The candid observations were made in a recent interview with Global Sisters Report, by Apostolic Carmel sister, Maria Nirmalini.

Nirmalini is the President of the Conference of Religious India and she spoke about her observations of the current state of religious life in India.

According to Nirmalini, she has seen a decline in passion and dedication among religious men and women in India.

"I have observed a decline in the passion and dedication among them compared to our earlier missionaries, who were ready to die for their faith and mission.

"Today, many prefer to confine themselves to their comfort zones or escape from criticism by religious fanatics.

"The pandemic has created many lazy missionaries, and some even got addicted to alcohol and social media," observed Nirmalini.

While laziness is more apparent among men, she said religious women are not exempt.

Nirmalini also spoke about the hierarchical model of the Church in India, which she believes needs to change.

"At international meetings, people, irrespective of their status in the hierarchy, sit around the table and discuss things as equals. Here in India, we still follow some protocols based on hierarchies."

Suggesting this needs to change, Nirmalini says the Conference of Religious India has "started a conscious move toward breaking these egocentric protocols," but that breaking the hierarchical model of the Church is not just about seating arrangements, but equality and fraternity.

Nirmalini says the Indian Church is too institutionalised and lacks real leadership.

‘The leadership concept in the church is too much institutionalised, as only the superiors play the leader with others just "obeying" them.

"The vow of obedience does not only mean that one should yield to external instructions; we should listen to internal calls and convictions, respecting one's dignity and potential."

Acknowledging the shortage of vocations in India, particularly among religious women, Nirmalini emphasised the importance of forming religious women with independent thinking, dignity and leadership instead of forming them to be "obedient sheep".

Nirmalini acknowledged the challenges faced by the Indian Church, such as sexual exploitation, gender inequality, unfair salary systems and clergy domination.

She says that after just one year as president of the Conference of Religious in India, the system has not yet changed but stated that there are definite plans and systems in place to address these challenges.

Nirmalini also addressed the recent mysterious deaths of nuns and the alleged rape of a sister by a Catholic bishop, calling them "unfortunate incidents," and emphasised the court's importance in deciding on innocence or guilt.

She emphasised the need for platforms that foster mutual sharing and psychological well-being, emphasising that "silent suffering" is no longer acceptable.

Lastly, Nirmalini urged the Indian Church to collaborate with civil society and not retreat from their social services to avoid criticism from hard-line groups."

She believes that this is not the time to be passive but rather to actively address the challenges faced by the Indian Church.

Nirmalini, who was elected in 2021 and took office in 2022, leads over 130,000 religious men and women.

Source

• Global Sisters Report

Police say there is no confirmation of the suspected cow slaughter, however the opposition Congress party is demanding a high-level inquiry and swift action in the matter.

The victims, Sampat Batti and Dhansa, were thrashed with sticks and died on way to the hospital.

The brutal attack was conducted by a group of about 20 men at their house in Simaria village in Seoni district on May 3.

Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur says "It is very sad and painful to see that men are killing men merely on the suspicion of slaughtering a cow."

Almeida said if the deceased had indeed committed some crime it should be brought to the notice of the law enforcement agencies.

A day after the attack Police arrested nine suspects and continue to look for 11 others named in the complaint.

Source

• UCANews.com

"We are glad that the high court has finally admitted the appeals," Shaiju Antony, joint convener of SOS, told UCA News on April 6.

Kerala High Court admitted the appeals filed by the accuser and the Kerala government on April 5. "It is a very strong case," the lay Catholic leader said while expressing the hope that the nun accuser will get justice from the high court. Continue reading

After alleging charges of "religious conversion" the prosecution admitted in Court there was no serious basis to proceed against them.

The case followed a police probe against the nuns in the Indian state of Gujarat last December. They were acting on a complaint alleging the girls in the nuns' care were made to wear a cross around their necks and read a Bible kept in the storeroom.

The home the nuns run houses 48 girls, including 22 who are mentally and physically challenged.

Following the police "investigation" the nuns were charged with allegedly "hurting Hindu religious sentiments" and luring young girls to Christianity.

Baseless charges

When it came to fronting up in court, the prosecution could not justify the charges, so kept seeking adjournments.

On 23 February, the Court directed the prosecution to submit a written reply explaining the legal basis on which the case was registered against the nuns.

