Latest from us

Electoral Democracy and the Woman Voter

Opinion | Poem | Anthony Dias |

Politicians of all ilk on the prowl, find always a way To weaken, even subvert, democracy’s sway When they smell defeat due to anti-incumbency The poor women voters they begin to fancy! If ‘poverty is the biggest environment polluter’ It also is m.....

Have Religions become the opium of the people?

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

KJ Yesudas has been a legend in the field of music. We can never forget his mesmerising voice. One of his prophetic songs in Malayalam was titled: Manushyan Mathangale Srishtichu. He sang this song on various platforms. This song is very thought-provoking.....

Shocking Statistics versus thoughtless slogans

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

I wish to begin this write-up with certain alarming statistics: • 129 million Indians are living in extreme poverty (World Bank) • In the 2024 Global Hunger Index, India ranks 105th out of the 127 countries. • One farmer/farm labourer dies by suicide.....

New Delhi – New York, Via Newcastle

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

What’s new? In recent times, a lot. Let me begin with the adage “Don’t carry coal to Newcastle”. This is because Newcastle, in north east England, was known for its industry and coal fields. Hence any attempt to send coal there would be superfluous. Can.....

Embracing True Christianity: A Call to Authentic and Prophetic Action

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang |

Often people claim that they have abandoned their traditional religion and embraced Christianity. Many people think that it is a great victory. Yes, there are many good elements that exist in our society but there are also some social evils that eat into.....

All Saints Day’ and ‘All Souls Day’

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang |

Catholic Church observes ‘All Saints Day’ on November 1 as a day to honor all the saints in heaven and ‘All Souls Day’ November 2 to pray for the souls in purgatory. ‘All Saints Day’ is intended to honour the memory of countless unknown and uncanonized s.....

Formation needs transformation

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

I was intrigued by the revelations Bishop James Thoppil of Kohima, chairman of the northeast bishops’ formation commission, made during the meeting of the formators of northeastern region held from October 21-23, 2024 at Mount Tabor Retreat Centre in Dima.....

The validity of Catholic Baptism

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang |

The Catholic Church has always understood baptism differently. It teaches that baptism is a sacrament that accomplishes several things, the first of which is the remission of sin, both original sin and actual sin—only original sin in the case of infants a.....

Upholding Gandhian Values of Truth, Justice and Nonviolence for Journalism Today!

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

It is good to be here at this the 29th Annual Convention of the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA). I wish to place on record my deep and sincere gratitude to the Executive Committee of the ICPA and all others concerned for giving me the joy and pri.....

Sacrificing Childhood magic to social media

Opinion | Articles | Peter F Borges |

Imagine a world where the echoes of children’s laughter are replaced by the quiet taps on a smartphone screen. Where once there were scraped knees from climbing trees and chasing friends, now there’s the glow of Instagram and TikTok keeping kids captivate.....

Where are we going?

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

Every day news headlines, both in print and digital media, give us terrible shocks. News about murders, robberies, human trafficking, cheatings, corruption, atrocities on women, sectarian violence, caste-based discrimination, abuse of nature and natural r.....

Harvesting Souls?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Back in 2000 Arun Shourie wrote a book “Harvesting Souls – Missionaries, their designs and claims”. It was a condemnation of everything remotely connected with missionaries. In the Indian context it was about our Christian presence. For those who came.....

Fratelli Tooti

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Had I entered a Spelling Bee contest I would have failed miserably, considering that I have mis-spelt the title of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” that he wrote during the Covid pandemic. Unlike previous Popes, he wrote in Italian, not Latin. Se.....

Mother Teresa: Saint who taught us Compassion

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

Today (5 September) is a very special day for the world: it is the Feast Day of Mother Teresa, the Foundress of the Missionaries of Charity. She died on this day in 1997. The Catholic Church throughout the world venerate her as a Saint – and rightly so. F.....

Editorial

Care for the Creation

Before Pope Leo announced a five-week ‘Season of Care,' the world witnessed two instances of human suffering caused by the fury of nature. In the middle of August, Mon district headquarters in Nagaland were flooded, resulting in loss of lives and property.....

Why the proposed Amendment to the FCRA is matter of concern

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 has created a sense fear among the Charitable and Social organisations. It is widely suspected that the bill was intended to target minority faith-based NGOs working for the poorest of the poor in.....

Football opened a window to an unknown Nation

One is not sure how many people in the world would have known or heard about a country by the name of Cabo Verde prior to the commencement of the FIFA World Cup 2026. But beginning with the night the former Portuguese colony created history by holding Spa.....

