Nirmala Carvalho

The complaint of judges who would like the establishment of a body on the model of the Muslim Waqf to curb clashes within the councils that manage schools, hospitals and church funds that increasingly land in the courts with wasted resources. Jesuit Fr. Santhanam to AsiaNews: "Realities not equal, but the problem exists. An examination of conscience is needed to protect the future of these assets."

Local authorities are excluding Rohingya children because they do not have the Aadhaar identification card, the biometric identification system reserved for Indian citizens, this according to NGO that filed the complaint. The Delhi High Court refused to hear the case, arguing that it is a policy matter for the Home Affairs Ministry.

Since 13 October, at least five violent incidents have been reported in different parts of the country, most notably in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. Prayer services and buildings were targeted, a family was not allowed to bury a loved one in the village cemetery. The police are complicit with the attackers. For the archbishop of Bangalore, government silence is “baffling”.

Although a ban on alcoholic beverages is in place in the Indian state, government officials and police turn a blind eye on liquor produced by local mafias. For Fr Louis Prakash, the latter “get protection” through “corruption and collusion” that “cost the lives of the poor.”

Prices vary according to demand, with surcharges, for example, for priority use of operating rooms. The government tried to address the issue in 2020, but many hospitals have found ways to unbundle charges into separate fees. Sister Beena, executive director of the Holy Family Hospital, stressed the need for universal health coverage.

The automobile magnate who passed away yesterday at the age of 86 was also known in the country for his ‘Tata Trusts’, initiatives through which millions of people from the poorest groups were able to benefit from development opportunities. The Bishops' Conference: “A beacon of compassion and generosity: he contributed to making India a global economic power, without ever losing sight of the least”.

Francis’s decision to choose George Koovakkad, 51, his close aide in organising papal journeys, and not to the new major Archbishop Thattil, means that in a few months this young priest will be the only cardinal elector of this Church of the Eastern rite, which has been deeply divided in recent years by a row over the liturgy, a wound that is still open.

Subhash Velingkar, a former local leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, is behind the request. This comes a month before the start of the ten-year exhibition of the saint's remains. Protests have followed. Fr Savio Fernandes, executive secretary of the Council for Social Justice and Peace, has called for social harmony. Several local politicians took legal action on the grounds that Velingkar’s remarks are offensive to religious sentiments.

Since September, the secondary school, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, has been entrusted to the foundation linked to the Indian tycoon. The sisters explain the decision by emphasising the different values and aims compared to a group whose priority is ‘commercial interests’. For this reason they ask that the inscription ‘Mount Carmel’ be removed from the façade.

Jacinta Kerketta turned down the prestigious Room to Read because it was co-sponsored by a US agency while the US government supports Israel's war in Gaza (and Lebanon). Last year she did the same with another award in protest against the abuse of Adivasis in Manipur. For Indian priest, hers is a “bold step”.

The platform was launched by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India-Latin rite on the eve of World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Migrants can register to be welcomed and helped by host communities. Migrants bring wealth to local parishes, as was visible last Sunday in Mumbai during the Karam festival, celebrated by over 800 Catholic migrants at St Stephen's Church.

In a letter, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath denounces the misappropriation of property owned by Christian fishing families in Ernakulam district. After intense debate, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, tabled in early August, was forwarded to a joint parliamentary committee. Muslims, however, fear control by the central government.