With elections elsewhere in India showing that multi-pronged contests usually work to the BJP's favour, the party can gain if it hangs on stubbornly. In the meantime, any additional support helps. That is why the archbishop's comment attracted political traction in Kerala, observes Shyam G Menon.
Netto said that Christians in various parts of the country, especially in Manipur and north India, were being subjected to "cruelty and violence by dark forces" and alleged that there was no effective intervention against it by the authorities.
Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 in Rome on Monday, April 21, less than a day after delivering a brief Easter Sunday message in St Peter's Basilica, is remembered as a spiritual leader whose life and final moments were deeply intertwined with prayer and devotion.
Over 300 priests of the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church on Friday said they cannot accept the warning issued by the papal representative to celebrate Holy Mass in a uniform manner as prescribed by the synod or face consequences -- as it goes against their conscience.
Pope Francis, who made a surprise appearance on Easter Sunday, riding through St Peter's Square in the popemobile and greeting crowds just weeks after a serious bout of pneumonia, passed away at 0735 Vatican time on Monday morning.
This is important because he is to be seen as a sure winner before criss-crossing the state to campaign for candidates of the party or an alliance, highlights N Sathiya Moorthy.
'The nuns were subjected to abusive language and all types of mental torture.'
A senior CPI-M leader said there is no comparison between Sangh Parivar's demand for a complete ban on beef and Catholic Church's call for a ban on liquor.
A family of six, including two young girls, were responsible for the attacks, national police chief Tito Karnavian said.
Pope Francis shaped the Church he led. And in death, his reforms shape his farewell.
After two years of muted festivities due to COVID-19, crowds thronged churches across the country this Christmas on Sunday for special prayers as people celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ.
Texans pray and hold a vigil a day after a teenager murdered 19 children and two teachers at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church. for the first time. Although the meeting was scheduled for only 20 minutes, it went on for nearly an hour.
It stands to reason that at the meeting on Friday, Pope Francis conveyed to the Kremlin, some message in regard of the developments in Ukraine. The long duration of the meeting in the Russian embassy flags that it was substantive. Indeed, it took place even as the first Russian tank column was sighted on the outskirts of Kyiv, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
A substantial part of a catholic church in northeast Delhi's Tahirpur area was gutted when a fire broke out at its premises on Monday morning with the Christian community suspecting foul play in the incident.
Father Edmond Tillekeratne, social communications director for the Archdiocese of Colombo, said that the blast took place after Easter Mass, and that there were about 30 bodies lying in the area of the church.
Pope Francis I is the first ever Jesuit to be anointed pope. The Jesuits are one of the largest and most powerful orders under the Roman Catholic Church. Here are some interesting facts about this order that you may not have known.
A mob of agitators led by the Latin Catholic church Sunday night attacked Vizhinjam police station in Thiruvananthapuram in protest against the construction of Adani port, injuring at least 29 policemen and damaging police vehicles.
Police investigating Saturday's attack on a church in New Panvel area are grilling some suspects, but are yet to get concrete leads.
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Kerala is aiming to use the PM's visit as a springboard for its outreach campaign aimed at bringing youth and minorities into its fold.
'Assuming he has a sensitive bug, which is responsive to antibiotics, it may not necessarily be the worst-case scenario.'
the Vatican has asked a senior cardinal to debunk the novel, which it believes was deliberately written to discredit the Roman Catholic Church through "absurd and vulgar lies".
Christmas was celebrated across the country on Saturday, but the festivities were low-key for the second year in a row due to Covid, with churches and other events witnessing lower footfalls, people avoiding large get-togethers and the administration in some areas imposing certain curbs.
The Maradonian religion has spread to several countries around the world and has more half a million followers.
Six persons allegedly involved in vandalising a cathedral premises and a Catholic school, where people had gathered for a religious convention, were arrested in the wee hours on Monday.
Cautioning against the presence of Jihadis, who try to cultivate communalism, religious disharmony, intolerance and contempt across the world, in Kerala also, the Bishop said they were using different means to destroy other religions.
They alleged that the police probing the case was trying to sabotage the investigation.
Sinead O'Connor, the gifted Irish singer-songwriter, became a superstar in her mid-20s and was known as much for her private struggles and provocative actions as for her fierce and expressive music.
The Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament, will debate the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday. The bill has been met with strong opposition from several parties who claim it is unconstitutional. The government, however, insists the bill aims to improve the management of Waqf properties in India by bringing transparency and efficiency.
At least 15 persons were killed and 80 others injured when Taliban suicide attackers targeted two packed churches during mass on Sunday in Pakistan's biggest Christian neighbourhood in Lahore, the capital of Punjab.
The Thalassery archdiocese of the Catholic church has condemned the "misinterpretation" of its archbishop's statement on political martyrs and said the church has a history of respecting the martyrs.
Despite his apology, the Bajrang Dal sought his arrest, while Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said action would be taken against him as per law.
Rediff.com takes you on a journey inside the world's smallest independent state and headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church
She alleged that she has been isolated and humiliated by fellow inmates of the convent.
St Mary's Malankara Catholic Church at Chungam has a plaque bearing the name of Joseph Ratzinger, Archbishop of Munich, for donating 20,000 Deutschmarks, which was about Rs 80,000 at that time, for building the church in 1980.
The proposed merger of Federal Bank and Catholic Syrian Bank may be delayed, following the announcement of dates for general elections. All major political parties, especially the Congress, seem to be sympathising with the Thrissur Arch Diocese of the Catholic church, which is vehemently opposing the merger move. Since the church has quite an influence in parliamentary constituencies such as Thrissur, Chalakudy, all political parties are supporting the anti-merger move.
A cathedral premises and a Catholic school where people had gathered for a religious convention were vandalised allegedly by Hindu activists at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
In narrating the Maria story, Vatsala Mendonca, in the tradition of Margaret Atwood's A Handmaiden's Tale, Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street and Arundathi Roy's The God of Small Things, places the protagonist challenges within the context of class and caste and religious and, most of all, patriarchal conflicts and ultimately finds strength and hope, inspiring readers to pursue their dreams and carve their own paths.
'Politicians can do symbolism by changing the names of places and museums.' 'Judges need not be seen to be craving for approval from the public.'
The synod of Syro-Malabar Church has alleged that scores of women from Christian community from Kerala were being lured into the trap of Islamic State and used in terror activities. The VHP welcomed the Church statement.
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