Pastoral work set against poverty and Hindu fundamentalism
Gulbarga (AsiaNews) Mgr Robert Miranda, the first bishop of India's newest Catholic diocese in Gulbarga, Karnataka state (south-west India), has his work cut out for himhe has to face poverty, Hindu fundamentalism and widespread anti-Christian sentiments.
Officially, Bishop Miranda will take office on August 18, but he gave AsiaNews an interview in which he spoke about the goals of his mission in an area where Christians are poor and under the threat of rightwing Hindu fundamentalism.
First of all, the new Bishop said he was committed to "follow the simple and humble life of Jesus". Secondly, he intends to "dedicate the diocese to the Holy Spirit that it may guide the clergy, the religious and the laity in their work and their spiritual life".
"The diocese," the Bishop pointed out, "takes in a vast area. Christians living here are poor and marginalised; socially, they are at the bottom the caste system."
For him, Gulbarga Christians face two major threats. "The first one is the proliferation of Evangelical sects and the second one is an anti-Christian wave promoted by rightwing [fundamentalists] that has led to escalating violence against Christians and their activities".
Bishop Miranda is however quick to point out that this attitude is circumscribed to a fringe of fanatical Hindus.
"Those who belong to the Muslim and Hindu communities [. . .] are very respectful of the sacrifices [made by] the Christian missionaries. Our social and educational programmes are at the service of all the people, irrespective of caste and creed."
In order to face the challenges posed by his mission, the new Bishop intends to create a new institutional framework within the diocese to that would enable dialogue, cooperation and evangelisation.
Until his nomination, Bishop Miranda was Episcopal Vicar for the Bidar mission, which was part of the archdiocese of Hyderabad but administered by the diocese of Mangalore.
Born in Kirem, Mangalore, in 1952 and ordained in1978, he is well respected for his pastoral work. At Bidar, his mission became a vital element in the life of the local Church.
"I spent the last ten years working in Bidar, the prelate said, "and there was a lot of work to do. We set up a tight network of social programmes which were never enough though."
"People here live under the yoke of poverty," he stressed. "Most of them are landless labourers, agricultural workers [engaged in] seasonal occupations. Barely 10 to 15 per cent of the Christians won farm land, but tragically it is too arid in a drought-prone area so the cycle of poverty goes on."
Gulbarga is India's 150th Catholic diocese, the 120th of the Latin rite, and its creation by the Vatican was announced on June 24.
It includes the territories of the archdiocese of Hyderabad and the dioceses of Bellary and Belgaum, and will come under the archdiocese of Bangalore.
It has 6,425 Catholics out of a population of 7 million and is served in 16 parishes by 29 priests and 110 religious.
The country also has Catholics who follow the Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankar rites which have 25 and 5 dioceses respectively.
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