New Delhi: The head of the Catholic Church in India Friday asserted that Christians will not comprise on their mission of spreading Christ’s message in the country.

“We will continue our work. What is our work? It is to spread the joy of the Gospel without offending anyone. There is no compromise on that,” Cardinal Baselios Cleemis said at the inauguration of Gurgaon, the world’s largest diocese in geographical terms, with its headquarters in the Indian national capital.

Thousands of people along with political and religious leaders braved hot and sultry weather to witness the installation of Gurgaon’s first bishop Mar Jacob Barnabas assembled at St Mary’s Cathedral Church in Neb Sarai, a south Delhi suburb.

The dignitaries present included India’s Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Vatican Ambassador Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio.

Cardinal Cleemis, who is the head of the Syro-Malankara Church and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), said Christians are devoted to attracting people to the love of Christ without offending anyone or resorting to forcible conversion or any action that goes against the provisions of the Indian Constitution.

The cardinal’s assertion came amid calls for a national law to ban religious conversions in the country. Rightwing Hindu groups accuse Christians of converting poor and gullible people of their community under the guise of charitable works.

Bishop Bernabas being installed

Cardinal Cleemis made the assertion in the presence of prelates from other Catholic rites, Latin and Syro-Malabar, and Marthoma Church. CBCI is the national forum for the bishops from Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara rites that make up the Catholic Church in India.

He also asserted that Christians would work hard to maintain unity and sectarian harmony in the country and strive to make India a world leader in all aspects.

Parrikar, product of a Catholic school in Goa, said the world can solve all problems if people could understand the real meaning of Christ’s call to love one’s neighbor.

The federal minister who belongs to the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian people’s party) expressed happiness to attend what he said was a historical occasion for the Church that has a 2000-year history in India.

The new diocese’s first action was to hand over Parrikar 500,000 rupees as its contribution to the Prime Minister’s Fund for the earthquake victims of Nepal. The minister noted that the Syro Malankara diocese’s gesture was the first donation he received for Nepal, although several people had promised to contribute.

The Delhi chief minister began his speech by expressing sadness over the recent attacks on churches in the national capital. “Whoever have done it, they have not done the right thing,” Kejriwal said. He prayed that God remove all malice from their hearts and fill them with love for others.

He regretted that the world has many people who are ready to fight for their religions, but few want to follow their teachings. He urged people to learn to respect other religions and co-exist with others. “If I am a Hindu and if keep quiet if a church in my street is burning, then I am not a good Hindu,” he said.

He also warned that unless people learn to coexist with each other, neither the nation nor humanity would survive. He said India would progress much if people learn to live together respecting each other.

Kejriwal also noted that the best source of spiritual nourishment for Indians is the preamble of their constitution, which speaks of equality of all, justice and harmony. “This is what Christ, Mohammed, Krishna and Buddha have taught us,” he added.

The chief minister also claimed that it was God allowed formation of his Aam Aadmi Party (common man’s party) to spiritualize Indian politics. “We were nothing three years ago, now we are in power. It is the common man’s party,” he said.