Nirmala Carvalho

In Gujarat, a house run by the Missionaries of Charity is under investigation on charges of "converting" young girls. The sisters: "False accusations. Many non-Christians are also praying for us". Msgr Machado: "Has this country already forgotten how much the Mother of the Poor has done for India?".

A parish priest in Belagavi managed to escape an attack, recorded on CCTV. In the last 12 months, 38 episodes of anti-Christian violence were documented in Karnataka. Police detained a Christian couple in Madhya Pradesh after they were accused of "luring" tribal women to convert.

Fourteen people are killed after a pickup carrying miners is ambushed by the military in the small state in northeastern India. Demands grow louder for the military to be stripped of their “special powers”. For Nagaland Catholics, no one “on earth has the authority to take away another life under any given circumstances.”

The incident stems from rumours that baptisms were performed in the school. In reality, only four students out of 1,500 are Christian. For Bishop James Athikalam of Sagar, the attack is part of “a planned strategy” linked to upcoming local elections; “local (nationalist) leaders want to gain prominence by attacking Christian schools.”

The local government: the measure will be debated in the Legislative Assembly next week. Bangalore Archbishop Machado: "Outrage against the Indian Constitution. Exaggerated numbers in nationalist speeches on conversions, Christians are decreasing in numbers rather than increasing. This is an incitement to sectarian violence". Attacks on churches have already increased in recent months.

Built in the 17th century, the churches are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Archbishop Ferrao speaks out on the feast of Saint Francis Xavier, who is buried in one of the churches. Acts “detrimental to the preservation of the religious and heritage sanctity of Old Goa” should stop, he said.

Despite lower figures, HIV-infected patients still number 2.3 million in India and are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19. For Dr Pascoal Carvalho (Pontifical Academy for Life), “Governments and health authorities have a greater obligation to reach out and ensure continued access to medical care ana adequate drugs to such patients.” Through its own outreach, the Catholic Church plays a leading role in the fight against HIV-AIDS.

The Verbite clergyman, who grew up in a place in India that saw Christians persecuted, arrived in the South American country three years ago. He spoke to AsiaNews about the challenges his mission faces in the city of Palpalá. “Argentina is certainly a Catholic country, but not very practicing”; yet, “people are very happy, simple, helpful and very friendly.”

On the first Sunday of Advent, the new Eucharistic rite should have come into force in all Syro-Malabar dioceses. However, in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Vicar Antony Kariyil chose to maintain the status quo, citing a letter from the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Only Cardinal George Alencherry used the new formula, with the celebrant facing the altar in the middle of the service.

At the request of the Jesuits, the High Court of Bombay agreed to open new proceedings in connection with terrorism charges levelled at the clergyman who died at 84 years after a long imprisonment. The stigma associated with Fr Stan’s memory must be erased.

Violence against Christian gatherings are becoming routine in a Madhya Pradesh district. Hindutva-inspired militants held a rally calling for a ban on Christian meetings. “At the start of the Advent season, we are concerned for the Christian community in Jhabua,” said Sayan K. George.

An “outcast” suffers brutal violence in a Madhya Pradesh village. For Fr Devasagsyaraj, “nothing has changed” in half a century. “Culprits should be punished”, and civil society “should raise their voice on behalf of the voiceless”.