India

A group of tribals from a Jesuit school were attacked at night by a gang armed with sticks while travelling on a train. A priest targeted after celebrating customary Mass in a village. In both cases false accusations of conversions. Card. Gracias: "Christians of all confessions took to the streets to defend Fr Joseph, a visible witness of ecumenism in this Octave of Prayer for Unity".

In the first of a two-part reportage, an investigative team looked into the role of current prime minister during the 2002 Gujarat riots. For India’s Foreign Ministry, the investigation is steeped in "bias" and "lack of objectivity". Meanwhile, India’s Information Ministry is proposing a change in the law to prevent the spread of what the government decides to be “fake news”.

According to Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to Washington, the two countries want to maintain stable relations. Despite its interests in both countries, it is hard for China to get involved in the dispute. India provides Afghanistan with development aid, but cannot be considered a partner of the Taliban.

Pyongyang returns to the top of the list of the most dangerous countries for Christians drawn up by the international NGO. India is the country with the highest number of recorded arrests: as many as 1750 in one year. The expansion of the 'China model' in the subordination of religious freedom to 'stability and security' is worrying. In the world 1 believer in Jesus out of every 7 lives in a country where discrimination is high; 5,621 were killed in twelve months.

Oxfam's report presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos highlights the increase in economic inequality over the pandemic period. "If Indian billionaires were taxed at a rate of 2% of their total wealth it would support the feeding of malnourished people in the country for the next three years".

Despite talks between the parties led by a Church committee, the bishops’ meeting ended with no agreement. In the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, tensions have simmered for a year over a failed compromise on the uniform rite. For Card Alencherry, everyone should understand that ignoring the synod's decision is illicit. New incidents between opposing sides marred Christmas celebrations at Ernakulam cathedral.

Today's news: Japan intends to dump more than a million tonnes of radioactive water from the Fukushima plant into the sea; the Shrine of St Anne in Penang becomes Malaysia first (minor) basilica; the Supreme Court of India warns the central and state governments against hate speech; China plans to introduce exams for professional journalists; one Russian in three depends on pensions or state benefits.

Card Pell, who served as archbishop of Sydney and of Melbourne as well as prefect of the Vatican dicastery for the economy, died suddenly yesterday in Rome at the age of 81. He spent more than 400 days in prison following a conviction based on slanderous charges of paedophilia, which were overturned by Australia’s High Court. The archbishop of Bombay remembers him. The two met last September in India to discuss the family, which to him was “extremely important for the revitalisation of Christian life.” He was still “talking about the future,” not the past.

Prachanda is back in power for a third time. He wants friendly relations with China and India, both of which are vying for influence in the Himalayas. In Nepal, the parties in the ruling coalition have different views on foreign policy. In the past, the Nepali Congress slammed encroachment by Chinese troops into Nepal.

For several days, ever-widening cracks have appeared in buildings and roads in the town of some 20,000 residents in Uttarakhand. Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr Ajo Thelappily bemoans “unprecedented landslides”; remember “the people of Joshimath in your prayers,” he asks. Excessive pumping of groundwater for farming is blamed for further weakening an area already geologically unstable.

Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Moras of Bangalore is provisionally in charge of the diocese. A statement from the Bishops' Conference notes that Bishop William will “take a period of absence” following accusations of embezzlement and violation of celibacy. The local clergy is satisfied with the decision, which had been requested some time ago to the Vatican.

India’s highest court accepts petition to stop a seven-day eviction order ostensibly over housing built illegally on railway land in Haldwani district. Some residents have lived for 50 years in the area, which has five public schools and a hospital. For the court, a rehabilitation scheme is needed.