A Catholic archbishop in southern India has appealed to the provincial government to protect Christians, their places of worship, religious symbols and sacred structures.
Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore said the Feb. 15 demolition of a statue of Jesus and Stations of the Cross at Gokunte in Kolar district of Karnataka state “had not only affected the sentiments of the Christian community but also the people of other faiths.” “It was heartbreaking to see hundreds of people shedding tears,” Arch-bishop Machado said in a press statement on Feb. 17. A dispute over the possession of the land was pending in Karnataka High Court but officials went ahead with the demolition even before the court could pass a final order. The archdiocese had also filed a petition in the high court challenging the demolition of the Christian structures on Feb. 19.
Archbishop Machado noted that in the past two years the state had “seen demolitions occurring at six such places on the hills and systematic attacks on churches across the state.”
These religious places were patronized and maintained as places of devotion in Bangalore and its surroundings for decades, he said. “We only fear that many more such harsh, orchestrated and insensitive attacks are sure to happen in the coming days,” the prelate added.
Archbishop Machado hoped and prayed that the government will protect Christian places of worship, religious symbols and sacred structures.