After admitting it had no grounds to charge the nuns under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act 2003, the prosecution gave the Court a written undertaking that it would not pursue the case any further.

Despite this, the first information report written by police to set the investigation in motion has not been quashed.

Reputation restored

The prosecution's undertaking means an end to the adverse publicity and unnecessary harassment the Mother Teresa nuns have been enduring.

Besides the publicity and harassment issues and the legal battle they were facing, access to the funds the nuns needed to support their charitable work was cut.

This was because in December the Indian federal government refused to renew the congregation's license for receiving and utilising foreign funds, citing "adverse inputs" as the reason for this.

The federal government restored the licence with retrospective effect on 8 January.

Source

• UCA News
• Image: NBC News

Father Michael Pulickal of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council says the perceived increase in defamatory comments has seen priests and nuns lodge over 160 police complaints.

All the complaints have been against certain Kerala online, mainstream and social media platforms for portraying Catholic priests and nuns in a poor light.

Catholic religious men and women (pictured going about their work in Kerala) are no longer going to be mere spectators to the deliberate attempts to denigrate their image before the public by publishing lies, half-truths and misleading facts, he says.

However, Pulickal says in some cases Kerala police are refusing to register nuns' and priests' complaints.

The bishops' council and other church bodies will "not succumb to pressure" and intend to continue their campaign for legal action against media until we get justice, he says.

As the government won't take disciplinary action against media making defamatory comments, Pulickal says a plan of action has been decided.

This involves nuns and priests lodging as many complaints as possible until the authorities initiate action against those trying to destroy Catholic religious life.

Among the objectionable posts Pulickal mentions are those posted by photographer Yaami on social media.

Her pictures of women in Catholic nuns' religious habits went viral. Asianet, a local news portal, quoted the Yaami saying:

"Two young women in nuns' clothes hug warmly, walk together hand in hand, and laugh together. The issue is how people look at these photographs".

Church officials complained the photos portrayed Catholic nuns as lesbians.

"We cannot tolerate this anymore. We want the government to act against those tarnishing our image as priests and nuns" Pulickal says.

Yaami has responded to his complaint, saying women do not cease to be women just because they live inside a nunnery.

She also noted she did not mean to denigrate Catholic religion or its systems.

"People looked at their clothes [habit], but I looked at the funny side of it" she says.

At the same time, Yaami asserts her right to take photographs according to her creative urges.

Source

• UCA News
  
• Image: Archdiocese of St Louis

"I'm one of the very lucky ones.

"Many are not as fortunate," said Ivan Fernandes, La-Croix International managing editor.

Fernandes was talking with CathNews on Saturday.

Reflecting on his 18 days on a ventilator in the COVID ICU in India, he said that for a while he thought he would be ‘past tense', his exhaustion, and at times almost despair was tempered by the Jesuit training he received all those years ago.

Fernandes is a former Jesuit seminarian.

"Somewhere, somehow among it I managed to find my peace," he said.

At times it was "very dark."

Moving on, "Covid is a funny illness," he said.

"A couple of days before contracting it I'd had the AstraZeneca vaccine.

"I just thought I was having an adverse reaction until things went south very quickly.

"I never had any pain, not even a slight headache.

"I just couldn't breathe.

"It's as if my lungs were made of paper and I couldn't hold the air".

He says he is very grateful for the oxygen, "it kept me alive until the meds kicked in."

Fernandes is also full of praise for the doctors and nurses who looked after him in the COVID ICU, saying they were a real bright spot in the chaos.

"Their love, compassion, dedication, professionalism and service in a totally overstretched and under-resourced hospital system…they are saints."

"I'm just so lucky to get a hospital bed and to come out of the hospital on the right side.

Now recuperating at home, Fernandes attention is drawn to his nephew and wife, both school teachers in Bangalore "who have it in a bad way."

"They have a two-year-old daughter. All I can do is pray," he told CathNews.

People around the world are doing what they can for us Fernandes says, who remains so grateful.

Still on heavy medication and far from being at full strength, Fernandes keeps up with some of the news. He says he is buoyed by the solidarity, closeness and prayerful support extended by Pope Francis.

"I am writing to convey my heartfelt solidarity and spiritual closeness to all the Indian people, together with the assurance of my prayers that God will grant healing and consolation to everyone affected by this grave pandemic," Francis wrote on 6 May to Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai and president of India's Catholic Bishops' Conference.

