A Catholic diocese in a northwestern Indian state has joined government agencies in providing relief to people reeling under severe heatwave conditions that have reportedly claimed over 120 lives. Local media reported 122 deaths in Rajasthan state due to the extremely hot weather, with nearly half of those occurring between May 23 and May 30.
The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert on May 30 for Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Madhya Pradesh in the northwest and central parts of the country. Experts cautioned against heat-related illnesses and suggested that state governments take adequate preventive measures to protect vulnerable people. The mercury surpassed 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in Rajasthan’s Churu town and neighbour-ing Haryana’s Sirsa town. A part of the national capital New Delhi recorded the country’s highestever temperature: 52.9 degrees Celsius (127.22 de-grees Fahren-heit). “It is very disturbing to learn that so many people have lost their lives in the extreme weather conditions,” said Emeritus Bishop Oswald Joseph Lewis of Jaipur diocese in Rajasthan. He told that volun-teers at the diocese’s social service wing are reaching out to people to help and guide them. “Our people are going house to house to make people aware of the extreme weather conditions, suggesting precautions to be taken and giving them medicines,” the prelate said. Lewis said most casualties were reported among daily wage laborers compelled to work under the hot sun. “Our volunteers are providing them free lunch and water” to compensate for the lost daily wages, he added. The prelate said theirs was a small effort to help the government agencies deal with the situation. Shashi Dharan, the public relations officer of the Delhi Archdiocese, said they have made arrangements for drinking water outside churches in the national capital.
Abp. Felix Anthony Machado of Vasai Retires
His Holi-ness Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Felix An-thony Machado (76) from the pastoral governance of the diocese of Vasai on June 6, 2024. He was the bishop of Nashik (2008-2009) and Vasai (2009-2024). He was the Secretary General of the CBCI (2020-2024). Archbishop Felix Anthony Machado was born on June 6, 1948, in the parish of Remedy, then Archdiocese of Bombay. He received priestly ordination on October 30, 1976; initially incardinated in the Archdiocese of Bombay; with the erection of the Diocese of Vasai, in 1998, it passed to the latter. From 2000-2008 he has been Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He was appointed Bishop of Nashik on 16 January 2008 and ordained Bishop on 8 March 2008. He was transferred to the diocese of Vasai on 10 November 2009. He was elected the Secretary General of the CBCI in 2020 and re-elected in 2022.
Indian Youth Elected as International Secretary General of IYCS
Adv. Roshan Melwyn Lobo from the diocese of Mangalore has been elected as Secretary General of the International Young Catholic Stu-dents (IYCS), a global Catholic action movement recognised by the Holy See and the United Nations. He will operate from IYCS headquarters in Paris. He was elected as the Secretary General in the 17th IYCS World Council, held from May 16 to 26, 2024, in Jordan.
Roshan, born on January 28, 1998, holds a B.Com. from St Aloysius College, an LL.B. from St Joseph’s College of Law, an MBA in International Business from Pondicherry Central University, and an LL.M. in Constitutional and Administrative Law from Christ University, Bangalore. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at St Joseph’s College of Law, Bangalore. He has extensive involvement in the Catholic youth movement, including roles such as President of the Diocesan Executive Committee (DEXCO) of the Young Students’ Movement, Member of the National Executive Committee of YCS/YSM India, Edi-tor of the National YCS YSM News-letter ‘The Search”, and representing India in international forums like World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland, and the World Youth Parliament 2017 in Beijing, China.
Indian Supreme Court: Anti-conversion law may be ‘unconstitutional’
Catholics in India expressed optimism following the Supreme Court’s recent co-mments that a draconian anti-conversion law may be found to violate the Indian Constitution. During a May 16 hearing concerning the anti-conversion law in northern Uttar Pradesh state, the Supreme Court noted that “some parts [of the law] may seem to be violative of the fundamental right to religion guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution.”
“This Supreme Court observation gives us great hope,” Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore in southern Karnataka state told CNA. “The court observation highlights the primacy of the fundamental right of freedom of conscience,” he said.
“The Supreme Court remark is a pleasant surprise and gives hope to us,” A.C. Michael, a Catholic and coordinator of the ecumenical United Christian Forum (UCF), told CNA. Appeals against the laws are pending in as many as nine states, Michael added. UCF has been monitoring incidents of anti-Christian violence and extending support to persecuted Christians, most of whom were arrested on fraudulent conversion charges. Michael point-ed out that anti-conversion laws, which were enacted mostly by Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments, are being abused to target Christians. The Supreme Court made its observation while hearing a petition seeking the quashing of a conversion case registered against officials of Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Tech-nology, and Sciences (a Christian university) in Uttar Pradesh. “The Supreme Court on Thursday orally commented that the Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion law [Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021] in some parts may seem to be violative of the fundamental right to religion guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution,” the Institute of Legal and Management Studies reported.
