Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a Christmas morning service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in Delhi, joining a large congregation. The service included prayers, carols, and a special prayer for the Prime Minister. The Vice President also extended Christmas greetings.
On Christmas Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Christmas morning service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in New Delhi along with a large congregation of Christians from Delhi and north India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made history by attending Christmas celebrations organised by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India in New Delhi on Monday, December 23, 2024.
'They should be given a strong message that they are not the ones who decide the rule of the land, and they are not the ones who decide what justice is.'
Amid a raging debate on the country's strict abortion laws, Ireland's Catholic bishops have said that the church 'has never taught that the life of a child in the womb should be preferred to that of a mother'.
George stated that a girl should be married off by the time she is 22 or 23 and that such decency should be maintained.
BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that the arrest of two nuns in Chhattisgarh was due to a 'misunderstanding' and that they will be released on bail soon. He met with Archbishop of Trichur Andrews Thazhath to brief him that the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister have assured the nuns would be released on bail.
Pope Francis's connection with India was marked by a mix of hopes and challenges. His long-held wish to visit the country remained unfulfilled, but he made significant contributions to the Catholic community in India, including elevating Indian figures to sainthood and appointing an Indian priest as a Cardinal. While his efforts to resolve conflicts within the Syro-Malabar Church were unsuccessful, his legacy will be remembered for his efforts to promote unity and understanding in the Catholic Church.
Catholic Bishops Conference of India, apex body of the Catholic priests in the country, on expressed displeasure over government's decision to organise Yoga day on June 21, saying Sundays are "sacred day" for Christians in the country.
A special court in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district granted bail to three persons, including two nuns from Kerala, arrested on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion.
The Pope appointed Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Bombay Agnelo Rufino Gracias as the Apostolic administrator of the diocese of Jalandhar with immediate effect, a CBCI statement said.
She alleged that by continuing in the position of Jalandhar diocese Bishop, Franco Mulakkal and his close associates "are using the wealth of the diocese to divert" the course of the police investigation.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of India wants the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government to enact legislation to make pre-marital AIDS tests compulsory.
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.
The Vatican officials had applied for visa in mid-December
The Web portal of the Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece, published an article (withdrawn later) that the Christian community holds many acres of land, far more than Waqf property.'
Kerala Catholic Bishop Conference president Archbishop Soosa Paikam said the verdict was "painful" and would have disastrous consequences.
Reiterating his support to Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt, whose 'narcotic and love jihad' remarks had triggered a widespread controversy in the southern state, Gopi said the bishop had not spoken ill of any community.
The Maharashtra government on Monday declined to stall staging of the play 'Agnes of God', which tells the story of a nun who delivers a still-born child, as demanded by the church on the ground that it hurts the sentiments of the Christian community.
Pope Benedict XVI's official representative Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor is visiting Vasai, an extended suburb of Mumbai, on Wednesday.
The negotiations between the priests protesting against the the Synod's decision to introduce a uniform mass and a sub-committee comprising three bishops constituted by the Synod to find a way to solve the matter.
'Religion must not and cannot be the basis for a survey,' says Father Babu Joseph, spokesman, Catholic Bishops Conference of India.
A top Catholic functionary arrived West Bengal's Ranaghat to express solidarity with the sister superior of a convent school, who was allegedly gang-raped on Saturday.
Kerala and coastal Karnataka have been witnessing a strange kind of jihad, which has even drawn the attention of a high court. This jihad has been termed as 'Love Jihad.' At first, these were just random instances of conversion. However, now with the Kerala Catholic Bishop's Conference stepping in, it has become a full-fledged fight between two communities.
Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam, meanwhile, 'rejected outright' the NCW's recommendation
Devasahayam Pillai, who embraced Christianity in the 18th century, on Sunday became the first Indian layman to be declared a saint by Pope Francis during an impressive canonisation ceremony at the Vatican.
Father Uzhunnalil, 58, who hails from Kerala, was abducted in March last year by the terror group.
Father Tom is safe and efforts are on for his release as early as possible.
"I am on the side of the bishops' conference," Francis said.
As the controversy over Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt's remarks refused to die down, the chief minister said the Kerala society as a whole has not agreed with the Bishop's statement and expressed hope that he would "respond", sensing the stand of the public on the issue.
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.
The Kerala priest was released recently after more than one-and-a-half years in captivity in Yemen.
Pope Francis on Sunday declared Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Euphrasia Eluventhinkal from India as saints at Vatican.
The Centre on Friday rejected West Bengal government's request for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the gang rape of a 71-year-old nun at a convent school in Nadia district, a day after the CID achieved a breakthrough in arresting two suspects 12 days after the heinous crime took place.
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