"I think too of the many doctors, nurses, hospital workers, ambulance drivers and those working tirelessly to respond to the immediate needs of their brothers and sisters.

"With deep appreciation, I invoke upon all of them God's gifts of perseverance, strength and peace."

On Saturday, Francis called for the "temporary suspension of intellectual property rights" for COVID-19 vaccines.

He made the call in a video message to the "Vax Live" concert co-chaired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

"I beg you not to forget the most vulnerable," he said.

On 5th May more than 412,000 new cases and 3,980 deaths were registered in India in just 24 hours; however, health experts estimate the actual numbers are much higher due to unrecorded deaths and infections.

The World Health Organization said India has accounted for 46 per cent of global cases and 25 percent of global deaths reported in the past week.

Sources

• Supplied
• Catholic Universe
• CNA
• Image: BBC

Hospitals in India's most populous city had been turning him away, saying they had no oxygen beds.

Finally, at 9:30 p.m., following a lead, Kumar showed up at a Sikh gurdwara in Airoli, just outside Mumbai, where volunteers from the nonprofit Hemkunt Foundation were arranging for COVID-19 victims to have oxygen cylinders to take home.

"They were so helpful. They told me, ‘Don't worry, keep it as long as you want,'" said Kumar. "It was a miracle for us." Kumar's father stabilized over the next few days at home and has now tested negative for COVID-19.

"In this phase (of the pandemic), oxygen is a big problem," said Simranjeet Singh, a Hemkunt Foundation leader.

"The gurdwaras are closed, but they have given us rooms where we can operate from."

In the grip of a deadly second wave of COVID-19, religious charities and faith-based organizations are among the many civil society groups that have stepped up to mobilize relief efforts.

Besides lending out their premises for hospitals or quarantine centres, the religious volunteers deliver food, medicine and other vital supplies to those recovering at home.

For Sikhs such as Singh, who consider service a core tenet of their faith, the donated sacred space gives him an opportunity to practice his beliefs.

"We need a place to serve people," said Singh.

India first crossed 300,000 new infections on April 22, breaking the one-day record for cases set by the United States in January.

In April alone, the country has recorded more than 5 million new cases, with some experts saying that deaths and infections are being undercounted.

Local and national authorities have been struggling to respond to the calls for beds, drugs and medical supplies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has faced flak for its mishandling of the crisis, including its recent decision to give a go-ahead for the Kumbh Mela, a monthlong religious event in Haridwar in north India that attracts millions. (The prime minister later called on devotees to celebrate symbolically.)

"Social service is our duty. We have to come forward," said Manjinder Singh Sirsa, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

"At times like this people look towards religious bodies."

Gurdwaras in Delhi have been home delivering two meals a day for more than 4,000 patients, have provided rations to poor families and have also offered their guest houses to be used as hospital facilities.

Religion is integral to daily life in this country of 1.2 billion, 80% of whom are Hindu, with large minority populations of Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and Jains.

"This is an unprecedented crisis and the state has to take the lead, but individuals, civil society and religious groups can all play a role," said Anant Bhan, a researcher in global health, bioethics and health policy.

"Whether in addressing misinformation, sourcing supplies or leveraging community strength. The health system is struggling and certainly needs help."

Not all religious leaders, who have enormous influence, have behaved responsibly during the pandemic, with several large faith gatherings last year resulting in infection clusters.

But local houses of worship have stepped up to meet burgeoning needs.

"Our gurudev inspired us that right now is not the time to go to the temple and pray to God; right now is time to support people. That would be your real prayers," said Parag Shah, a volunteer with the Arham Yuva Seva, a Jain volunteer organization that has turned community centres and temples into hospitals in Mumbai and in Gujarat, 400 miles to the north.

"This is the time for people to step up and give whatever resources they have, premises or money or a helping hand," said Shah.

In Ghaziabad, outside Delhi, the local gurdwara has arranged an "oxygen langar" — using the Hindi word for a free food kitchen — where patients can drive in and be placed on oxygen support until they stabilize or find a hospital bed.

In Puri, the trust running the Jagannatha Temple has turned one of its properties into a COVID-19 care centre.

In Delhi, the Students Islamic Organization of India is operating a 24-hour helpline to connect patients across India with verified resources such as oxygen and plasma.

