India

Caste will now be a protected category at California State University so that “disadvantaged castes” will be protected under the university’s anti-discrimination policies. This comes after complains from young Indian students. Caste biases persist even among overseas Indian communities. In the US, one in four Dalits has experience physical or verbal attacks because of their caste.

In Open Doors’ World Watch List 2022, Afghanistan bumps North Korea for the top spot as the most hostile place for Christians in the world, even though the situation in the East Asian country has worsened. On average, 16 Christians are killed and 10 abducted worldwide per day. Two out of every five Christians in Asia live in an area where persecution is rampant. Another study released in Jaipur reports about 300 attacks against Christians in India in the past nine months.

"Our sins, our mistakes, our falls, do not frighten God, let's get that straight in our heads, but he is frightened by the closure of our hearts, by our lack of faith in His love". "It is right that those who have erred should pay for their error, but it is just as right that those who have erred should be able to redeem themselves from their error. There can be no condemnation without a window of hope." "We pray that all disciples of Christ may persevere on the path of unity."

Today's headlines: India pays tribute to the "super-mom" tiger, the country's most famous feline; Bangkok ready to decriminalise marijuana; three Iranian officials in Saudi Arabia at the headquarters of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation;the Russian Orthodox Church issues new prayers, one against "computer addiction"; "Covid-free" Turkmenistan in preventive lockdown.

While India grapples with the Omicron variant, the Cardinal Gracias Memorial Hospital has installed equipment for new emergencies. Archbishop Machado urges federal minister “to tell the central government” that Christians “are an integral part of building the nation,” not its enemies.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be celebrated from 18 to 25 January, centred this year on the theme: “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him”. In Cana, “the first sign Jesus accomplished was not an extraordinary healing or something prodigious in the temple of Jerusalem, but an action that responded to a simple and concrete need of common people, a domestic gesture. Let us put it this way – a miracle done on tip toes”.

Arrested in 2018 following accusations by a former superior of the Missionaries of Jesus, the bishop of Jalandhar, who was put on leave of absence, always maintained his innocence. Only 39 witnesses out of 84 were called to testify in court.

The election campaign for the legislative assemblies in five Indian states has begun. All eyes are on Uttar Pradesh, which with its 200 million inhabitants is crucial for the national balance. Hindu nationalist monk Yogi Adityanath, head of the outgoing local government and Modi's would-be successor for BJP leadership, is fanning the flames of resentment against Muslims. But he has to reckon with party defections.

Every year on 16 January, the Catholic community in Sancoale holds services near the ruins of an old church to remember the great missionary from Goa who brought Catholicism to Sri Lanka. As state elections approach, Hindu extremists are trying to prevent celebrations on the pretext of protecting the archaeological site. Starting on 23 January, local priest will hold a weekly prayer every Sunday for peace and harmony.

Indebted and grappling with a severe financial crisis, Colombo tries to balance the interests of Beijing, Delhi and Washington. Affected by the pandemic, the island nation needs foreign currency to pay for its growing imports. China’s “debt trap” is an issue. Sri Lanka reaches oil deals with India.

Students from the Don Bosco Arts and Science College helped a single mother of two, by raising funds and building a house for them in 10 months. “I am really happy and proud for what the young people of Don Bosco College have done,” said Bishop Alex Vadakumthala. “[S]tudying does not merely mean acquitting another degree but requires opening one’s heart and mind,” he added.

Hindu religious extremist Swami Prabodhanand Giri twice urged followers to arm themselves to cleanse India of Jihadis. Meanwhile, the High Court in Madhya Pradesh stopped the removal of children from a Catholic orphanage targeted by the Child Welfare Committee on the basis of phoney arguments. “By the Grace of God, we got a stay order from the High Court,” said the Syro-Malabar bishop of Sagar. “However, this is not a permanent solution.”