Article 25 (1) of the Indian Constitution, which is known as the Magna Carta of religious freedom or “freedom of conscience” in India, guarantees: “Subject to public order, morality, and health and to the other provisions of this part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice, and propagate religion.”
Indian Church official hails court order favoring minority schools
An Indian Church official has welcomed an order of the Delhi High Court allowing educational institutions run by minority communities to appoint their staff without government approval. “This is a great order,” said Father Maria Charles Antonysamy, the secretary of the Indian bishops’ Office of Education and Culture, indicating that government-funded minority institutions across the country experienced a lack of freedom in appointing staff members. Delhi High Court, in its May 28 order, said, “So long as the principals and teachers, who are appointed possess the prescribed qualifications and experience, there can be no restriction whatsoever on the right of the petitioner [a minority institution] to make appointments to fill in the vacancies in the schools run by it.” “No prior permission from the government is required for this purpose,” observed Justice C. Hari Shankar, ruling in favor of the petitioner Delhi Tamil Education Association, which runs seven senior secondary schools in India’s national capital region for the Tamil linguistic minority. Indian constitution allows linguistic and religious minorities to establish and run educational institutions to serve their communities. The government also pays for the salaries and maintenance of several such institutions as they contribute to the state’s educational service.
However, state governments increasingly began controlling staff appointments, and “because of this difficulty, in some cases, Church-run aided schools were closed down,” the priest said. The court’s order “definitely will help us to maintain our ethos and standards. Only when we have the freedom to appoint principals and teachers of our choice can we maintain our values for a better society,” said the Catholic priest. The New Delhi court’s order applies only to Delhi state, but the priest said it could be used as a guiding principle in asserting the rights of minority institutions across the country. “The order will help us to appoint staff members who understand us. It will make a big difference in our functioning. Appointing a vested interested person will lead to a clash of interest,” Father Antonysamy added. The priest said, “The high court order is a big relief not only in Delhi but also in other states where state-aided minority educational institutions faced similar problems. They can refer to this order in those states for relief.”
Indian bishops saddened over tragic fire mishap in Kuwait
Catholic bishops in a south-ern Indian state have expressed their condolences to the families of 49 expatriate workers, most of them Indians, killed in a fire mishap in Kuwait. A major fire broke out in a six-story building in the Mafreg area in southern Kuwait on June 12. Nearly 150 people were living in the block when the fire broke out on the ground floor. The cause of the fire is unknown but the presence of more than 20 cooking gas cy-linders in the overcrowded build-ing caused it to spread quickly. Kuwait’s interior ministry has reported 49 deaths. Among them, 42 are Indians and others are from Egypt, Nepal, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Most victims died due to suffocation while 50 others sustained injuries. “Twenty-four of them were from Kerala state and many of them are Christians,” Fr Jacob Palakkappilly, spokes-person of the regional Kerala Ca-tholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC), told on June 13. “It is really heartbreaking,” the KCBC said in a statement on June 13. The loss their families suffered is be-yond words, the bishops observed. “The Catholic Church shares the grief of the family members,” added the bishops. They were the breadwinners of their families, said Fr Palakkappilly, and added that we are waiting for more details. The Kerala government has announced compensation to each family and has sent its health minister Veena George to Kuwait. The Indian government has rushed federal minister Kirti Vardhan Singh to Kuwait. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condo-lences and announced compen-sation for the victim’s families. “My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured re-cover at the earliest,” he said. Low-paid, blue-collar workers from Asian nations live in over-crowded accommodations in the six Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) nations. Kuwait relies hea-vily on foreign labor in industries like construction. Kerala is known for migrant workers. Among its 33 million people, close to 3 million people are expatriates, according to reports.
Indian bishops tell Modi to make his new term ‘inclusive’
Catholic bishops have appealed to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make his new term “inclusive” by treating all citizens equally and upholding the country’s constitutional values. Modi was sworn in for another five-year term on June 9 after his pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the help of allies, se-cured 293 seats in the Indian parliament. The coalition government was formed after the BJP, accused of following a Hindu-first policy, failed to win the required simple majority of 272 seats in the 543-seat Lok Sabha (lower house). The seven-phased national polls ended on June 1, and results were declared on June 4. The bishops appealed to the coalition government “to work diligently towards upholding constitutional values, ensuring justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity for all citizens.” “It is imperative that the government remains inclusive and committed to the welfare of all sections of society, particularly the marginalized and vulnerable,” said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) in a statement on June 9. The bishops said the elections highlighted “the strength of India’s democratic ethos.” The opposition accused Modi, who came to power in 2014, of following policies to turn India into a theocratic Hindu nation in his third term. India witnessed 147 incidents of violence against Christians in 2014, and the number of such incidents spiraled to 599 by 2022, according to records of Christian leaders. Most opposition political parties cobbled together a loose coalition with a slogan to “save constitution” that stresses secularism. But they could win only 234 seats, 38 less than the required number to form a government. The bishops acknowledged “the spirited participation of all political parties” in the elections, which they said exhibited the vibrancy of Indian democracy. “In the ultimate analysis, it is the triumph of Indian democracy. It’s the victory of faceless Indian voters,” said analyst Ashutosh Talukdar from northeast India’s Assam state. In three Christian-majority states in the northeast – Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizo-ram – BJP’s allies were humbled.