In and around Mumbai, the nonprofit Red Crescent Society of India has with the help of mosques been booking, storing and refilling oxygen cylinders. With mosques scattered across the city, and with large premises to spare, this has been ideal.

"With mosques shut for prayers, the authorities quickly came forward to support us," said Dr Azimuddin Sayed, secretary of the nonprofit.

"What better use could there be for such spaces than to serve humanity?"

He added, "This is happening from the masjids, but we are working for all human beings."

All of these groups said they were helping people from all religious backgrounds.

"All of (our centres) are open for patients, human patients, we don't have any bar for religion, caste, creed, gender," said Shah.

Experts predict the active COVID-19 cases will peak in mid-May, but these faith organizations have no time limit in mind. Sirsa said they were willing to pitch in an "unlimited" period.

"We are seriously hoping it isn't open too long and corona(virus) goes away," said Shah, but "we are happy to support the community for as long as required."

Father Santhosh Joshi, the parish priest of St. Anthony's Church in Mysore Diocese, was reunited with his family on Aug. 29.

The disappearance of the 37-year-old priest came to light on Aug. 21 when he was unavailable for a parishioner's funeral service. He was reportedly last seen in the parish on Aug. 16.

When parishioners failed to contact him over his cellphone or via his friends, they informed the diocese. Read more

Juvenile Justice Board Principal Magistrate Manavendra Mishra also directed the officials concerned to ensure that the minor's family gets housing and ration under government schemes.

He also directed the police to submit the juvenile's progress report after four months.

"The boy had snatched the woman's purse at a market in Islampur police station area on April 17. He was identified through CCTV footage, detained and produced before the court the same day," an officer said.

The judgment was also pronounced on that day, he said. Read more

Among those to express their anger is the Indian Christian Women's Movement (ICWM).

"Even as the whole country is battling an intense and grueling confrontation with the Corona (COVID-19) crisis, we ... want to express our deep shock and horror at the treatment being meted out to hapless migrant workers..." says a statement from the ICWM.

A recording of the treatment shows a group of migrant workers sitting on a street in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, as health officials in protective suits used hosepipes to douse them in, prompting anger on social media.

Nitish Kumar, the top government official in the district, says health workers had been ordered to disinfect buses being used by the local authorities.

In their "zeal", they also turned their hoses on migrant workers, he says.

"I have asked for action to be taken against those responsible for this," he tweeted.

The ICWM is concerned about the differences in the way people in India are being treated during the COVID-19 crisis.

While it acknowledges the work the Government is doing to bring back stranded Indians from "high risk list" countries, ICWM members say they are bewildered over "drastically different treatment" meted out to those living in the country.

"Those flown in were respectfully screened by health personnel at the airports, whereas ‘powerless' migrant workers, and their children have been inhumanely doused with disinfectant," the ICWM says.

The members say Indians watched with "shame and disbelief" as television channels showed migrant families herded out of buses, and made to sit in groups of 50 or more before being sprayed with disinfectants.

"Forget about social distancing, they were sprayed with chemicals," the members say.

"We can only wonder where and how they will be housed, whether they will be tested for the virus, and treated before they continue to their homes.

"They are not criminals, just Indians anxious to reach their homes in cities far away from their place of work. Some have made grueling journeys, often walking for several hundred kilometers from the places of their employment.

"They are escaping homelessness and hunger in places where they were living as migrant laborers."

The ICWM also says India's government is "ill-prepared for the magnitude of COVID-19s impact on migrant laborers and people paid as daily-wagers."

"Many relief agencies, including Christian agencies and Churches have offered all their help and facilities, but it is not enough. What is missing is a well-coordinated national plan to ensure that every Indian is covered," the ICWM says.

The organisation is asking for immediate steps from the federal and state governments to ensure humane treatment of all migrant workers.

They have also made a demand for the workers' immediate rehabilitation, along with compensation.

Source

• Matters India
• Image: BBC

It gave her 10 days to appeal to the Vatican against the order, which she did.

Kalappura says she was being punished for using media outlets to obtain justice for a nun who accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of repeatedly raping her from 2014 to 2016 at her convent in Kuravilangad, south of Kochi.

The Jalandhar bishop's trial date has not yet been set.

