New Delhi: The Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu received a delegation of Christian leaders from Delhi at the Rashtrapati Bhawan earlier today. The delegation comprised of Archbishop Anil JT Couto, Bishop Subodh Mondal, Bishop Paul Swarup, Dr. Michael Williams and Mrs. Tehmina Arora. The delegation presented a copy of the Holy Bible, a memento of Christ the Good Shepherd blessed by Pope Francis and a memorandum elaborating various concerns of the community.
The President was briefed about the steep increase in the incidents of violence against Christian, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. A copy of the Memorandum is attached. On the 19th of Feb., 2023, about 22,000 concerned Christians of Delhi had gathered together in a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar. The various Christian leaders had drafted and signed the memorandum on that day and had sought time to meet with the President to present the same.
After giving a patient hearing to the delegation, the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu recalled her days in Jharkhand and Odisha and fondly recalled the service of the church, the nuns and other members of the Christian community in the area. She applauded their unflinching service in the area of healthcare and education and nation building. She also mentioned her time volunteering with the nuns in the region.
She recalled the tragic loss of Graham Staines, an Australian missionary who was brutally murdered along with his two young sons in 1999, who she was a neighbor. She expressed regret in her inability at the time to go to avert his tragic loss. She stated she has read reports about the targeting of Christian however she believes that these violent attacks have been perpetrated by only a small handful of people in India. She stressed that the secular fabric of the nation comprising of its unity in diversity was still vibrant. She assured the delegation that she would follow up and initiate action that is within her powers to ensure that police and law enforcement complacency, unwarranted arrests, and harassment of Christian families, and the attacks on institutions, as highlighted in the memorandum, is addressed.
The delegation comprising Archbishop Anil Couto, Bishop Subodh Mondal, Bishop Paul Swarup, Dr Michael Williams and Mrs Tehmina Arora meeting President Droupadi Murmu to apprise her of a spate of attacks on Christians, appears to be an afterthought. This happened after severe criticism of Delhi’s Archbishop Anil Couto and his group of bishops not having taken up this issue of persecution when Prime Minister Modi visited Sacred Heart Cathedral to exchange pleasantries on the occasion of Easter. May be Easter was not an occasion for complaint. But why didn’t the bishops contact Modiji shortly after that?
The bishops reacted after in one of his write-ups on 13th April morning, M.L. Satyan asked the Laity: “Should we not call these prelates cowards?” The answer to this is: An unequivocal yes. None of the bishops of 174 Catholic dioceses in India have shown that they have chosen to be poor and want to be pro-poor. None of them have shown that they possess the prophetic voice on matters of principle or probity. None of them including Cardinal Oswald Gracias and CBCI have been forthcoming on Catholic Church’s stand on financial corruption and clerical sex abuse by bishops Franco Mulakkal, bishop K.A. William and erstwhile Bishop Gallela Prasad (of Kudappa Andhra Pradesh) who was accused of siphoning of millions of rupees from diocesan social welfare funds to support his “wife” and 18-year-old son. Two lay Catholics, Ravi Kumar Mesa and Prasad Sambatur jointly moved a criminal complaint against the prelate. Subsequently Gallela Prasad caved in and resigned. In fact when Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 10th December 2018, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, the then Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, reportedly issued a statement, “We thank Bishop Prasad Gallela for his dedicated services to the Church in Cuddapah and the Church in India, and we entrust him to the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Apostles.” What dedicated service had bishop Gallela Prasad rendered to the Church other than feathering his own nest? The ghost is within the system! And there is no transparent and well-set system to monitor the bishops of 174 dioceses.