Culture of Presumption: Disservice to a Man who saw no Evil

In May 2026, a popular priest, Fr. Bomax Pereira, suffered a cardiac arrest, and he was treated at the Goa Medical College. He was in the intensive care unit for a few days before he finally gave in and left while still in the ICU. Fr. Bolmax was one prie.....

Thank you Kerala, for keeping the Spirit of India alive

The most notable bright spot of the 2026 assembly elections is clearly the manner in which voters in Kerala exercised their franchise; Not because they voted any particular party to power, but because they avoided voting along communal lines. The victorie.....

Some Accountability for Social Media platforms

In March, a Los Angeles court hearing a petition filed by a 20-year-old woman, Kaley, who was a minor at the time of filing the case, held Meta and Google guilty of coming up with attention-grabbing applications, resulting in minor addiction to YouTube an.....

Sanju Samson's Silent Prayer was the Loudest Thanks giving

In a country where cricket is not just a game but considered next only to religion, a spectacle unfolded on March 1 inside the mammoth and iconic Eden Gardens cricket stadium in Kolkata, where the Indian and West Indies teams played the last of the Super.....

Stooping Beyond a Limit

When Himanta Biswa Sarma exited his parent party, the Indian National Congress, in 2015 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, not too many eyebrows were raised since such leapfrogging from one political party to the other was nothing new in Indian politi.....

The Culture of othering is an unhealthy trend

A German Lutheran pastor, Martin Niemöller, was against the Communist ideology and also against Semitism. His distaste for them made him a natural ally and supporter of Rudolf Hitler. When Hitler ultimately assumed power and insisted on the supremacy of t.....

Persecutions in the land of Tagore, Vivekananda, and Gandhi

India is fortunate to have given birth to three outstanding sons, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, and Mahatma Gandhi, who inspired generations not only in India but across the world. Apart from their liberal thinking, their thoughts on religious f.....

The determination was written on every Indian player’s face

On the intervening night of November 2nd and 3rd, the Indian women’s cricket team created history by winning the ICC Women’s World Cup for the first time at the DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai. They defeated South Africa, a team dubbed by many cricketing.....

Zubeen Garg unites people even in his death

Many ordinary people who are not connected to music and art might not have even heard of Zubeen Garg, despite being an iconic artist and a person who cared for others. However, after his unfortunate and untimely demise on September 19, 2025, social media.....

Previous Articles

Politically religious or religiously political?

Opinion | People's Edit | G.L. Khing

Human beings are political and religious by nature. The combination of both enables the smooth functioning of the State. The sharp contrast between the two brings chaos, fear and violence. As the trumpet of election blows, there emerges a contrasting soun.....

Rev. Sister Aloysia Lotha, MSMHC: The First Catholic Nun from Nagaland

Opinion | Articles | Yanrenthung J Humtsoe

Sister Aloysia Lotha was born in Lakhuti Village, Wokha, Nagaland, to Lt. Shenponthung Ambrose Yanthan and Lt. Ratseno Monica Yanthan. She received her Baptism at the age of 9, on 28th November, 1953. Her family embraced the Catholic faith in 1951. She m.....

Chaplain Embraces Native American Spirituality

Current Updates | Editorial Pick | Editorial team

Chaplain Embraces Native American Spirituality Susann Estle God is not a Christian, God is not a Jew, or a Muslim, or a Hindu, or a Buddhist. All of those are systems which human beings have created to help us walk into the mystery of God. I honor my t.....

A reflection on the All Souls Day

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang

There are three major reasons that helped me grow in Faith after coming to Shillong. All Souls Day is one of them. In the past, I always found it odd to see people love having their photos taken on the tombs and in the graveyard. Stories and talks related.....

Inpui Community’s first Catholic Church in Yurembam

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

When Mary Immaculate Catholic Church is inaugurated on the 15th of January 2021 at Yurembam by Most Rev. Dominic Lumon, Archbishop of Imphal, it will be the first Catholic Church for this particular community. Catholic presence amongst the Inpui community.....

Francis’s Bottle Craft: Miniature Homes in Glasses

Current Updates | Editorial Pick | Editorial team

In a quiet corner of Sikkim’s Lingzey, Gairigaon, an artist has been creating entire worlds inside bottles—one intricate house at a time. Meet Mr Francis Rai, the man behind Francis Bottle Crafts, whose passion for miniature architecture has turned into b.....

On Living the Legacy of Fr. Stan Swamy

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash

Late evening of 8 October 2020, Fr Stan Swamy was summoned from ‘Bagaicha’ in Ranchi (the Social Centre he founded in 2006 and where he lived) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials, to their local headquarters in Ranchi city. He was immed.....

