Catholics From India

"Each person has to be treated with Human Dignity, the celebrities who tested positive in India, received best treatment, our poor people do not deserve this indignity, it's an affront against the dignity of the human person."

"We Christians actually cultivate good relations with Hindus, Muslims and other religious groups. We travel together, eat together and live together."

"It is sad to see that the Christian community, which offers service in the country in particular by dedicating itself to the poor and marginalized, has become the target of violence. In addition, the government's inaction encourages persecutors who go unpunished. The government must take effective measures to preserve the country's unity and democracy."

"In Varanasi we have strong ties with people of all religions. Especially in times of crisis and serious need, we meet to serve the poor and the common good."

"I thought I would be of help to mankind, and I told my family my intention to donate organs after my death. If someone can see through my eyes, or use my kidney to live longer, I think this would be a service to God. One can serve God and humanity even after death."

"The Church will give her contribution. We will work together with all people of good will to eradicate evil and create an atmosphere of peace. The Catholic Church in Bombay is ready to mobilize to help victims and will continue to pray for the suffering and may the Lord grant the gift of harmony and peace in Bombay"

"India is a country with a heritage of ancient cultures, traditions, religions that no government can damage. Christians are part of all this and are proud. It is true that small extremist groups sometimes use violence against Christians: but are deviations which do not alter the reality of a nation that is democratic and tolerant and has a long tradition of harmony between different, ethnic, cultural and religious components."

"Spirituality is very much related to liturgy. This is a major characteristic of the Oriental Churches in general. The SMC is no exception."

"We have to help people to discover Jesus for themselves, of course! We create the ambiance."

"I cannot but be thankful for the strong Christian context I come from. It has always been my source of inspiration for my theological thinking. However, there is a danger of identifying oneself too much with one's own context so that one takes for granted his/her everyday life - whether it be religious or otherwise. There is the danger of theology being very self-complacent."

"One of the aspects that we insist on is that of education towards peace and reconciliation: the northeast area is affected by thousands of micro-conflicts between the communities of various ethnic origins, that can go on for years and that take a serious toll on local development."

"As individual Churches we are small, but collectively we are big and a force to reckon with, and can achieve a lot."

"This is part of an ongoing campaign against Christians to discredit their work among the poor and the downtrodden. The diocese carries out several welfare programs among the poor, especially educating poor children and providing them with hostels and other facilities. When they get educated, they begin to oppose atrocities, exploitation and other social evils and therefore some vested interest groups opposed to their growth are targeting our institutions."

"If we are God's people can we guide people to God. That can happen only by the proper formation of laypeople."

"We do not plan for the future but God plans for us. I had chosen to be a Jesuit missionary for the Calcutta Province but providence has brought me as the Bishop of Raiganj, a unknown place with unknown people, culture and language. Though I have left my parents and brothers and sisters, I have hundreds of parents, brothers and sisters among the poorer people of the diocese who really love me and call me "Bishop Baba"."

"We should not make people beggars by doling out alms."

"The longer I stay in education, the more I realize that it is an effective instrument for development and empowerment. I see fewer distinctions than I used to between various kinds of involvement such as social action, pastoral work or education or even work in an administrative set up, as I am now in. I find my work very priestly. I don't have to jump from one sector (religious) to the other (secular) as the distinction between the two gets thinner. Education for me is spiritual involvement."

"Christians are considerable in number in some constituencies and should become politically aware. When the federal government drew up the list of scheduled castes in India in 1950, Christians were in slumber. That is why they did not get their due."

"The time of foreign missionaries is over. Now it's up to us to continue their work."

"Our church and Pope Francis truly believe and back such acts of organ donations. It's in the spirit of the church. I believe this should be a strong message for people around me, to be open to donate organs."

"Lives are being transformed, and souls are finding purpose and meaning in their faith, not just learning about faith; they are living it."

"There is no time for grief and remorse. We have a mission."

"This period of crisis has made people united in their intense personal suffering."

"Here tragedy seems to follow upon tragedy."

"It's like Easter; after destruction and pain, hope in the future is back. Our main mission is to create trust and hope among the victims: fishermen, widows and children."

"Conversion is a free and sincere change of the human heart that embraces Christ and His message and no one can force a person to do so. Whoever truly wants to be a disciple of Jesus should have the right to do so: it is a human right, included in the Constitution. No civil authority has the right to enter into the sanctuary of the human conscience."