Kalappura, a 54-year-old schoolteacher, was a lesser known nun in India until September 2018, when she joined five members of the Missionaries of Jesus who staged a Kerala sit-in to support the rape survivor, their former superior general.

The Missionaries of Jesus sisters have also been under church pressure for their activism.

Kalappura became a media sensation especially in Kerala, a major Christian center in southwestern India, when she questioned the church leaders' neglect of the survivor of alleged clergy abuse. Kalappura's superiors and other Catholic leaders reacted by accusing her of working with enemies of the church.

Her dismissal order, dated Aug. 5, says her congregation's general council on May 11 "unanimously voted to dismiss her" from the community.

The Franciscan Clarists also obtained the assent of the prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches for the council's decision.

Global Sisters Report interviewed her a few times since April this year when the congregation served her the third warning letter, offering her the option to leave the order on her own.

Kalappura describes the struggles with her superiors and church leaders that led to her dismissal.

GSR: Now that you are dismissed, what is your first reaction?

Kalappura: I am surprised. I don't think I have done anything against the rules of the congregation or the Catholic Church to deserve such an action. I have led a clear lifestyle with nothing to hide or fear.

What about the accusation that you have violated the vows of poverty and obedience?

It is not true.

The accusations against me are that I learned to drive, got a driver's license, purchased a car with a loan, and published a book without permission.

But I had done all this after the superiors continuously refused me permission, even after verbal and written requests.

I did all this in good faith, thinking that sooner or later the congregation would understand me and accept my works. Unfortunately, I am proved wrong.

What is your next step?

They gave me 10 days to appeal against the dismissal to the prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches at the Vatican.

I have already appealed to the congregation.

I will wait for its response to decide the future course of action.

Why is the congregation so determined to expel you?

My superiors are influenced by those jealous of my work among the poor and the needy.

I am sad that I am criticized for doing good for other people.

I have never deviated from my religious life at any point in time.

You have become quite popular on TV. How did that happen?

I have not done anything extraordinary to attract the media.

It is true that I got a lot of media attention after I supported the five nuns who were forced to sit on a roadside seeking justice.

I talked to the media for them.

I used social media to highlight their plight.

The church authorities, instead of helping the rape victim and her supporters, gave the accused bishop a clean bill. The media was interested in me because I was the only nun who openly challenged the bishops' stand.

You are primarily a schoolteacher. Why did you become a social activist?

I have been a mathematics teacher since 1993.

But I spend my spare time to visit sick people at their homes, arrange for medicine and other help for those in need, and counsel people in distress.

I joined the convent with a desire to help suffering people.

But my superiors asked me to take up teaching.

However, my original desire was so strong that I started visiting families of my students. Such visits gradually became part of my daily routine as people began to share their struggles in family life and other issues.

People also invited me to their homes.

Soon I realized that counseling needed follow-up. I started seeking help from generous people for those in need. Thus I became a part-time social worker.

I have realized our physical presence not only makes people comfortable but boosts their confidence.

I encourage them to attend spiritual retreats and family counseling.

I liaise with government offices for them.

I also counsel Catholic families who feel slighted by priests and nuns in their parish.

What was the response of your superiors and community members to such works?

The general attitude was negative. They taunted me for going out of the way to help people. Some were annoyed that I did not share the confidential details of my counseling.

You said outsiders support you. How do they do that?

They recognize my services.

After the sit-in protest, the people of my present parish, on their own, pressured the parish priest to lift a ban on me from distributing Communion and teaching catechism in the Sunday school. The priest had to yield to the people's demand.

How many people have you helped so far?

I have touched so many people in my 33 years of consecrated life.

I never took up any formal social work where records were kept. … Hundreds have benefited from my counseling and other activities.

Can you cite some examples of those you helped?

Recently, a man with "elephant foot" needed surgery. [Elephantiasis is an infection that causes severe swelling of the limbs.]

He had no one to take him to the hospital or arrange money for his treatment.

I arranged the funds for the treatment and for people to take him to the hospital. Now he is fine.

When did your trouble with your superiors begin and why?

I began to face problems from my superiors in February 2018, when I published a collection of poems and released a CD of devotional songs.

The poems spoke of topics such as God's love, nature, religion, happiness, death and marriage. The disc, "Devalayam" (Temple of God), has lyrics and music all by me.

