Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – While there continues to be reports of anti-Christian violence in various Indian states such as Orissa, Karnataka, Madhya Pardesh, and Kerala, the Diocese of Varanasi has sent a peace mission, made up of members of various religions, to Orissa. The delegation will work to bring peace and harmony to the people there. This was what Agenzia Fides was told by Bishop Raphy Manjaly of Varanasi, who was recently in Rome participating in a study seminar held by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, for Bishops ordained in the last two years.
The Diocese of Varanasi is located in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, situated in the northeastern part of the country. His Excellency Raphy Manjaly was ordained a Bishop on April 30, 2007. There is a great diversity of religions in the area, including other Christian denominations, Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus. Below is the text of the interview with the Bishop.
How would you describe your Diocese in general?
The Diocese has a population of 19 million, about 18,000 of whom are Catholics. There are 119 priests, 50 parishes, and 450 religious sisters.
The Diocese of Varanasi has been a privileged Diocese, because I think the Spirit is moving our Diocese. We have the Krist Bhakta Movement, which means the ‘movement of the devotees of Christ.’ It is run by Catholics, but the majority of non-Christians there are Hindus. Thousands of people come to listen to the word of God. In honor of the Year of Saint Paul we plan on creating more centers for proclaiming the Word of God. We hope to start a Bible Institute in Varanasi, to make the Word of God available to the people of our region in their own language, through translations, simplified versions of the Bible.
There is a fairly large representation of other non-Christian religions in your area. How is the Church in Varanasi responding to this situation?
We have found two principle means of action in this regards: carrying out interreligious dialogue, especially with the leaders of other religions and maintaining a healthy relationship with the mass media.
In terms of interreligious dialogue, we make a great effort in organizing activities, attending one another’s celebrations. We come together for their joys, their festivals, if there is an important occasion for them. We have established the Maitri Bhavan Center for Interreligious Dialogue in the Diocese. Throughout the year, on various occasions, we have meetings, especially when we foresee that some problem could come. We try to take preventative measures. That is basically what we are trying to do: maintain a good relationship with the other leaders and faithful of other communities (Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists). When there is no problem, also, we meet so that there is a relationship. We understand one another and we are able to work together for the good of society. Through this dynamic of frequent meetings, in spite of provocations, we are able to maintain peace.
We are also maintaining a good relationship with the media and this helps us to maintain the good relationship with other communities. The media reports on our works of mercy and works of charity. This is important because if there is no good media coverage, somebody else can come and spread bad information about us.
How are relations with the Hindu groups in your area, in this time of tension throughout the country?
The majority of Hindus are open to Christians. Since Varanasi has a good experience and long tradition of peaceful coexistence, Varanasi decided to send a peace mission to Orissa. They will probably go to the city of Cuttack and through talks, songs...they will try to spread the message of peace in Orissa. They will also be working with the people of good will of Orissa. Our Diocese also held two interreligious prayer meetings where we prayed for all those who suffered, regardless of their religious affiliation. We condemn the violence and we pray for the victims...for all those who are suffering, and for the dead. Baptisms must be done very discreetly, not in large numbers. But if someone requests Baptism, with good motives, because they love Christ and are convinced of His teachings, because He has worked miracles in their lives and they feel His power as God, then we receive them. (AR-PA) (Agenzia Fides 18/9/2008)
