Nirmala Carvalho

On World AIDS Day, which falls each year on 1 December, the story Rev Reji Thomas, a Kerala native, highlights the plight of HIV-positive Indian children who are often abandoned by their own relatives due to social stigma. Today, his Bless Foundation, founded in 2009, cares for 28 minors, who not only found a refuge, but also the opportunity for treatment and education.

For the local elections on 9 and 11 December, the party led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has presented an unprecedented number of Christian candidates. The Syro-Malabar Church, after a meeting with the prime minister, has invited the faithful to collaborate in the electoral review, signalling a possible rapprochement.

Indian authorities have blocked the “Tales of Kamasutra & Christmas Celebration” event after a wave of criticism from the Catholic Church and women's rights groups. The initiative, accused of offending religious sentiments, was removed by order of the police, who have opened an investigation against the organisers. Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao condemned the incident, calling for the protection of interreligious respect and shared community values.

Fr Susai Jesu, a missionary with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, was called by Leo XIV to lead the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas. Since 2007, he has lived his ministry among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, participating in the journey of reconciliation that culminated in the meeting with Pope Francis at Lac Ste. Anne in 2022. “God chooses the weak to make them strong in faith and love,” said the new prelate in his first comment after he learnt of his appointment.

In communion with Churches around the world, the event was promoted by the Norbertine-run centre that offers dignity and new opportunities through self-help groups to women living in disadvantaged areas. For its director, Father Moses, “Empowerment is not a gift; it is the fundamental right to agency, and our role is simply to clear the path.”

A car bomb that exploded yesterday near the historic Red Fort, a symbol of Indian independence, killed 13 people and wounded more than 20. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but authorities suspect a jihadi attack linked to Kashmir, following the discovery of three tonnes of explosives in Faridabad. However, "all angles" remain open, according to federal Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah. “Let us continue to pray for peace and safety across our beloved nation,” reads a statement by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India.

The family of Manish Nishad, 50, moved his body from village to village for three days because residents refused to allow his burial on private land after he “abandoned” his original religion. This is the latest in a series of cases in tribal areas. “Kanker has become the hotbed of Hindu fanaticism,” International Christian Concern reports.

The prime minister met with a delegation from the Syro-Malabar Church in Delhi a few days after the controversy over anti-conversion billboards in Chhattisgarh. BJP representative: ‘We are ready to help anyone, not everything should be viewed through a religious lens.’ Meanwhile, in another state governed by Hindu nationalists, young people studying at the seminary in the diocese of Gwalior are being targeted.

The local High Court rejected a petition challenging signs banning Christian clergymen and converts from certain villages, ostensibly to defend the “local cultural heritage”. For the Syro-Malabar Church, this is the worst example of divisiveness since partition, marking out Christians “as second-class citizens”.

The place of worship, dedicated to St Joseph, is located in the village of Munpi, a remote area in the Singngat region. A Catholic couple from Goa made a significant contribution to its construction. The inauguration was presided over by the Archbishop Emeritus of Imphal. For the prelate, the church ‘will contribute to their healing, their relief and their sense of stability’.

Eight officers suspended from duty in Kathua district: they stood by and watched during an attack by Hindu fundamentalists on a minibus carrying participants in a Christian initiative. Behind the ‘anti-conversion’ initiative is the local BJP leader, already reported for other acts of violence.

The 2021 legislation, which imposes up to 10 years for converting to another faith, has come under scrutiny. Some of the law’s provisions violate personal rights and privacy. For the bishop of Lucknow, the rulings are a “welcome relief and a sign of hope for the Christian community”, but all "unconstitutional" provisions must be struck down.