I got a letter from my provincial saying I had not received permission.

I had sought her permission through letters and in person since 2015, but to no avail.

Since the superiors were not willing to give permission, I went ahead with the publication.

You are accused of not following the traditional lifestyle of a woman religious. What do you say?

I have been following the traditional lifestyle of an FCC sister.

However, after I published the poems and the CD, I became an irritant for the superiors.

My support to the five nuns further infuriated them and the bishops.

When you take a stand against the official system, whether the convent, the church or public life, you are bound to face such charges.

What are your views on religious life? Should the church revisit it?

It is high time the church revisited religious life to make it more relevant to the changed world scenario.

We are living in a global village with more transparency and accessibility to information, unlike in the past.

Unfortunately, some sisters are made slaves in the name of religious life and obedience.

Consecrated women are made to work in hospitals and schools without minimum wages. Shouldn't we end this exploitation?

Changes are indeed required.

Have you been happy as a nun?

Of course, I am happy.

I was born at Karikkottakary in Kerala's Kannur District as the seventh of 11 children.

I became a nun to serve people.

My father's charitable works and simplicity attracted me. My parents had deep faith in Jesus. I did whatever I could as a nun to help people and make society better.

When I look back, I have no reason to be dissatisfied with my decision to become a nun.

• First published in Matters India. Republished with permission.

"On behalf of the Catholic Church in India, and on my own behalf, I extend my heartiest congratulations to you and to the Bharatiya Janata Party on the emphatic election victory.

"The people of India have given a clear mandate for a stable and effective Government," wrote Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Bombay and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. Read more

In India, where communal violence is common, the so-called ‘WhatsApp lynchings' were responsible for more than two dozen deaths in 2018. Read more

Pope Francis agreed to the resignation of the bishop who is facing allegations of stealing funds to maintain his "secret family." Read more

Bishop Jacob Manathodath from Kerala has sought an explanation from Father Augustine Vattoly about his involvement in leading a protest against Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar. Read more

Standing in a hotel auditorium in India's commercial hub of Mumbai to receive an award in the name of St. Mother Teresa, she told of how her husband and a child were still missing.

Several of her family members had been killed, but eight were rescued.

Those missing are among more than 3,000 people known as 'Yazidis' still in ISIS captivity, Alali said when receiving the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice Oct. 21.

The militants of ISIS are accused of perpetrating genocide against the Yazidi, a religious minority group in northern Iraq.

Yazidism combines elements of Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.

ISIS, also known simply as Islamic State, seeks to wipe out their faith.

"We faced torture, sexual slavery and unimaginable acts," the 30-year-old woman recounted at the award ceremony in Mumbai.

"I was sold eight times to different men with girls as young as 10."

Alali told ucanews.com that receiving the award had strengthened her resolve to fight for women to be able to lead a life of dignity.

Alali was among 17 people selected by the Harmony Foundation, a volunteer group based in Mumbai, for this year's Mother Teresa award.

The award recognizes the efforts of people who fight against the exploitation of women and strive for their empowerment, Foundation director Abraham Mathai told ucanews.com.

He said Alali, despite the hardships of her 2014 to 2017 captivity, had gone on to inspire other women to struggle for freedom.

"It is shocking that even in the 21st century, we are still discussing women and children being protected against abuse," Mathai said.

"This just shows that we still have a long way to go."

AlIdris Bashar Silo Taha, a 40-year-old Yazidi, was honoured for rescuing nearly 300 Yazidi women from captivity, including Alali.

"I was injured when ISIS tried to execute Yazidis in 2014," Taha said, as he sought international financial help to free those still in captivity.

"Twenty-eight members of my family were abducted and nine of them are still missing." Continue reading

His family suspect foul play. However, local medical staff said he had a series of health problems.

Father Kuriakose Kattuthara, 67, was found dead inside his room a week after Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar was granted bail by the state court in Kerala and went back to his diocese. Read more

Bishop Prasad Gallela of Cuddapah, however, has denied the charges as baseless and aimed at tarnishing his image.

Aggrieved Catholics have filed a criminal complaint in a trial court in Andhra Pradesh state seeking action against the 56-year-old prelate after their efforts to get justice from the Vatican failed.

