Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bhubaneswar (Agenzia Fides) - "The persecution against Christians in Kandhamal is the living history of Christmas," says to Fides Fr. Mrutunjaya Digal, a priest in the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, where the faithful are preparing to live the Christmas season between fears and hopes.
"Violence against Christians in Kandhamal district, Orissa - notes the priest – has given me a deeper meaning in celebrating Christmas. One may recall that it began during Christmas 2007. In the aftermath, in August 2008, violence en masse against Christians was carried out in Kandhamal, who were celebrating Christmas in refugee camps set up by the government".
"Christmas proclaims a message of God's special love for humanity, the coming of God, who accompanies us in our struggles, difficulties and joyous moments. Struggle, pain and suffering have always been a part of the divine history of salvation. So this is what the people of Kandhamal are experiencung", notes the priest.
Fr. Mrutunjaya Digal tells Fides: "Anti-Christian persecution in Kandhamal is the living history of Christmas. I have a vivid memory of the difficult moments of our people in 2008. My brother suffered torture and was forcibly converted to Hinduism. I found my family in the relief camps in Kandhamal district, with other thousands of terrified families. In those moments our faith in Jesus came to our aid".
"These painful experiences - he continues - help me to grasp the deeper meaning of Christmas: The Emmanuel, God with us, is a reality in my life. The people of Orissa has experienced the powerful presence of God in the struggles, hardships, in the courage to witness the Christian faith, in solidarity. Many people witness, with their experience that they are not alone, that God is with them".
In the upcoming Christmas "we will remember that God is present in our history, particularly in our sufferings and difficulties. The grace of God allows me, and allows Christians in Orissa, to experience the true spirit of Christmas and share it with others with an open heart", concludes Father Mrutunjaya Digal. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/12/2011)
