On 16 and 17 January 2010 closing celebrations for the 25-year life of the Diocese of Port Blair and episcopate of the local bishop. Bishop Dias: the killer wave "mother of all challenges", but reconstruction has taken place "in record time." Evangelization and interreligious dialogue the challenges of a reality isolated from the country.
The bishop of the diocese of Karwar, Mgr. Derek Fernandes: "The pilgrimage will serve to celebrate the renewal of faith and vocation to the priesthood." The importance of confession and prayer.
Scion of two of India's foremost independence heroes, Pandit Dharam Prakash Sharma met Jesus when he read the Sermon on the Mount at the age of 17. After 20 years of searching and a career in the movies, business and politics, he converted and was baptised. Only Christ breaks the chains of sin and triumphs over death.
A demonstration takes place in Delhi for the release of Tenzin Delek, the Panchen Lama and all of Tibet's religious and political leaders. Beijing's response has been the deployment of troops in Nyagchuka County and the sentencing of a Tibetan abbot to eight years in prison. For China, the Dalai Lama is a "political monk".
The new vice chairman of the National Commission for Minorities speaks about anti-Christian violence. Extremist fringes believe that the 2.5 per cent (Christian) proportion of the population can overwhelm the 85 per cent (Hindu) majority. Too often, law enforcement officials “turn a deaf ear or remain silent, or worse, show bias in favour of the aggressors.”
The tragedy of 2004 is still weighing heavily on widows, orphans and small fishermen. Father Santhanam, a priest and lawyer, describes the work that is being done in favour of the coastal people in Kanyakumari district. He also talks about broken promises and NGOs that are no longer present in the field. The area’s Catholic communities find hope in their faith.
The missionary of Charity tells some of the stories of daily hope that fill the days of the men and women of the order founded by Mother Teresa.
Some 4,000 people attend the Festival of Christmas held in Bandra, Mumbai. Titled ‘Let us celebrate the birth of Jesus together”, it was sponsored by Ashish Shelar, the new face of the local BJP.
Sister Mary Joseph, a cloistered nun, speaks about Pius XII’s rescue of the Jews, and John Paul II’s fight against abortion and euthanasia. Now the nuns hope that they “shall soon be able to say ‘Saint Pius XII and Saint John Paul II; pray for us’.”
The case of Aruna Shanbhag, 59, sparks a heated debate across India. For writer Pinki Virani, stop feeding and giving the patient water would be a humanitarian act, not euthanasia. India’s Supreme Court says, “Under the law of the country, we cannot allow a person to die.” For Mgr Dabre, a “culture of death” is increasingly taking hold in India.
Stones are thrown at the Grotto of Saint Anthony in the village of Kolaigiri. It is the 66th act of violence against the Christian community in Karnataka. For the Global Council of Indian Christians, the authorities in BJP-run States ignore “a rising culture of violence and terror against minority Christian communities.”
Police in Ghumusar Udayagiri go on alert after a Hindu-owned store is bombed and anti-Sangh Parivar posters appear. They investigate possible involvement by Maoist groups but do not exclude actions might be a provocation. Tensions rise as Christmas holidays approach.
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