Bishops discuss community woes

Express concern over hate campaigns against Christians in some states

About 170 Bishops from across the country assembled here on Wednesday for the 30th general body meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI).

The conference discussed the Church’s role for a better India. The Bishops pointed out the problems faced by the minority communities and the challenges before them.

The dream of the world market to share the fruits of development with the unprivileged sections of society still remains unfulfilled, said Arcbishop Albert D’Souza, Secretary General of the CBCI, presenting the biennial report.

He observed that the Christian community was under pressure in China, Myanmar, and especially in Pakistan with laws such as the Blasphemy Law.

In India, there have been hate campaigns against the community in some states, along with anti-conversion laws which are against the spirit of the Constitution and the UN Declaration of Human Rights, promising freedom of conscience to everyone, the Arcbishop opined. In the backdrop of communal tensions, the Communal Violence Bill is important, he said.        

On the threat to minorities from fundamentalists, Archbishop of Bangalore, Bernard Moras, said that those at the helm of affairs had failed to safeguard the Christian community. After the attacks against Christians in the State in 2008 and 2009, the Karnataka United Christian Forum for Human Rights was constituted. Since then, whenever minority rights have been infringed upon, the Forum has been making representations to the government. It is striving to promote inter-religious dialogue in Karnataka, he said.

Moras said the initiatives taken by the Archdiocese of Bangalore include 11 degree colleges, 34 PU colleges, 120 high schools, 250 middle and primary schools, 14 technical schools, one law college, two B Ed colleges, three nursing colleges and nine hospitals. The Archbishop said the Bishops must contribute their mite to the betterment of the country.

“Today, at the personal level, credibility has to be built, at interpersonal level trust has to be developed, at managerial level delegation and at organisational level networking has to happen,” he suggested.

Oswald Cardinal Gracias, CBCI President, said that in a secular state, the Church has to be the conscience of the nation as pointed out by Martin Luther King. A self-confident Church will explore new avenues and reflect upon its own activities to rectify flaws.

Also, Christians account for only 2.3 per cent of the country’s population. The numbers need not be a deterrent for the community to make a difference to society, Gracias said.

The Pope’s ambassador to India, Salvatore Pennacchio, Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace were present.