"We approached the court after our efforts to settle the issue within the Church failed," Mesa Ravi Kumar, one of the two complaints in the case, told Matters India on August 3, a day after appearing before the court. He had filed the complaint in the court in June this year.

The case came up for hearing before the court of Second Additional District Judge, Kadapa (new name of Cuddapah) at Proddatur on August 2.

The prelate's lawyer has sought more time to file a detailed reply to the charges leveled against him.

The other complainant is Byreddy Chinnappa Reddy, a 65-year-old farmer.

Kumar, a 40-year-old college lecturer and the Kadapa district president of Christian Dalit Forum, said several people, including him, had sent registered letters to the Vatican narrating Bishop Gallela's alleged illegal activities, including "his immoral life with his wife and son."

"A female lawyer Chandravati had written to the Vatican in November 2016 demanding the ouster of Bishop Gallela for the charges, but to no avail," Kumar bemoaned.

He also said that he and one T. P. Radhika had sent similar letters in May this year to the Vatican, urging Pope Francis to act against the prelate to save the diocese from disintegration since many Catholics have stopped attending Mass and going to confession.

Kumar says the bishop, whose son is now 20 years old, stays only less than a week in a month in the diocese.

"The rest of the time he is believed to be spending with his family, as no one knows about his whereabouts during this period," he alleged.

When contacted, a few priests in the diocese have also confirmed the bishop has a family. However, none of them was willing to go on record.

They too said the bishop stays only less than a week a month at the bishop's house and that nobody knows how he spends the rest of the time.

Source

• First published by Jose Kavi in Matters India. Reproduced with permission.
• Image: UCANews.com

The women's group says it has proposed the ban because information disclosed in confessions is being used to blackmail the women who confessed it.

There should be a federal inquiry into into complaints of rape and sexual assault involving priests, the group says.

Although the complaints have been laid against two priests from the Orthodox Syrian Church, the ban would also apply to the Catholic Church, the women's group says.

They announced their proposal after two priests were arrested for allegedly raping and blackmailing a woman for over 20 years.

At present, two more Syrian Orthodox priests are also being investigated in the southern state of Kerala.

"The priests pressure women into telling their secrets and we have one such case in front of us. There must be many more such cases and what we have right now is just a tip of the iceberg," commission chairwoman Rekha Sharma said.

The National Commission for Women's recommendation was made in a report to the government on sexual abuse in the church.

Church officials say the women's plan is unnecessary interference in religious affairs.

The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council said the demand hurts the religious sentiments of India's Christian minority.

"It is an attack on the Christian faith and spiritual practice. We strongly feel that the recommendation is unwarranted and violates the honour and credibility of the Christian community," a bishops' council spokesman said.

"We suspect communal and political motives behind this unconstitutional interference into the internal spiritual affairs of the Church."

Christianity is the third-biggest religion in India according to a 2011 census.

Christians make up 2.3 per cent of the 1.3 billion population, or about 28 million people.

Source

• Channel News Asia
• UCA News
• Image: IB Times

Sister Konsalia Balsa and social worker Anima Indwar were arrested after allegedly trying to sell a baby for UK£1,325 (about NZ$2,500).

They have also been accused of having already sold three babies from the home they work in. The home provides shelter for pregnant, unmarried women.

The adoptive parents of the fourth infant were told the proposed adoption was legitimate and that the money was for hospital expenses.

The Missionaries of Charity say the order condemns the actions of the individuals involved and says they are unrelated to the order.

"We are fully cooperating with the investigations and are open to any free, fair and just inquiry," Sister Mary Prema Pierick, superior general of the order says.

She says "false news" "and "baseless innuendos" are being spread.

At the same time, she says "While we place our full trust in the judicial process that is underway, we wish to express regret and sorrow for what happened."

Pierick says the order condemns "in unequivocal terms" the individual actions "which have nothing to do with the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity."

"We are completely shocked by what has happened in our home in Ranchi," a statement from the order adds.

"It should have never happened. It is against our moral convictions. We are carefully looking into the matter."

Police say Balsa has confessed to her role in the trafficking case.

However, the local bishop says the confession was extracted under pressure. He has accused the police of "treating the whole of Mother Teresa's organisation as a criminal gang."

Saint Mother Teresa of Kolkata founded The Missionaries of Charity in 1950.

Source

• The Guardian
• CruxNow
• The Tablet
• Image: Catholic Herald

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