Indian Church refuses to endorse political party in election
Assam Christians outraged by Hindu leader’s “divisive” remarks
Moral theologians address challenges in biomedical ethics in India
Persecution of Christians has worsened around the globe, according to new study
Pope to Cardinals-elect: Keep your eyes raised, your hands joined, your feet bare
Tribal Christians avoid travel fearing attack in India’s Manipur
Pope Francis’ visit to Singapore ‘has revived the faith of our people,’ cardinal says
Cardinal Dolan: Harris received ‘bad advice’ to skip Catholic charity dinner
It would be good for the Church as a whole to have a Dalit cardinal. It is a community of people who are perhaps one of the most oppressed and marginalized in the world. They number over 250 million — half of the whole of the European Union — and form the majority of Christians in India. Solidarity of the Church with the excluded, which Pope Francis makes us realize by his words or gestures, will find its crown if he elevates one among the poorest of the poor groups to the dignity of the cardinalate. It will be a great witness to the Gospel and a clear sign that the Church translates into action what it preaches in words about the poor and the suffering. Moreover, the image of the Church as universal, inclusive and compassionate to the last and the least will come out most clearly and distinctly. The elevation of a Dalit to the rank of cardinal will be a positive recognition and affirmation of this community who form the majority of Christians in India. We all witnessed what the elevation of Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo of Ranchi from among the tribal people meant for them, and the sterling leadership he has given not only to the tribal people but to the whole country as president of the national bishops’ conference. Given the opportunity, a leader of that rank from the Dalits will bring in the renewal of the Church in India and open up new paths to the Gospel. At a time when Christian Dalits are fighting against
Fascists use manipulative strategies aimed at whipping up sympathy and support from the majority community, to which they normally ‘belong.’ They do so in a variety of insidious and subtle ways. In the past few months, they have gone overboard in their efforts to denigrate and demonize minorities in India — particularly Muslims and Christians…. The latest conflict to hog national headlines is that of the Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath in the temple city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh state. It is a long-drawn dispute and goes as far back as 1991. According to reports, a Shivling (representative image of Hindu god Shiva) was discovered within the disputed Gyanvapi premise’s Wuzukhana — the place where ablutions are performed. Reports claim that the Shivling was discovered after water inside a pond, which is used as a Wuzukhana by Muslims, was pumped out of it. After the Shivling was unearthed during the survey on May 16, a district court ordered the sealing of the disputed structure. In its order, the court stated that the Shivling discovery is substantial evidence and asked the security forces to secure the premises and prevent Muslims from entering. Already, in the past couple of years, Hindutva elements have been disrupting the communal harmony in and around a four-century-old Catholic Church in Goa However, on May 17, India’s Supreme Court issued notice on pleas challenging the district court order. It also issued an interim order that while the area wher
Russian President, Vladimir Putin may have proved himself to be irrational and unreliable with a penchant for autocratic rule while suppressing dissent from within his own country to his policies. Is that much different from other rulers in power around the world in so called democratic nations who manipulate the principles of democracy to bend to their will? The alliance of western countries in their very forceful support for Ukraine, they are dumping deadly arms and armaments in Ukraine without any clear idea of where all these weaponry is going to end up. If the west is gambling that Putin is susceptible to deterrence and that he may not react to them recklessly increasing their belligerence in opposing Russia, this is an inelegant form of diplomacy that compromises peace. The elected western leaders like Biden and Johnson are playing war games on Russia’s doorstep, to excite their electorates, while fighting their own internal leadership battles within their own countries. It is difficult to think of a more dangerous time to do this, when maximum restraint and cool headed deliberations are called for creating the conditions for peace. While there can be no conceivable excuse for what Russia is doing to its neighbour, and the war is at the brink of spilling beyond its borders into Europe and beyond, the burning issue is not finding any which way to damage Russia, but to exercise thought on how to end this damaging war in which there can be no winners. After all the se
The book ‘If Not Now, When? Disquieting Feminist Questions clearly belongs to the last category. Edited by Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, Kochurani Abraham and Prashant Olalekar SJ the anthology raises serious questions, it discomforts, it makes demands. The title says it all: disquieting feminist questions! If taken seriously, it challenges the reader to get out of one’s complacency, comfort zone! It is a must-read and a ‘must-act-upon-now’ book! The book is divided into three sections, all inter-related :1. Voices from the Margins 2. The Personal is Political and 3. Patriarchy, Power and the Catholic Church. Twenty-five essays, interviews and insightful articles fill the almost three-hundred pages tome. The contributors belong to the entire spectrum of society: different voices but one in heart, soul and mind! In fact, all the articles merit independent reviews. The style throughout is racy, without being superficial, raising pertinent questions and simultaneously providing possible answers, the contents are provocative yet dynamically positive. For a discerning reader, it does not make for comfortable reading – it is not meant to do so- it is meant to ‘disquiet’ and it does so with brutal questions enveloped in sensitivity and finesse! Given the way clericalism and patriarchy are steeped in church and country, there will certainly some (or many?) who will not take kindly to the book. This is perhaps on expected lines! It will only go to prove the points made by the a
1. ABOUT THE SYNOD: The awareness level was 2.9 (against the mean of 2.5), but the satisfaction level with the preparations for the Synod was lower at 1.9, with 24% unable to answer. If they were clubbed with the mean it would drop to less than 1, indicating very poor preparation for the Synod. Would one’s voice be heard in the Synod; the response was less than 2 with 15% unable to answer. Hence at the primary level itself the organizers of the Synod need to sit up and take notice. 2. SPIRITUAL/ CATECHETICAL ISSUES: Satisfaction with the reform and renewal after Vatican II was 2.3. Awareness level of contemporary church documents was 2.5. Nevertheless, propounding of Vatican II teachings in Sunday sermons was a very low 1.3, as was faith formation and adult catechesis at 1.8. Marriage preparation scored slightly higher at 2.4. The fraternal relationship between clergy/ laity envisaged by Vatican II was a dismal 1.6. The attitude towards inter faith marriages was slightly higher at 2.2. The bottom line is that in its primary duty of teaching and sharing the faith, the Church has failed miserably. 3. PARISH LEVEL ISSUES: Satisfaction with parish councils/ finance committees is at 2.0, yet 3.6 want such “advisory’ bodies to be made mandatory, with decision making powers. Despite its huge investment in education the satisfaction levels are just above par. Health and social welfare services are lower at 2.2 each. Affluent members helping the less fortunat
