New Delhi: The Catholic bishops in India have stressed the need for making sacrifices for the sake of common good.

In a message on the occasion of Muharram, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) prayed for peace, harmony and happiness for the country.

Muslims throughout the world on October 12 observes Muharram that commemorates the martyrdom of al-Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Prophet Mohammad.

The Catholic Church’s October 11 message from CBCI secretary general Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas “most cordially” greeted “our Muslim brethren in India” and expressed the hope that such observations and celebrations surrounding the feast “continue to encourage them and all in society to be willing to make sacrifices and to endure suffering, when necessary, for the sake of common good.”

The bishops on October 10 had greeted Hindus on the occasion of Dussehra, the festival that commemorates the victory of good over evil.