On Christmas Day, the head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (CNEWA profile) spoke of a “contradiction” between the continued violence against Christians in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expressions of respect for Christians.
“On one side, the prime minister is taking part in Christmas celebrations,” said Cardinal Basilios Cleemis. “In another place, the opposite is happening.”
“Even after informing those in power and hearing assurances, when it comes to putting those statements into action, they have failed,” he added.
Cardinal Cleemis’s comments followed a statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India condemning the “alarming rise in attacks on Christians in various states of our country.”