Diocese of Mangalore condemns attacks on Christians during Christmas, seeks govt action

Mangaluru

The Diocese of Mangalore on Saturday strongly condemned a series of incidents targeting members of the Christian community in different parts of the country during the Christmas season and urged both the central and state governments to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of minorities. In a statement issued here, Roy Castelino, Public Relations Officer of the Diocese, described the incidents as “highly condemnable” and said they reflected a disturbing pattern of intimidation and violence against Christians during a major religious festival.

The Diocese cited several incidents reported from across the country. In Palakkad district of Kerala, members of a Christmas carol team were allegedly attacked by extremist elements. In New Delhi, activists linked to a Hindu organisation were accused of harassing Christian women and children wearing Santa Claus caps, allegedly accusing them of engaging in religious conversion. “These acts are not only against a particular community but are against the spirit and values enshrined in the Constitution,” the statement said.

The Diocese also pointed to what it described as a contradiction between the Prime Minister's participation in Christmas prayers at a church in Delhi and the reported attempts by extremist groups to disrupt Christmas celebrations in several states, including Kerala, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Odisha. The statement said such incidents had caused “deep pain” to the Christian community, which, it added, continued to place faith in constitutional principles and democratic values.