Pope Francis has met with the Indian priest who was held by Islamic militants in Yemen for 18 months. The Indian government announced on Sept.12 that Salesian Father Tom Uzhunnalil – a missionary priest kidnapped in Yemen on March 4, 2016, at a home for the elderly in the southern port city of Aden where he served as a chaplain – had been released.

He arrived in Rome 12th evening to recuperate at the Salesian headquarters before returning to India.

Uzhunnalil was kidnapped during an attack on the missionary compound in which gunmen posing as relatives of one of the residents at the home burst inside, killing sixteen people, including four Indian nuns belonging to the Missionaries of Charity, the order of founded by Mother Teresa.

He met with Francis on September 13 in the Casa Santa Marta, immediately following the general audience.

“The Holy See strongly thanks those who have been working for its find, in particular, His Majesty the Sultan of Oman and the competent authorities of the Sultanate.”

The Press Room also announces that “the religious will be visiting for a few days in a Salesian community in Rome before departing for India.”

Father Thomas Uzhunnalil, who was released from his kidnappers on Sept 12, says his Islamic abductors who spoke Arabic did not mistreat him but provided him with medicine for his severe diabetic condition.

Father Uzhunnalil said throughout his captivity, he celebrated Mass daily, remem-bering readings and parts of text, without liturgical texts or species to celebrate.

Father Uzhunnalil appeared calm and answered the questions of the confreres but without giving much details. He recalled that he was kidnapped from the chapel of the community of the Missionaries of Charity of Aden. He was moved two or three times but always blindfolded in such circumstances, the report said.

“I never thought I could be killed,” said the priest.

“No ransom was paid and the reason why Oman got into the efforts for release is… when direct efforts do not yield results, indirect measures are adopted and what’s important is to solve the problem,” Singh said while addressing the media here. On a question when the priest is expected to return to India, the Minister said: “He (Tom) will have to decide that.”

Cardinal George Alencherry, the head of Kerala-based Syro-Malabar Church, led a Mass for hearing impaired people Sept. 11 assisted by priests train-ed in sign language, with local media calling it a first in India. Some 200 people, including school-going children to 83-year grandmother, attended the mass and gathering at the Church’s headquarters in Kochi. Hearing impaired people from all the 15 dioceses of the Church in the southern state attended the program. As the Cardinal said the Mass prayers, a priest and a nun trained in sign language stood behind him in the altar commu-nicating the prayers through signs to the gathering that could not hear or speak a word. They also responded to the prayers in sign language. “All the dioceses would arrange Mass for you, whenever you need. Please let us know,” Cardinal Alencherry said at the end of the Mass. The Church is realizing the increasing need of pastoral care for physically challenged people. Other sacraments including confession also would be administered in sign language, he said.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) senior vice-president, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Thrissur, has expre-ssed anxiety over the UP govern-ment’s move to make compulsory the attendance at the state’s primary schools as a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebrations.

The archbishop of Thrissur told reporters here on Sept 9 that such a move was against prote-cting the minority rights.

All 1.6 lakh government primary schools in UP would celebrate Mr Modi’s birthday on Sep 17, and it would be mandatory for all students to attend, the archbishop said quoting media reports. “Sunday is not a simple holiday for Christians all over the country.”

The Catholic Church in Kerala is upset with the new liquor policy of the state’s LDF govern-ment, as closed bars are being allowed to reopen despite assura-nces from CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury to the contrary, a bishop said.

Expressing deep anguish, Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchana-niyil, Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Thamarassery, told the media that the present “Left government has cheated.”

“Yechury had assured that not a single closed bar would be opened and now it (assurance) has fallen flat. What came as a shock was the relaxation made recently in the distance liquor vends need to keep from educational and religious institutions…it has been reduced from 200 metres to 50 metres,” said the bishop.

“It’s now clear that ‘money’ is all supreme and everything comes after it. The liquor policy of the Congress-led UDF (United Democratic Front) was also flawed. We will organise a protest against the new policy,” added the bishop. Yechury had said during the state assembly election campaign that if the Left came to power, not a single closed down bar would be reopened.

Catholic groups in Mumbai are pitting against one another over surveillance cameras installed in the women’s wash-room of St Michael’s Church in Mumbai’s Mahim.

While two women filed a police complaint against the church authorities, accusing the priests of voyeurism and stalk-ing, Catholic association has called it a campaign to defame priests, the Hindustan Times reported.

On Sept 9, groups supporting the priests walked to the Mahim police station to submit a memorandum supporting the priests. They said they will consult their lawyers to discuss legal action against those accusing the priests of crime.

The police have not yet registered a FIR, but have said that they are investigating the complaints and have spoken to the women who felt the cameras were obtrusive.

The church said that the cameras were put up after complaints of thefts in the washrooms, but a group called the Association of Concerned Catholics (AOCC) said that the devices violate voyeurism and stalking laws.

“The cameras can film women in a private affair. Applying lipstick or combing hair in front of the washroom mirror is also a private affair,” said Joseph Sodder, a lawyer and member of AOCC.