By Thomas Scaria

Bengaluru, Oct 16, 2021: Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore has condemned the continuous harassment on the Christian Missionaries in the state and questioned the wisdom behind conducting a survey on their presence and activities in Karnataka.

The Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department in Karnataka has ordered the officers to conduct a survey of both official and non-official Christian missionaries in the southern Indian state, following a discussion on Christian conversions in the state on October 13.

“Why is the government interested in making survey of the religious personnel and places of worship only of Christian community?” asked the bishop in a statement issued October 15.

Instead, “let the government take the count of education institutions and health centers run by the Christian missionaries, which will give a fare idea of the service that is rendered by the Christian community to the nation building and how many people are converted in these places and institutions,” he challenged.

“We consider this exercise as futile and unnecessary. There is no good that will come out of it,” stated the archbishop. In fact, in the background of the conversion boggy and anti-religious feelings that are being whipped up, it is dangerous to make such surveys, he added.

The survey will identify Christian places of worship as well as priests, nuns and pastors and they will be unfairly targeted in future, the archbishop alleged. He said such sporadic incidents are being reported from northern Indian and Karnataka.

“We are sad that the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai succumbs to the pressures from fundamentalist groups, who wish to indulge in disturbing the peace, harmony, and peaceful co-existence in society,” the prelate stated.

If Christians are allegedly converting indiscriminately why has the percentage of Christian population been reducing regularly compared to other other religious communities?, he asked.

“We are against forceful, fraudulent and incentivized conversions and we repeat that we lawfully abide by the prescriptions of the Constitution of India, which for us supreme and sacred,” Archbishop Machado asserted.

H also questioned the government move to order an anti-conversion law when there is a constitution and the legal system of the country to punish the guilty. Further laws will only become tools in the hands of a few to hound and persecute the innocent.

The Christian community is patriotic, law abiding and would like to be foremost in the service of the poor and downtrodden in the country. “We need support and encouragement from the government, he demanded.

5 Comments

  1. Y not other religions like Jain’s budisht people are questioned

  2. I do not believe that the Catholic Church is active in conversion business. They have no time for it being so busy handling their businesses. Moreover, their hands are full with problems relating to dalit Catholics demanding this or that including separate bishop. It is the Evangelical fellowship ministries of born again groups that are aggressively into it. They are known to set up ramshackle assemblies to conduct prayer service and generally become a nuisance to others. I support the government’s decision to identify legal and illegal constructions.

  3. Bangalore’s Archbishop Peter Machado’s dismay at the Karnataka government’s proposal to conduct a survey on the activities of Christian Missionaries in the state is understandable. He is right in questioning: “Why is the government interested in making survey of the religious personnel and places of worship only of Christian community?”

    One reason for the survey that I see is, the Catholic Church, particularly in the South being infested with vermin like Bishops Franco Mulakkal, K.A. William and also Cardinal George Allencherry for various scams (sexual, financial, murder and land), including the premature death of so many nuns in Kerala convents. These kala kartuts (dark deeds) have attracted the attention of world Media and the NDA Government. Similar scams have also taken place in the Archdiocese of Calcutta, with the Archbishop trying to sweep all the scandals of his priests under the carpet, without addressing the issues – Justice must be seen to be done/ to be believed. To divert attention of the faithful, he is tom-tomming the inauguration of Synod 2023 with great fanfare. While writing this post, Chandannagar (near Bandel) parish is burning, parishioners are agitating over land scam and reported sale of St Thomas School to a local political don with whom Chandannagar Parish Priest is hobnobbing, with resultant police posting. The Archbishop of Calcutta so much resembles Nero who fiddled while Rome was burning.
    It is difficult to understand Bishop Machado’s concern over the proposed survey. Is he not guided by the Holy Spirit? If so, what is his fear? Why is he trying to spread fear psychosis among Christians? Does he fear our Churches, including the Bangalore Archdiocese, are NOT clean in their operations – financial and otherwise, including gate-crashing through convents? Has the Bishop forgotten the Gospel (Mark 4:40)? Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

    The Bishop’s fear/alarm suggests “something must be rotten in Denmark.”

  4. Why is the Archbishop “tensed” and “worried” since the Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department in Karnataka has ordered the officers to conduct a survey of both official and non-official Christian missionaries in the southern Indian state, following a discussion on Christian conversions?

    The government does not really know the existence of “innumerable churches/groups” among Christians. Many groups/churches do involve in fraudulent and incentivized conversions. Is the Archbishop “ignorant” or “pretends to be ignorant” of this?

    Archbishop’s claim: “We are against forceful, fraudulent and incentivized conversions and we repeat that we lawfully abide by the prescriptions of the Constitution of India, which for us supreme and sacred.”

    If the Archbishop stands by his statement, then, he should welcome the government’s initiative of the survey. Why should he condemn this move? What is his selfish agenda?

    I strongly welcome the survey planned by the government. They should also survey the “movable and immovable properties and funds” managed by different Christian groups/churches, going beyond the routine audited papers. It will be an “eye-opener” for the government.

  5. The Bangalore Archbishop is right. Let us hope that the Bishops, elsewhere, especially, in Kerala, will take note and figure out without hallucination the true nature of the BJP and its plans for Christians in India.
    Let us watch for any support for the Bangalore Archbishop from his peers.

Comments are closed.