New Delhi (AsiaNews) – “We request all Christians [. . .] to remember all those died for the sake of Christ so that the memory of the martyrs may help the growth of the Indian Church,” said Mgr Anil Cuto, bishop of Jalandhar and chairman of the Ecumenical Commission. For this purpose, 29 August has been set aside as ‘Indian Christian Martyrs’ Day’ in association with all other Indian denominations. “It is not about declaring saint anyone, but of preserving the memory of those who suffered, bore witness and died for their faith, leaving a legacy for all Christians. This can be a source of inspiration for many generations to come,” the prelate added.
Fr Anbu SVD, national secretary of the Ecumenical Commission, spoke to AsiaNews about the initiative’s genesis.
“The idea came up for discussion during a meeting of regional secretaries in Jhansi, in November 2009. Ecumenical secretaries felt the need to remember all the Christians who died for Christ in India over the years. In order to remember them, they saw that it was fitting that we celebrate an ‘Indian Christian Martyrs’ Day’ with all other denominations,” he said.
“As Pope John Paul II wrote in his encyclical Ut Unum Sint, all Christians share a common martyrology. Our goal is not to canonise anyone, but only to remember those who sacrificed themselves for Christ. The life of courage of these people is a legacy for the Church and we want to preserve it for future generations,” he added.
The hope is that ‘Martyrs’ Day’ will “spur the faithful to follow Christ in a more personal way,” that it will “encourage them to stand firm on their faith and never lose hope in life, whatever difficulty they might encounter.”
“In the last few years, we have had a few martyrs: Sister Rani Maria FCC, Father Thomas, Father Aruldass, the missionary Graham Staines and his children. Many others have lost their life in our country, and many pastors have been unjustly killed,” Fr Anbu said.
“In a country where Christians are a minority and continue to suffer because of their faith, we must support them through prayers,” he added. “Those who died for Christ are true heroes of Christianity. If we do not acknowledge them, who will?”