3 in 5 children in Middle East suffering severe food poverty
3 in 5 children in the Middle East and North Africa, 34 million in total, are living with severe food poverty. That’s according to a new report by UNICEF entitled Child Food Poverty: Nutrition Deprivation in Early Childhood, which analyses the consequences and causes of food deprivation among the world’s youngest children.
The report notes that around 181 million children worldwide under the age of 5 are experiencing severe child food poverty, making them up to 50 per cent more likely to experience a life-threatening form of malnutrition. The report also highlights the compounding effects of inequality, conflict and climate crises. It says that persistent protracted crises, ongoing conflicts and economic instability have a significant impact on children’s access to nutritious and diverse foods. It estimates that about half of the children in severe food poverty receive only starchy pro-ducts along with dairy or breast milk, reflecting a very poor diet.
Fewer than 10% of these children eat fruits and vegetables, according to UNICEF. Less than 5% of people eat nutrient-rich foods such as eggs, fish, poultry, or meat.
“Children living in severe food poverty,” said UNICEF Director-General Catherine Russell in a press release, “are children on the brink. Right now it is a reality for millions of young children and can have an irreversible negative impact on their survival, growth and brain development.” “Children who consume only two food groups a day, for example, rice and some milk, are up to 50 per cent more likely to experience some severe form of malnutrition.”
Church’s votes ‘no’ to mining permits for religious organisations
Indonesia’s Catholic Church has rejected President Joko Wido-do’s plan to allow religious organisations to manage mining deposits whose concessions have been withdrawn from companies. Last week Jokowi – as the president is known at home – signed a decree to make the proposal official, as a gesture of appreciation for the contribution made by religious groups to Indonesia’s struggle for independence, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said.
In 2022, the president, whose term will end in October, had announced that he would revoke a number of mining permits because the concessions were being developed too slowly. Bahlil said that religious organisations are given the opportunity to take over the concessions to improve the welfare of the community. But religious organisations do not have the capacity for exploration and exploitation, nor the funds to propose mining investments.
Criticism has come from the Church and various groups in society, including environmentalists. ‘I don’t know how or who others will respond to this issue presented by the president,’ Card. Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmod- jo, Archbishop of Jakarta, said yesterday.
‘But the Indonesia Bishops’ Conference and the Indonesian Catholic Church will never accept the offer to manage mining projects because it is not the domain of the Church.” ‘Our pastoral work in each archdiocese and within the Bishops’ Conference has always been very clear. And there has never been involvement in mining projects,’ the cardinal added, addressing the media as he left the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
There have often been conflicts with large companies that have appropriated land be-longing to local people. And some children have died after falling into abandoned mine shafts.
Christians join global calls for repeal of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws
Some 300 Christians marched on the legislature in Pakistan’s Punjab province, joining global calls for the repeal of the country’s draconian blasphemy laws days after a Christian lynching victim died in hospital. During the protest on June 8 in Lahore, the provincial capital, the protesters condemned the government for failing to stop recurrent Muslim mob attacks based on false alle-gations of blasphemy.
The demonstrators placed lit candles on a table around a pict-ure of Nazir Masih, the 74 year old Christian who died on June 3 days after a Muslim mob attacked and injured him in Punjab’s Sar-godha district. “The government should stop patronizing extremist religious outfits. Minorities are now afraid to sleep fearing some-one will drop blasphemous mat-erial in front of their house. The whole community is punished resultantly,” said Samson Sala-mat, chairman of Rawadari Teh-reek, a group promoting peaceful coexistence among all segments of society, at the rally.
Salamat referred to the case of Masih who was attacked after rumours spread that he burned pages of the Quran on May 25. “We demand new legislation against false and fabricated blasphemy allegations and an independent inquiry into all bla-sphemy incidents and mob attacks on the Christian community,” Salamat said. On June 3, UK-based global Christian group, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), issued a strongly worded statement demanding the end of Pakistan’s blasphemy law.