Priest goes on trial in Uttar Pradesh for saying that Christianity is the true faith
The Allahabad High Court orders Father Pereira to stand trial for calling Jesus's religion "the only true religion" in a church sermon. The court cited India's secularism to argue that such a claim denigrates other faiths. This is a paradoxical development in a state like Uttar Pradesh, a Hindu fundamentalist stronghold.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – In another surreal case of pressure against Christians in India, presenting the truth of one's religion in the context of a church sermon can potentially be treated as an outrage against other faiths; paradoxically, this is being done in the name of secularism in Uttar Pradesh, a state that is a stronghold of Hindu fundamentalism.
Citing Article 295A of the Indian Penal Code (deliberate insult to another's religion), the Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition to throw out the case filed by Father Vineet Vincent Pereira, a Catholic priest in Varanasi, a friend of AsiaNews, and a well-known advocate for justice.
By its decision, the court is saying that, in secular India, claiming that one’s religion is “the only true religion" is tantamount to denigrating other faiths.
The case arose after Father Pereira filed a petition to quash a complaint and subsequent proceedings against him. The complaint alleges that during prayer meetings, the priest repeatedly stated that Christianity is the only true religion, which, according to the prosecution, hurts the religious sentiments of members of other faiths.
Before the court, Father Pereira's lawyer argued that the clergyman had been unfairly implicated in an attempt to intimidate him.
The State of Uttar Pradesh, which is ruled by Hindu nationalists, opposed the motion for dismissal, saying that the issues raised concern disputed facts that must be examined in a trial. The court granted the state’s motion, so criminal proceedings will proceed in the lower court.
“I have already filed an affidavit in the supreme court,” said Father Vineet Vincent Pereira speaking to AsiaNews. “Regarding my case, the blame that is out on me, there is no connection to the FIR[*] and the blame they are putting on me. Whatever I have preached is to the believers in the church. I preach my faith. I don't condemn any religion. But I stand for justice. I preach the love of God.”
Regarding the matter, Auxiliary Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes of Bombay expressed concern that some parts of the anti-conversion bill recently passed by the State of Maharashtra could lead to similar accusations.
“Equally problematic is the definition of ‘allurement’ in Chapter I, Section 2(a)(vii), which includes ‘glorifying one religion vis-à-vis another religion.’ This formulation raises serious concerns. Every religion, by its very nature, proclaims the truth of its own beliefs,” the bishop explained.
“In the Christian tradition, for instance, the belief that salvation comes through Jesus Christ is a central tenet. Yet under the present wording of the Act, even the simple articulation of these doctrinal teachings — without any reference to or criticism of other religions — could potentially be construed as ‘glorifying’ one religion vis-à-vis another, thereby exposing religious leaders or institutions to legal scrutiny and possible arrest.”
Sanjay R. Hegde, a lawyer at the Supreme Court of India, also reacted to the case in a post on X.
"With great respect to the High Court this is unsound law. There are many sects of Hinduism itself that emphasise only one path to the exclusion of all others,” he wrote. “When a citizen believes in the Great Spaghetti monster, he can say that Pastafarianism is the only true path and all others are mistaken.”
[*] First Information Report.
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24/10/2019 17:56
