card. Oswald Gracias*

The archbishop of Mumbai expressed Asia’s solidarity and offered prayers to Card Zenari. Children in Asia weep for those in Syria. Bombing worsens the unspeakable horrors of war.

The Indian prelate talks about the examples of Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi, two icons of non-violence. " Conflicts and difference of opinion will always be present, but it is important to realise that non-violence also implies the presence of justice which results in the presence of peace."

In Mumbai there are about 80 thousand tribal. Their conditions are precarious. They are often victims of exploitation and marginalization. Even the holy family was refused at the inn, but found "refuge in a stable in Bethlehem, full of hospitality that radiated from the shepherds great heart."

The archbishop of Mumbai issued a message for the memorial day on 30 August. This year the fiercest anti-Christian violence by Hindu radicals will be commemorated. "May their blood suffering bring many fruits to the Church in Odisha”.

As president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), the Archbishop of Mumbai sends AsiaNews a message of condolence to the Christian communities in Egypt and Libya. "We pray for them and for the conversion of the hearts of those who have committed these crimes."

Next Sunday, the first day of prayer and reflection against human trafficking, was presented today at the Vatican. The archbishop of Mumbai notes that this phenomenon is "a horrific crime against the fundamental rights and the dignity of the human person" and "the world's third largest illegal activity after smuggling of drugs and weapons."

On the feast day of the Apostle of the Indies, patron saint of missions and the East, the archbishop of Mumbai assess the state of the Indian Church. Catholics needs to understand, study and live more deeply their faith. Christianity "is like a jewel in our life which must be polished to make it shine more brightly."

Before with John Paul II, and especially today with Pope Ratzinger, the Church in India has changed from being a "needy" Church to one that "goes" on mission. The Archbishop of Mumbai Card. Oswald Gracias traces the path of the Indian Church in the years of the papacy of Benedict XVI: New Evangelization, the World Youth Days, religious freedom, schools and service among the poor and needy.