Need for Re-skilling and Up-skilling in Post Covid 19

Opinion | Articles | Felix Jajo

The whole world still continues to fight a pandemic and the fight seems to have taken a longer period than expected. But with the vaccines rolling out, there is a ray of hope amongst the people. It has been almost a year since the first nationwide lockdow.....

After Namo, What?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

When Nehru was the Prime Minister of India Welles Hagen wrote a book in 1963, “After Nehru, Who?” When Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister a similar sentiment emerged, the TINA factor. There is no alternative. History bears testimony that both Nehru and Rajiv.....

The Society of St. Pius X: From Archbishop Lefebvre's Vision to Its Current Canonical Status

Opinion | Articles | Thou Ngaoni Paul

Abstract: This article examines the historical conflict between the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) and the Holy See, focusing on the Society’s objections to certain reforms of the Second Vatican Council and the subsequent development of its disciplinary.....

Opinion

Scribes Scribble Scrabble Scramble

Articles | Chhotebhai |

Pardon my penchant for words. On a more serious note, like a moth to the flame, I have a fatal attraction to the Word, the Word made flesh, Jesus, the Word, and “the Word was God” (Jn 1:10). I had been mulling over these thoughts from the 5th September wh.....

A Life without Reserve

Articles | Benjamin Chang |

The life of Lt. Rev. Fr. Mathew Keemattam stands as a luminous witness to missionary zeal, pastoral charity, and unwavering fidelity to God and His people. Belonging to the Diocese of Kohima, Rev. Fr. Mathew Keemattam offered the best years of his life,.....

Black Theology Is an Outcome of Black Experience

Articles | Yumri Taipodia |

In between 1517–1840, around twenty million blacks were cruelly captured in Africa. By ship, they were transported to America and sold into slavery. It was a profitable income for the traders. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, many captives died.....

Care for the Creation

Articles | John S. Shilshi |

Before Pope Leo announced a five-week ‘Season of Care,' the world witnessed two instances of human suffering caused by the fury of nature. In the middle of August, Mon district headquarters in Nagaland were flooded, resulting in loss of lives and property.....

Two strategic pullbacks by the BJP

Articles | John Dayal |

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s two pullbacks in August of high-profile bills it had every intention of passing may have seemed a rainbow in a sky otherwise made dark and gloomy by unabated acts of violence and systemic persecution of Christians in sta.....

I AM MALALA!

Articles | Cedric Prakash |

I am Malala: I was born on 12 July 1997 as Malala Yousafzai in the Swat District of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. My family was lower–middle class. It was certainly not easy to make both ends meet. My father was an educationist and.....

Current Updates

Bishop Albert Hemrom Appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Guwahati

Articles | NECARF Rep |

New Delhi, 16 July 2026 (CCBI): Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Albert Hemrom (57), Bishop of Dibrugarh, as the Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Guwahati, Assam. The appointment was made public on Thursday, 16 July 2026......

History and Spread of Christianity in Arunachal Pradesh

Articles | Editorial team |

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Arunachal Pradesh, located in the eastern Himalayas, is one of India’s most culturally diverse and geographically isolated states. Formerly known as the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), it became a Union Territory in 1972 and attained full statehood in.....

ICF Writes to the President of India

Articles | Editorial team |

Hon’ble Smt Draupadi Murmu, PRESIDENT OF INDIA Rashtrapati Bhawan New Delhi presidentofindia@rb.nic.in 31st December 2025 Respected Rashtrapatiji, Sub: Christmas attacks on Christians Namaskar! I respectfully place before you some of the.....

Attacks aginst Christians increased by 500% since 2014: Rights Groups

Articles | Editorial team |

Attacks Against Christians Increased by 500% Since 2014: Rights Groups New Delhi: On November 4, Christian rights activists assembled at the Press Club of India to release a report about an alarming and sustained annual surge in incidents of violence a.....

An MSMHC Nun from Mizoram did the North East Proud

Articles | NECARF Rep |

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October 14, 2025: Sr Rose Paite, an MSMHC nun from Mizoram, received the prestigious National Award from the Catholic Mental Health Ministry (CMHM) at the World Mental Health Day Conference in Kerala. The prestigious award was handed over to the recipie.....

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez’s address

Articles | Editorial team |

Synodality: Why No, and Why Yes Some have hoped that our new pope would ease up a little on this matter of synodality. Instead, Pope Leo has expressed a strong desire to continue along the path of synodality. For example: “Synodality becomes a mindset, .....