Editorial
Ominous Signs and the Catholic response
Opinion | Editorial | John S. Shilshi | 21-Jun-2025
India is a country that boasts staggering diversity—a colourful mix that few in the world have the privilege of sharing. Since independence and the enactment of the constitution, freedom, liberty, and equality before the law have always been our treasured rights. Barring stray forgettable incidents in decades, the small Christian community in this country never felt threatened or insecure. That enviable sense of security and constitutional guarantee with multiple safety valves extended to citizens no matter what community one belongs to, is fast becoming history. Since 2014, we have seen a huge shift in the socio-political landscape of this country. And in that rapidly changing ecosystem, the Christians have been on the receiving end.
According to data compiled by the United Christian Forum, there were 147 incidents of violence against Christians in 2014. This figure gradually increased to 177 in 2015, 208 in 2016, 240 in 2017, 292 in 2018, 328 in 2019, 279 in 2020, 505 in 2021, 598 in 2022, 733 in 2023, and 834 in 2024. In the current year, the number of violent incidents against Christians till March stood at 196. The only year the figure showed a decrease from the preceding year was in 2020, when people were forced to remain indoors in compliance to government-imposed lockdowns.
Some would argue that these changes are part and parcel of a society that is evolving, something that is inevitable, an inseparable ingredient of change, which is the only thing constant in any society. Therefore, expressing a word of caution could potentially provoke controversy, and might even be perceived as an 'anti-national' stance. However, we must not dismiss these disturbing trends as mere societal inconsistencies. They are signs of serious threat to the community and the faith and, therefore, ought to be read in light of the systematic targeting of minority communities in recent times—the lynching of meat sellers by street urchins, the love jihad narrative to target a particular community, the declaration of an open war in the Haridwar Dharam Sansad, physical assaults on priests and nuns, disturbing prayers and worship services by people who claimed to be members of the Bajrang Dal in different parts of India, the recent labelling of a brilliant lady officer as a sister of terrorists by none other than a minister in the government of Madhya Pradesh, etc.
Beyond the physical threats, another area of concern is the habitual silence and inaction of those in positions of power against such criminal acts. Though people who committed the crime fearlessly record their deplorable actions and made them viral on social media as well as the national news channels, they roam freely while the party in power that claims to be committed to the ideals of Sabka Saath, Sabka vikas, Sabka vishwas, Sabka prayass, maintains a deafening silence without commenting, leave alone pulling up the concerned authorities for failing to contain such activities. There are ample examples of connivance between the perpetrators and custodians of law, as they too choose inaction in tacit complicity. In other words, the proverbial long hand of law is made to self-amputate and watch the situation helplessly. If that is not a worrying sign, what will be?
Unfortunately, the Catholic response to these ominous signs around us has not been on a measured scale, structured, or determined, as it should have been given the long-term implications for the Catholic institutions. The hierarchy, unfortunately, is unable to speak out from a position of strength, perhaps due to the very many inconsistencies the church administrations suffer in terms of bookkeeping, land records, revenue computation, rationalisation of income and expenditure, etc. that cannot be reconciled within a short time as they go back a few years. Also, for some reason, the church hierarchy appears to be overcautious about victimisation through the cancellation of FCRA accounts, which is undoubtedly the surest manoeuvring tool in the hands of the government. Though this may not be all that intimidating as long as records are straight and transparent, the looming fear is far too prevalent among the church hierarchy.
What this leads to is the church surrendering without a voice apart from nursing victimhood, and then retreating tamely into submission, expecting the divine providence to change things around us. In the milieu, certain decisions on important matters are taken without weighing the future consequences and the long-term implications. The CBCI's recent, regrettable decision to openly call for support on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 serves as a prime example. It is mentionable that no sooner the bill received the presidential assent and became an Act, the RSS and other groups in the Sang Parivar were quick to demand a similar law to monitor property-related matters of Christian churches. The Waqf Amendment Act controversy, fortunately, hit the judicial corridor, resulting in a slowdown of the pace. Otherwise, the demand would have gained further momentum by now.
It is also disheartening to observe the lethargy of lay Catholics in response to these ominous signs. Except for those who are actively involved with some advocacy groups, the general lay response has been lukewarm, as if these changes mean nothing at all. The concerns and murmurs of apprehension are, no doubt, widespread, but nothing is really being done to help the church stand up against injustices that are intended to shrink the Christian space. While the national and state lay Catholic leadership is wasting valuable time deciding how to react and respond, the common lay Catholics are diligently observing the actions of priests and bishops, seeking opportunities to gain favourable points against them. Isn’t this disgusting? Should prioritising settling personal scores be placed ahead of standing by the mother church in difficult times like this?
There is a need for serious rethinking about all of these issues. The Catholic Church is blessed with enough people with sufficient reservoir of knowledge, experience, and ideas, capable of assessing, analysing, and predicting the outcome of developing situations. The need of the hour lies in tapping these resources meaningfully. It's time to transform the collective wisdom and energy of 23 million Catholics into a synergistic force. Continuing with the same old mindset and laid-back attitude may well hasten the process of us staring at a bleak future.
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