New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at a function to celebrate the elevation of two Indians as Catholic saints.
The event is organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) along with the Syro-Malabar Church as well as by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate and Congregation of Mother Carmel, two religious congregations associated with Saints Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Mother Euphrasia.
The Faridabad-Delhi Syro-Malabar diocese will host the program at 12 noon on February 17 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
Other religious leaders also are invited, said a press release issued on Thursday.
The program begins with a national seminar on the theme: “Challenges of religious witnessing in the contemporary India.” Justice Cyriac Joseph, member of National Human Rights Commission, is scheduled to moderate the session. Carmelite Father Jose Kuriedath and Carmelite Sister Ancilla are among the resource persons.
The prime minister will open the concluding session, the press release said.
Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church, will deliver the presidential address.
P.J. Kurian, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Gulam Nabi Azad, Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance , Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi, and Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur are among the speakers at the function.
Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara who died in 1871 at the age of 66, started an indigenous monastic life, a combination of contemplation and active ministry, with the help of two other priests. His campaign to start a school with every church, paved the way for spreading education in Kerala, which now tops the country for literacy rate.
Saint Euphrasia, who lived between 1877 and 1952, was a mystic, devoted to prayer.
Their sainthood is being celebrated in the backdrop of increasing incidents of attacks on religious minority communities in India, especially Christians. Five Catholic churches in the national capital faced vandalism in the past two months.
The press release noted that the Church has been part of the cultural heritage of the nation.
It defined culture as the sum total of the religious, moral, artistic, architectural, literary and other lasting elements of the people which they hand over to their posterity. Indian cultural heritage is characterized by unity in diversity. The Christian culture is certainly a contribution to the cultural heritage if India. The Constitution of India guarantees the protection of all cultures, including those of minorities, it added.
The press release also reiterated the Church’s loyalty to the nation, its constitution and legitimately constituted authorities. The Church is always prepared to contribute to the nation building, it added.