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CHURCH IN INDIA TO CONTINUE WITH CHRIST’S MANDATE OF LOVE AND SERVICE

New Delhi: The Church in India represented by the heads of the National Council of Churches in India, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, United Baptist Church in India, Evangelical Fellowship of India, India’s Mission Association and the Pentecostal Churches, met in New Delhi on February 2, 1999, to review the national situation, with special reference to the continued violence against religious and other minorities. United in its deep grief and shock at the senseless and brutal murder of Graham Stuart Staines and his young sons, Timothy and Philip, and in the face of unabated violence against churches, priests, nuns and Christian institutions, the Church in India expressed its solidarity with all victims of religious, caste and gender violence, specially among the poor, the Dalits and the tribals.

In a statement, the leaders of the Church termed the violence against the minorities as the handiwork of an extremist and fundamentalist ideology and said, "The Church in response will more determinedly continue with the mandate of love and service given by Jesus Christ" - SAR News
 
 

ARCHBISHOP AND SHAHI IMAM JOIN PROTEST

New Delhi: In an unprecedented move, the Archbishop of Delhi and president of The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Alan de Lastic, joined hands with the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid here to protest against the atrocities on Christians in India.

Archbishop Alan responded positively to an invitation by the Shahi Imam Abdullah Bukhari of Jama Masjid in New Delhi on February 5. Friday, after the mid-day prayers at the mosque. The Shahi Imam called on the Muslim community to support the persecuted Christians. The gathering held a protest rally and submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister demanding an immediate ban on the right-wing fanatic groups.

As protests gathered momentum against the continuing violence on Christians, two former Prime Ministers of lndia, Mr V P Singh and Mr l K Gujral, joined by senior citizens, intellectuals, secular Hindus, priests, nuns and others, on January 30 observed Martyr’s Day, to protest against the inaction of the Government to halt the incidents of violence against Christians.
 
 

INDIA NEEDS RELIGIOUS CONCORD
 
Religious concord and not religious tolerance is what India needs today. "Tolerance means enduring what you do not like," said Archbishop Michael Augustine of Pondicherry and Cuddalore at a peace rally organised by the Congress Party, as part of Martyrs’ Day oberserved here on January 30. The political rally looked almost like an inter-religious gathering, with nearly 400 nuns, hundreds of Christians and Muslims participating in it. The Archbishop said that the Hindus, in fact, lived in great amity with their non-Hindu brethren. "But, it is only a handful of antisocial elements that spread hatred," the Archbishop added.

He said these small groups perpetrated violence not only against minority communites, but also against the Hindus themselves. The Archbishop said the denial of privileges due to Dalit Christians on a par with the SC/ST communities, was also a form of violence as serious and condemnable as killing missionaries and burning churches. - SAR News
 
 

PROBLEMS IN ASIA: RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IS NOT THE CAUSE
 
The Vatican: The cause of strife and disagreement among religions in India is not the presence of different religions. On the contrary, it is the interference of geographical, economic and political powers, that is responsible, says, the Vatican. Asia is the cradle of all the chief religions of the world. Adherents of the different religions, are involved in works of mercy under the auspices of their respective religions. But towards the end of 1998 and the beginning of 1999, temples, churches and mosques have come under attack.

Asia is fast losing the reputation of being a land of peace. All the major religions have peace as their motto. The dialogue between them is being understood only by the higher eschelons of society. If there is a setback in mutual harmonious relationship, it will be a drawback to the Hindus who view religion and culture as inter-connected. Perhaps the upheaval caused in Indian culture because of globalisation might have annoyed the Hindu leadership. The initiative taken by Christians to break the knot of the caste system has not been appreciated by the Hindu terrorists. As a matter of fact, Christian missionaries have only given witness to the love of Christ. This statement was given by the Vatican Secretariat for Evangelisation.