By Matters India Reporter
Bhubaneswar, November 27, 2019: The Latin Rite bishops of India are to visit Kandhamal, the epicenter of 2008 anti-Christian pogrom in February 2021, say church authorities.
Odisha, Eastern Indian state, will host the plenary assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops’ of India (CCBI) at the Jesuit-run Xavier University Bhubaneswar. On the sideline of this event, CCBI bishops are to visit Kandhamal, said Divine Word Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar.
According to him, the purpose is that bishops would get the firsthand experience to witness the Kandhamal violence that shook the conscience of the nation 11 years ago. During the visit, they would interact with some survivors.
Violence against the Christians of Odisha erupted in Kandhamal district with untold savagery, with Hindu right-wing groups blaming Christians for the August 23, 2008, murder of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, despite Maoist rebels claiming the assassination.
More than 100 people were killed, 64,000 displaced, 6000 houses of Christians were burnt and 300 churches, convents and hostels were damaged.
In preparation of the bi-annual CCBI plenary assembly in 2021, Archbishop Barwa and Father Stephen Alathara, deputy secretary-general, visited Kandhamal and held preliminary meetings with the clergy and nuns in Kandhamal and Bhubaneswar this week.
CCBI is a national episcopal body that enables the Latin Catholic Bishops of the country to exchange ideas and information, deliberate on the Church’s broad concerns and take care of the pastoral needs of the faithful.
It is one of the four biggest Bishops’ Conferences of the world. It has 132 dioceses and 165 active and retired bishop members. The Conference assists the bishops both for pastoral care and for evangelization: the twin duties of a bishop.
One of the main purposes of CCBI according to its statutes is “to promote that greater good which the Church offers humankind especially through fora and programmes of the apostolate which are adequately adapted to the circumstances of time and space.”
The total Catholic population in Latin diocese is about 15 million. About 20 thousand Catholic priests and 62 thousand nuns work in over 8813 parishes in Latin dioceses.