By Verghese V Joseph.
India’s Christian community and laypeople lent their strong support to the popular online campaign “Not in Our Name! Christmas Celebrations with PM is Not in Our Name.”
Laity and religious groups rallied around the iconic campaign and evidence suggests that there is a growing consciousness regarding justice, equality, liberty, fraternity, democracy, truth, and the rights of marginalised groups like minorities. Because they are ensnared in clericalism and institutionalism, the majority of church leaders sadly lack awareness of reality.
Following Prime Minister Modi’s Christmas invitation (December 25, 2023) to a select group of church leaders, who then circulated videos bowing in abasement to the leader, a war of conscience and forceful words broke out among the Indian Christian clergy. Following this, the campaign was sought to be curtailed by some priests, which resulted in a powerful Open Letter from IMS Father Anand in Varanasi.
While several important bishops and Church officials were invited to the prime minister’s residence in New Delhi, not a word was said about the daily persecution of impoverished Christians in most of north India, about their mistreatment, or about the terror inflicted on Christian Kukis in Manipur.
Soon, a week-long signature drive was started by three well-known Christian voices: Christian political activist Dr John Dayal; Jesuit priests, human rights activists and authors Fr. Prakash Louis and Fr. Cedric Prakash. By the time the campaign ended on January 3, 2024, 3,100 signatures had been collected. The brief message detailed the complete and utter failure of the Union government to safeguard the lives of all citizens, including Christians and other minorities, whether they reside in Manipur or elsewhere in the nation.
A press note issued today on behalf of Dr John Dayal, Dr. Prakash Louis SJ and Fr. Cedric Prakash stated that more than 3000 Christians from all walks of life representing every section of society have endorsed the campaign.
Some of the prominent signatories include Derek O’Brien: MP ,Parliamentary Party Leader, Rajya Sabha(All India Trinamool Congress), M.G.Devashayam IAS – Retired, Mr. John Shilsi (IPS – Retired), Dr Astrid Lobo-Gajiwala, Ms Flavia Agnes, Ms. Pamela Philipose, Ms. Minakshi Singh, Sr Patsy Khan, Fr. M.J. George SJ ( Rome), Fr. Xavier Jeyaraj SJ (Rome), Mr. Rajan Solomon, Fr. Anand IMS, Sr. Mudita Sodder RSCJ, Fr. Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF, Sr Molly Fernandes, Capt. Joseph C. D’Souza, marine consultant, among others.
According to the Press Note, in the recent past, particularly since 2014, Christians in India have been victims of continued attacks and vilification from members of the ruling regime, all over the country. Christians and Christian schools and institutions have been hounded and harassed, their places of worship destroyed, they have been denied their ordinary rights as citizens and been subject to denigration and demonization. The anti-conversion laws are used as weapons against the fundamental right to preach, practise and propagate one’s religion. Celebrations in schools have been stopped and Christians have been arrested without any warrant and put behind bars for no offence of theirs.
Since May 3, 2023, the Christians of Manipur have been subject to constant attacks, which still continue unabated.
In the wake of all this, the signatories felt that it was ironic that the Prime Minister hosted around 100 Christian representatives of different denominations on Christmas morning for a celebration. While it is certainly within his right as Prime Minister to host a reception for whomever he wishes, one naturally would question the intention of this reception when he has not condemned a single attack on Christians.
A few days after it circulated on social media, a video featuring a few religious leaders visiting and bowing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Christmas Day, December 25, 2023, was released. It had background choir music, words of high appreciation, raised eyebrows, concern, and scathing criticism.
However, leaders such as Bengaluru Archbishop Peter Machado are an exception, possessing the fortitude to speak to power and against atrocities on minorities, particularly Christians.
Many people expressed relief after the successful signature drive “Not in Our Name! Christmas Celebrations with PM is Not in Our Name,” but other people were undoubtedly critical of it as well. Father Roby, CMI was alleged to have been actively contacting priests and nuns, advising them against signing the campaign, which, among other things, asked pertinent questions about why senior Church leaders have not yet reminded the government of the ongoing chaos in Manipur and the United Christian Forum’s estimate of three attacks per day on Christians in India in 2023.
