The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) “expressed deep concern over incidents of violence, atrocities, intimidation and mob lynching faced by members of the Christian community in different parts of the country,” according to a CBCI statement issued today for the nation’s independence day.
“Every citizen has the right to live, worship and serve without fear,” said Cardinal Anthony Poola of Hyderabad, as he recalled the contributions of Christians to the nation.
The South Asian nation of 1.42 billion (map), the world’s most populous, is 73% Hindu, 14% Muslim, 5% Christian, 3% ethnic religionist, and 2% Sikh.