Nirmala Carvalho

For a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, and the attack suffered by the young woman and the violent reaction of civil society is a sign of a "distorted and patriarchal mentality." Family, institutions and movies define man by his aggression and possessiveness over women. Harsher penalties needed, but gender equality, education and economic independence must also be promoted.

The leader of the Hindu nationalist party (BJP) won the election for the third time in a row, and could stand in the general election of 2014. In the massacres of 2002, between Hindus and Muslims, thousands of people were killed. Fr. Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit priest and director of a center for human rights, "But he will never be prime minister."

Charged in the murder of Laxamananda Saraswati, which set of the 2008 anti-Christian pogroms, the men are innocent. Even though Maoists have always claimed responsibility, police arrested them in the middle of the night on the basis of false evidence. For a Christian leader, their trial is a travesty of justice that threatens the victims and lets the guilty go.

The defense has asked the High Court of Kerala to allow the two marines home for Christmas, with the promise to return to India after the holidays. The state government fears instead Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone would remain in Italy, "torpedoing" the process.

The authorities of the village of Raikia demolished the houses, belonging to tribal Christians in the community. The official explanation: the houses stood near a road to be expanded. In reality, a wealthy landowner has allegedly corrupted the officials, to take possession of the land.

The funeral will be held tomorrow in his native parish, in Belthangady. The nuncio died on 8 December in a car accident. For the archbishop of Mangalore, his funeral will be a "powerful instrument of evangelization," so that "the Year of Faith encourages us to return to an authentic faith."

Titled Christaayan, it is the first movie about Christ situated in India and shot in Hindi. Directed by a Divine Verb priest, it involved more than 200 non-professional actors, 80 per cent non Christian. The six-hour epic will be broadcast as series on television.

Bhenchen Kyi, a 17-year-old student, chose self-immolation to demand the return of the Dalai Lama. Before dying she asked her friends not to let the Chinese take her body. Speaker of Tibetan parliament-in-exile tells AsiaNews that China uses only "repression," calls for the world to stop Beijing.

Interview with Mgr John Barwa, archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar. He is on spiritual retreat 10-14 December) with his priests, victims of anti-Chritian pogroms. Fr Errol Fernandes is in charge of the retreat, centred on the Year of Faith. In 2008, the Jesuit priest met Hindu students at a Mumbai college to describe what was happening to Christians in Orissa.

Organised by Mgr John Barwa, archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, the meeting will be held from 10 to 14 December. It will bring together clergymen hurt during anti-Christian pogroms in Kandhamal (2008). Fr Errol Fernandes, a Jesuit priest will run the retreat, speaks about it. Besides the pain and suffering, Christ "must remain the inspiration" to face every challenge.

Proponents of Hindutva exploit the anti-conversion law in-force in the State. In the district of Ratlam, Hindu activists accuse some Pentecostal Christians of practicing forced conversions, and the police ordered to stop the prayer service in progress.

The beatification service took place in the Diocese of Kottar (Tamil Nadu), before tens of thousands of faithful, 40 bishops and almost 2,000 priests and nuns. Papal delegate and Prefect of Congregation for the Causes of Saints Card Angelo Amato, Mgr Salvatore Pennacchio, apostolic nuncio to India, and Card Oswald Gracias, president of the Bishops’ Conference presided over the ceremony.