Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Bombay has urged Indians not to feel threatened by Christians or their activities. “We seek only to serve” as told by Jesus and “make the world a better place,” Cardinal Gracias said during homily at the Indian Mission Congress’s concluding Mass on Oct. 18.
Some 1,500 delegates from India’s 160 dioceses attended the Oct. 14-18 congress titled, Prabhu Yesu Mahotsav, at St. Pius College in Goregaon, a Mumbai suburb.
Cardinal Gracias, the congress host and the first vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, said the mahotsav did not directly address the issue of conversion. However, the Church is aware of fear among some Indians that Christians use their services as a façade to convert others, he added.
“The Church is not here in a number game,” the cardinal asserted and added unlike political parties that want more members for power the Church is interested only to live Christ’s teachings “so that our lives become the message and that we become messengers.”
The cardinal also said laws to stop forced religious conversions are unnecessary because the Catholic Church does not believe in forcing anyone to become a member.
“A forced conversion is meaningless, because conversion is a transformation of heart - a turning to God, for us Christians, a turning to Jesus Christ,” he said and added that the Church takes a long time to test the sincerity of a person who want to become a Catholic.
At the same the Church insists that someone who sincerely wants to follow Jesus Christ as a disciple has the right to do so. “This is a human right, a right enshrined in our Constitution, a human right recognized by countries across the globe,” Cardinal Gracias said.
Cardinal Gracias said the highlight of the congress was the sharing by delegates from Orissa state. According to him, the anti-Christian violence Orissa’s Kandhamal district witnessed during August-November 2008 was a bad dream for the Church in India.
The cardinal commended the victims for forgiving their tormentors as taught by Christ. He also assured Orissa Christians the support of the entire Church in India. “We are truly inspired by the stories of heroic martyrdom in your Church,” he added.
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