Most of the bishops like Franco Mulakkal, K.A. William and even Cardinal George Allencherry are busy saving their own skins and real estates from government agencies (ED, CBI) and court cases. As per newspaper reports, Cardinal Allencherry is facing seven criminal cases and his appeal for exemption from these cases has been turned down by the Supreme Court. Thanks to today’s media, these court cases cannot be hushed up any more. Even the review petition of Franco Mulakkal nun rape case in the Kerala High Court, is reportedly being heard in camera. But why is it so? And why is it going on indefinitely? Does it imply bishops in Kerala have infiltrated in the administrative and judicial systems? No bishop is fearlessly raising his “prophetic” voice against financial corruption, sexual abuse and exploitation of the poor (reckless hire and fire of workers misusing Article 30) in the church / church-run organisations. They know very well that if they take up Christian persecution matters directly with Modi, he will bluntly tell them to clear their own backyards first! Our bishops know very well that they stand on shaky ground. To call a spade a spade, they have no moral courage. I will be very happy if I am proved wrong.
The initiative is appreciated. But one question remains unanswered: Why do the Catholic Prelates or Christian Delegation lack courage to brief Modi about the non-stop attacks on Christian communities?
The President is just a puppet in the hands of the ruling party. She cannot do or decide anything on her own. This is the bitter truth. Does she have the guts to challenge Modi and Sangh Parivar?? She will NEVER do it. The memorandum of the delegation will sleep in her file or go to the dust-bin.
Modi is the person to be challenged. Who will Bell the cat?
It’s a good initiative. Could have had more lay leaders in the delegation. I am sure that as per Government protocol the memorandum will be forwarded to the PM and HM. Perhaps the President may add her comments.
M.L. Satyan has also mentioned of other possibilities – cold storage or waste paper bin!
Christianity is considered a foreign religion in India. Actually, religion does not have boundaries. This is the reason why Hinduism and Buddhism too have spread out of India. Hindus are not harassed in Europe or USA or even in Muslim countries. The BJP needs to become inclusive. Will that happen?
The Times of India dated 14 April 2023 published a report on the alleged atrocities highlighted to the President of India by Christian delegates comprising Bishop Anil Couto, Dr Michael Williams and others. The report link is reproduced below for readers:
Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/government-reports-of-attacks-on-christians-exaggerated/articleshow/99478678.cms
Can we expect any counter-reply from the august delegation on the above report?
I AGREE THAT MOST OF THE BISHOPS ARE COWARDS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR INNER STRENGTH AND WANT TO SPEND THEIR LIFE SURROUNDED BY ALL LUXURIES AND POWER….. THEY ARE UNFIT TO BE CALLED SHEPHERDS AS THEY HAVE FALLEN IN GRACE AS THEY DO NOT FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST AND HIS VALUES.
THE LAITY SHOULD BREAK THE BONDS OF SLAVERY AND TAKE FORCEFUL CONTROL OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCES OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ALLOW THE CLERGY TO DEVOTE THEIR FULL TIME FOR SPIRITUAL WORK .
WILL THE INDIAN CATHOLIC LAITY REALIZE THEIR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES?
WILL THE LAITY REALIZE THAT THEY BELONG TO THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST AND THEY HAVE A MISSION TO REFORM AND SAFEGUARD THE CHURCH OF GOD?
F.A.NATHAN
PRESIDENT
NEW LIFE PEOPLE’S PARTY
When someone sitting in American continents hear about persecution their mind will try to think in perspective by comparing to Nigeria. They would think that mass murder is happening in India.
Is anything like Nigeria happening in India? Other than very localised issues there is no organised persecution in India. As Times report says an attempt to tarnish India’s image has been made by keeping the pot boiling by constantly referring to Graham Staines and Khandmal. I would consider Mr Staines as a someone who violated the human rights of his two boys by exposing them in the jungles. They would be alive even now but for Staines. I am not supporting violence. But Christians come in many shades. Only thing common is that they all have same brand ambassador Jesus. But they behave differently. Some are so fanatic that they have no qualms in roughshoding Hindu gods. They are expected to show minimum courtesy to Hindu beliefs and practices.
I would think that PM Modi is doing a good job to change India for the better which some fringe Christians groups don’t like. They want to see India poor for ever.