Father Anand of IMS, Varanasi, who hails from Modi’s Uttar Pradesh (UP) parliamentary constituency, escalated the issue this morning. He sent an open letter to Fr. Roby of CMI, emphasising in just as strong terms why it was the duty and conscience of Indian Christians, particularly the Church leadership, to question the government whose acts of silence have been widely documented.
I think I was first off the blocks with my article “Post Merriment Post Mortem” duly published by you.
I wholeheartedly support this movement against the Christian leaders who didn’t have the guts to tell the PM of his deliberate isolation from persecution of the Christian community
Priests like Romy, CMI are unworthy to be called as Father as they are opportunistics christians seeking self advancement completely aloof from the mainstream christian community.Our church leaders live in mansions with all needs met by the laity’s donation and support but they don’t even have guts to voice against atrocities to Modi when he plays host to these leaders before election.So innocent they are!!! A tree is known by its fruit and these leaders have shown their fruit .
Cardinal Oswald Gracias (one of jewels in Pope Francis’ court), Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi, Bishop Paul Swarup of Church of North India’s Delhi diocese, St. Stephen’s College principal John Varghese, Father Kevin J. Kimtis, second secretary of the Vatican Embassy, and Bishop Thomas Mar Antonios of Gurgaon Syro-Malankara Church, and other church officials who attended the invitation of our Prime Minister, can put forward the argument that they met him in keeping with the stated ethos of the CBCI’s Commission for Dialogue & Ecumenism as given below:
Harmony of Faiths, Religions, Ideologies, Perspectives and Ways is the sublime rationale and common goal of human life. A ‘dialogical process’ is the means to achieve that goal. ‘Willingness to unlearn’ and ‘go beyond the already known’ is the sure way to ‘learn the yet to be known’. A ‘culture of cross-cultural relations’ and the ensuing ‘walking together in life’ is the way forward for the humans.
“ . . . Dialogue is essential if we are to know, understand and respect one another. But, as experience has shown, for such dialogue and encounter to be effective, it must be grounded in a full and forthright presentation of our respective convictions. Certainly, such dialogue will accentuate how varied our beliefs, traditions and practices are. But if we are honest in presenting our convictions, we will be able to see more clearly what we hold in common. New avenues will be opened for mutual esteem, cooperation and indeed friendship.” Pope Francis, January 13, 2015, Address at the Interreligious and Ecumenical Gathering Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Colombo.
They can always say they abided by the above-mentioned Pope’s guidelines. However, in the warmth of the bonhomie with the PM, they turned a blind eye to the Pope’s clinching phrase “dialogue and encounter to be effective, it must be grounded in a full and forthright presentation of our respective convictions.” So burning issues like Manipur went out of the window.
Secondly, could Cardinal Oswald and his entourage have shunned the PM’s invitation in view of ongoing criminal cases (reportedly 16) being faced by Cardinal George Alencherry, Bishop Franco Mulakkal Vs nun sex scandal Review Case in Kerala High Court, Criminal cases against Bishop K.A. William, and inexplicable deaths of several young priests and of course nuns in convent wells? There are so many skeletons in their cupboard! They couldn’t have taken the risk of visits by government agencies and allowed opening a can of worms!! PM knows very well that the Catholic Church of India is not a holy cow despite white cassocks.
Thirdly, St. Stephen’s College (Premier Christian institution of India which reserves 50% seats for Christian students) Principal John Varghese showered profuse praises on the PM for his visionary National Education Policy (NEP-20). His CV (https://www.ststephens.edu/principal/) says he an authority on Educational Policy, Educational Administration, English Literature and Media & Communication. Can any of the 3500 signatories challenge him (on technical grounds) for what he declared on NEP at PM’s party?
When innocent Christians are persecuted and arrested for conducting prayers at their homes and prayer halls why was the PM propagating Christianity to gain votes? All those clerics and Christians who attended the function should be booked by the same anti conversion act
Congregations 🙏🏿 iam very much interested to join Christians moments
Important issues pl forward
I wish to support this movement which urges the church leaders to address the problems faced by Christians and missionaries across the country and plea for justice.