"I presided over a reparation service during which I reminded the faithful that the wooden manger in which the Prince of Peace was born was already a sign of his crucifixion. This octave of Christmas reminds us of the feasts of martyrs such as Stephen, John and the Holy Innocents. Now we see the same sign in Ambala as well. We are deeply saddened, but we remember the words of Jesus on the cross: "Father, forgive them.""

"I never expected this assignment. It was certainly not my will, not my plan, but I had given a promise to obey my superiors, and I have to think this was also the will of God."

"People are so fed up of the suffering. They need a solution and so we hope something will come out of these talks. Both the government and the tribes need to think of the good of the people. The government needs to say to the rebels something besides: "Put down your weapons." These people need to be reintegrated into the police and the army. They need to be integrated into society."

"Fundamentalist groups are telling lies and inflating the numbers of reconversions in order to scare the Tribals. This way they can boast about the success of their drives."

"The communication of faith is the principal duty of every Bishop. To proclaim Jesus as Saviour and to guide the work of the proclamation from the frontline is our most important task. Like the apostles who assumed the task of proclaiming the Good News, and even gave their lives for this cause, the Bishops, as their successors, should also be prepared to give their lives if necessary."

"Every individual Church or which is called the sui iuris Church exists for proclaiming the Gospel, through her unique and rich heritage or patrimony of liturgy, theology, spirituality and discipline. Moreover, evangelization and pastoral care are two integral dimensions of one and the same mission - preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Without pastoral care, those evangelized cannot be formed into a community of believers and cannot be nourished in their faith through the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments."

"Any reference to forced conversions is not plausible, as conversion is a free act of the heart of each person. It is the work of God, not man."

"The Catholic Church is committed to work tirelessly for the common good and to help each believer to be an "adal azamat". All social projects the Catholic Church is undertaking throughout the country contribute to building a better present and future for the needy."

"One part of India is affected by extreme drought, whereas another part experiences a severe flood. This is happening because of our greed and the kinds of choices we have made."

"A long dream has come true."

"We are endeavouring to bring the redeeming message of Christ to the people of all tribes and tongues, but we need a helping hand. We are confident that your precious support for our priests, and hence also for their Catholic communities, will be a great incentive."

"Mob violence threatens to turn our country to anarchy."

"We pray for peace and wait for the moment when lasting solutions can be reached. Not a cosmetic peace, but lasting answers for the people here but also for the federal state. To be a strong nation, all of India needs each of its states to be healthy, peaceful and prosperous. Let us pray for this together with all other religious leaders because together we can get out of this moment. And our hope is rooted not in merely psychological optimism, but in God."

"Like the early Christians, we shall be recognized as the disciples of Jesus by the love we have for one another."

"Christians are everywhere, in all three tribal communities, the Kuki, the Meitei and the Naga, and therefore, in essence, the experience of being brothers and sisters in Christ can restore the sense of community and fraternity and help to see the other not as an enemy, but as brothers and sisters with whom one can live peacefully. Faith in Christ helps to create peace and justice."

"We are Indians. In Mangaluru, we have a 450-year history of living peacefully, respectfully, and not doing any harm to others as followers of Jesus Christ. We believe in the goodness in humans and we always give priority for humanity in our private and social life. At the same time, we believe in our Constitution. We live for our country."

"We have failed in portraying historical events in an incorrect manner. Moreover, in allowing for the destruction of Churches and historic monuments, in someway we have allowed for the destruction of our own history."

"The good that you do is look upon as an attempt at conversion that is a little discouraging."

"It is part of the Church's mission to ensure that every child has access to Christian catechism: it is education through which the faith of the child has the opportunity to grow and take root."

"The Lord has blessed me greatly in my academic and professional endeavors. Even though I prioritized him over "climbing the ladder," he has proven how he takes care of his children. Following him, I have been blessed with many genuine friendships, have received healing and love beyond measure, an amazing spouse, beautiful children, the list goes on and on. He has fulfilled desires or dreams of my heart that I would not dare pursue otherwise."

"We face constant harassment and persecution. The need of the hour is to address people's grievances and establish rapport with political parties of different ideologies to safeguard our people's interest."

"This is a tragic time for us, but we should pray and remain united, without retaliating in the face of the violence."

"The Church at large, especially the Indian Church and the Society of the Divine Word in particular, have lost a young, energetic and beloved people's pastor. As friends and companions we lived together from the first days of education until the final days of our priestly ordinations. He was a simple, hard working, dedicated pastor. He had a large heart for the poor and marginalised. The gap created by his passing will remain, forever."

"Create awareness about what Christmas means: the message of the everlasting love of Lord Jesus, who loved the human race without any caste or religious differences."