause more victims.
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, has in the past been the scene of several attacks on churches or acts of intolerance against minorities, including Christians, Ahmadi Muslims, and others.
Pope Francis offers message of hope for the Chinese people
In an interview with the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus, Pope Francis says China is a “great people” that “must not waste its heritage”, and repeats his desire to make an apostolic journey to the country. The heart of the interview given by Pope Francis to Father Pedro Chia, director of the press office of the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus, is “a message of hope” and a blessing for the entire Chinese people. It is an interview with a strong spiritual focus, punctuated by the Pope’s personal memories and his reflections on the future of the Church.
The Pope does not hide his desire to visit China, particularly the Shrine of Sheshan in the Songjiang District, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians. In the Asian country, he says, he would like to meet with local bishops and “the people of God who are so faithful”. “It is a faithful people”, he continues. “They have gone through many things and remained faithful”. To young Chinese Catholics, in particular, the Pope emphasizes the concept of hope, even though—he notes— “it seems tautological to me to give a message of hope to a people who are masters of hope” and “of patience in waiting”. And this, he highlights, “is a very beautiful thing”. The people of China are “a great people” who “must not waste their heritage”, Francis adds; on the contrary, “they must patiently carry forward their legacy”.
SIGNIS Secretary General calls for synodality and solutions journalism in AI-dominated future
The National Catholic Social Communications Convention 2024, held in Batangas, Philippines, brought together social communicators, media professionals, and Church leaders to discuss the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in their work. The keynote address by Dr. Peter Monthienvichienchai, Secretary General of SIGNIS – the World Catholic Association for Communication, underscored the need to assess if and how AI can enhance authentic human encounters in the missions of social communicators.
Dr. Monthienvichienchai posed a pivotal question: “In deciding when and how we use AI in our ministries, we must ask, will this take us closer or further away from our readers, from our parishes?” He emphasized that while AI offers speed and efficiency, for missions, the processes and taking the synodal journeys with those we are writing about and writing for are crucial. “In many cases, truly listening is not only the process, but also the solution,” he stated, echoing a previous speech by Sr. Nina Krapic from the Dicastery for Communication.
The concept of synodality, which involves walking together and truly listening to one another, was central to Dr. Monthienvichienchai’s message. He urged social communicators to ensure AI fosters community and solidarity, rather than creating distance. Dr. Monthienvichienchai also advocated for solutions journalism, which focuses on reporting potential solutions alongside problems. He suggested AI could aid in analyzing data and identifying trends, but stressed the need for keeping in mind the purpose of social communications.
He urged social communications professionals to not only tell the story of the final successful mission, but to also equally cover the challenges and failures that happened along the way.
This, he pointed out, will allow those who are not part of the mission and perhaps also those who are not Catholics, to fully appreciate what the Church is doing to support those on the fringe of society.
Workshops and panel discussions at the convention explored AI’s practical applications in social communications. Industry leaders shared best practices, noting AI’s potential to enhance storytelling and audience engagement. However, there was a consensus on the necessity of human oversight and ethical use of AI. The convention’s theme, “Authentic Influencers (AI) for an Empowered Church”, highlighted AI’s transformative potential in social communications.
Pope Francis: Reading literature can enrich the Christian life, aid in priestly formation
In a new letter, Pope Francis touts the benefits of reading literature for priests and all those seeking to enrich their lives as Christian believers. Though he said his letter was originally intended for men receiving priestly formation, he said all Christians — not just those involved in ministry — would benefit from incorporating poetry and literature into their personal times of study or leisure.
“Time spent reading may well open up new interior spaces that help us to avoid becoming trapped by a few obsessive thoughts that can stand in the way of our personal growth,” he writes in his letter, which is dated July 17 and comes at the height of the summer when many people are taking time off to rest and recreate.
The 87-year-old pontiff believes reading literature enables individual people to learn the art of reflective personal discernment, empathy with others, as well as entering a dialogue with the culture of our times, in a more profound way than modern audiovisual media.
“We are enriched by what we receive from the author and this allows us in turn to grow inwardly, so that each new work we read will renew and expand our worldview,” he writes. In his letter, the Holy Father praises seminaries that incorporated times dedicated to the reading of literature and poetry, countering the current “obsession with ‘screens’ and with toxic, superficial, and violent fake news.”
Reading, the pope insists, should not be approached with an arduous or rigid “sense of duty” but rather with a flexibility, openness, and “readiness to learn.” “Everyone will find books that speak to their own lives and become authentic companions for their journey. There is nothing more counterproductive than reading something out of a sense of duty, making considerable effort simply because others have said it is essential,” he shares.
Drawing upon the example of St. Paul, who “gathered the seeds of pagan poetry,” the pope said Christians who are knowledgeable of the literary works of their times can bring others closer to God through the person of Jesus Christ.
“We must always take care never to lose sight of the ‘flesh’ of Jesus Christ: that flesh made of passions, emotions, and feelings, words that challenge and console, hands that touch and heal, looks that liberate and encourage, flesh made of hospitality, forgiveness, indignation, courage, fearlessness; in a word, love,” Pope Francis writes.
Through “listening to the voice of others” and “seeing through the eyes of others,” Pope Francis believes there is a kind of wisdom and richness instilled in readers of the literary word that seeks truth, broadens perspectives, and enhances critical and cognitive thinking.
“It opens our human words to welcome the Word that is already present in human speech, not when it sees itself as knowledge that is already full, definitive and complete,” he observes, “but when it becomes a listening and expectation of the One who comes to make all things new (cf. Rv 21:5).
Nicaragua exiles seven more priests
Of the group of priests detained in Nicaragua, seven were exiled this Wednesday, 7 August, and sent to Rome, where they arrived Thursday afternoon. The priests are Víctor Godoy, Jairo Pravia, Silvio Romero, Edgar Sacasa, Harvin Torres, Ulises Vega, and Marlon Velázquez.
The information was confirmed the same day in the afternoon by Nicaragua’s government in a press release that stated, “Seven Nicaraguan priests have left Nicaragua for Rome, Italy”. The priests belong to the dioceses of Matagalpa and Estelí, and were being held at the Nuestra Señora de Fátima Seminary in Managua.
According to Nicaraguan media, the administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, Father Frutos Valle, who was detained on 26 July, was not among those expelled from the country.
This is the fifth time Nicaragua has exiled groups of priests: in October 2022 and February 2023 several priests were sent to the United States; in October 2023 and January 2024, two other groups of priests, along with two bishops – Rolando Álvarez and Isidoro Mora were sent to Rome.
Meanwhile, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Arturo McFields Yescas, confirmed on Wednesday that the government led by Daniel Ortega had ordered the expulsion of the Brazilian ambassador to Nicaragua, Breno de Souza Brasil Días da Costa, for not attending the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution on 19 July, to which he was invited. For its part, the Brazilian government decided this Thursday to expel the Nicaraguan ambassador, Fulvia Castro, in “reciprocity” to the step taken by the authorities in Managua.