Nirmala Carvalho

Speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), the Nobel Prize winner for economics talked about the upcoming general elections, calling for "party that is pro-market and pro-business to come to power and doesn't prioritise one religion over another". He also urged the media to be more responsive to the "poor and marginalised".

The parish of Blessed Mother Teresa of Siadih ( Diocese of Jamshedpur ) is hosting a meeting for Catholics, Lutherans , Anglicans and Protestants . Fr . Lino Fernandes SFX explains, "we have the shared mission of Mother Teresa : to convey the love of Jesus to our people , and alleviate their suffering. Christ continues to seek our undivided attention in their weakness”.

by Nirmala Carvalho This was confirmed to AsiaNews by Fr. Tomi Thomas , director of the Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI ) , that has 3,410 institutions and over 2 thousand members including medical and paramedical staff across the territory. New Delhi has not recorded a new case in over three years.

Pope Francis announced the first Syro-Malabar diocese in Australia, home to 35,000 members of the Syro-Malabar Church, mostly migrant workers. For the Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, head of the Syro-Malabar Church (Kerala), the new eparchy is "required" for the development and integration of local communities into the Universal Church.

The court dismisses petition by a Hindu fundamentalist group to ban famous Christian preacher. "India is a secular country" that needs "tolerance". Christian leader welcomes "the decision of the High Court" to force such groups to respect "the belief and faith of all religious groups."

Tribal leaders allowed Pilar missionary Fr Lino Fernandes to hold a Christmas celebration in villages where 99 per cent of residents were not Christian. "The brotherhood mentioned by Pope Francis in his message for World Peace is this: Sharing love, God's gift, is essential not only for Catholics but for all human beings."

The well-known American evangelical minister set to visit the city for the Conference of Christian prayer scheduled for mid-January. But parties and movements demand he be denied a visa: He "is coming to carry out conversions, and this is forbidden by the Constitution ." Leader of the Global Council of Indian Christians tells AsiaNews: "specious accusations that question the tolerance of our country”.

The Archbishop of Mumbai, Card. Oswald Gracias, pray to the Lord "to grant the Holy Father health , wisdom and grace , to continue to lead the Church and be an inspiration to us all." This week he will celebrate a Mass in the house of Mumbai for abandoned children, opened by the founder of the Missionaries of Charity.

Unknown assailants pulled the statue of Jesus from the cross and smashed it to pieces. The incident occurred in the district of Vile Parle , near the church of St. Francis Xavier, where 37 children were preparing to receive their First Holy Communion . The archbishop of Mumbai describes it as an “attack on the tolerance , harmony and diversity that characterize our beloved city ." Last September, another church was desecrated in Mumbai .

Fr Aniceto Pereira, vice rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount in Bandra, talks about Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation. Calling the pope, the "John the Baptist or our generation," he highlights the pontiff's critique of today's culture and economy, which closely touch the Indian city, caught as it is between " glitzy wealth and poverty that kills, spiritually as well."

The highest Indian court has overturned a 2009 judgment of the High Court of Mumbai , which had decriminalized homosexual acts. LGBT associations complain and accuse the Islamic and Christian religious organizations of lobbying to reinstate the ban. Card. Oswald Gracias, "No to gay marriage, but the Christian community is against any form of discrimination. Homosexuals have the same dignity as any other human being."

Catholic priests and human rights activists pay tribute to the South African leader as "an ideal and an icon to follow." Mandela wanted not only to "end the segregation of blacks ," but also that " all his people lived , walked and worked together." And this is what India should do to try to "fight the caste system, violence of a religious nature and social exclusion ."