Latest news with #BaseliosCleemis
New Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kerala nuns' arrest: Church heads lead priests, laity in protest march
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With their mouths gagged, heads of various rites of the Catholic Church in Kerala led hundreds of nuns, priests and laity in a silent march from the Martyrs' Column to the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, protesting the arrest of two Keralite nuns in Chhattisgarh. Addressing the protesters after the culmination of the march in front of the Raj Bhavan, Kerala Catholic Bishops Council president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis minced no words in criticising the BJP, which is in power in Chhattisgarh. 'Questions are being raised about some people arriving at palaces with cakes for Christmas and Easter... The Christian community expects a little more sincerity,' he said in an apparent reference to the BJP's Christian outreach programme. 'Rajeev Chandrasekhar has admitted that the allegations against the nuns are not true. Then, why are they still behind bars? Why can't they be released?' he wondered. The imprisonment of the nuns is a clear violation of religious freedom, Mar Cleemis said. Expressing anguish over reports that some had celebrated the rejection of their bail plea, he said, 'Is this the kind of secular democracy that we have been talking about? Those in power must show the will to resolve this issue. The nuns are not traitors.'
Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Nun arrests: BJP caught between rock and a hard place as Kerala Church body slams party
AS THE two Kerala nuns arrested on charges of forced conversion and human trafficking in Chhattisgarh remain behind bars, a powerful body of Catholic bishops in Kerala Wednesday indicated that any prospective 'friendship' with the BJP rests on the issue. Addressing reporters, Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis expressed unhappiness over the denial of bail to the two nuns, and said: 'If no justice is done, then what friendship can there be? How can we speak of perfect brotherhood?' On Wednesday, the Catholic Church also took out a march to the Raj Bhavan, with bishops, priests and nuns joining in. Elsewhere across the state too, the followers of the Catholic Church held protests against the arrest of the nuns on charges of conversion. The stand of the KCBC, which comprises heads of all 43 Catholic dioceses in the state, underlines the dilemma the BJP finds itself in – torn between the Sangh Parivar's anti-conversion narrative, and its own electoral ambitions in Kerala, which rest on the party winning over the substantial Christian vote bank. In a message directed at the BJP, Cleemis said: 'We are closely watching the situation… Do what you say and be sincere in your actions. This is what we are looking for. Our concern is justice for the nuns.' Addressing the Raj Bhavan march, the Cardinal took on the conversion charges against the Church, saying: 'We are not going to close the gospel in the country. Our tongues have strength to proclaim the gospel and that will continue.' At another event, Palakkad Bishop Peter Kochupurakkal attacked the BJP's Christian 'appeasement'. 'There are certain political Dhritarashtras (the blind Mahabharata king) who move in and out of our churches and our liturgical functions. They go to church and donate golden crowns to statues. They are present at all functions. We have to recognise such people. We have to recognise their Dhritarashtra hugs,'' Kochupurakkal said, in an apparent dig at BJP MP Suresh Gopi, who donated a golden crown to a church in Thrissur, the constituency from which he won in 2024. The Catholic Church seems to be hardening its stand against the BJP both because the nuns are from Kerala, and because the Church leadership wants to repudiate the allegation that it has adopted a soft line towards the BJP. Unlike in Kerala, the BJP is viewed largely with suspicion by the Christian community elsewhere, who accuse it of anti-minority bias. Earlier, when Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest from Tamil Nadu who was jailed over alleged Maoist links, died behind bars, the subdued reaction of the Catholic Church in Kerala had been remarked upon. The interaction of Bishops and other Christian dignitaries with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Christmas event had also drawn flak from a section of the faithful in Kerala as it came months after violence began in Manipur, with Christian tribals seen at the receiving end of violence. Meanwhile, even within the Sangh Parivar in Kerala, not many are keen on the stance taken by BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar dismissing the allegations against the nuns in Chhattisgarh. Chandrasekhar's statement has drawn sharp reactions from some Sangh Parivar handles, who said the party ruling the country should not water down its stand for 'a few (Christian votes)' in Kerala.
The Hindu
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Catholic rites hold united protest against arrest of nuns in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh
The various rites of the Catholic Church in Kerala came together for a joint protest on Wednesday against the arrest of two Keralite nuns at Durg in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Chhattisgarh last Friday on charges of forced conversion and human trafficking, allegations which various political parties and civil society have termed baseless. Church leaders and laity members from the Syro-Malankara, Syro-Malabar, and Latin rites took part in the silent march with their mouths gagged to Raj Bhavan, in a reflection of the groundswell of anger and concern over the arrests. Addressing the protest, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, said those showing friendly gestures towards the Christian community should show the sincerity to 'walk the talk,' in what was interpreted as a thinly-veiled message to the BJP. 'When such incidents happen, those in power should display the will power to address it immediately. That is when minority communities like ours feel safe in the country. The State BJP president himself has said that the allegations against the nuns are false. Why are his words not being believed? Not only should the nuns be released, but action also should be taken against those who put them in jail so that such incidents are not repeated,' he said. Countering the allegations of forced conversions against the Christian community, he said Christians still constitute only less than 2.5% of India's population, which would not have been the situation if the community had been converting people for the past 2,000 years as alleged. 'The minority Christian community in this country is only demanding the rulers to protect the right for anyone to believe and propagate any religion of their choice. Our protest is not a challenge against the government or a particular party. Some people are claiming that such protests are happening only in Kerala. As a State which remains in the forefront in literacy and where missionaries have brought education to the masses, all the right-thinking people of Kerala are questioning this injustice,' said the Cardinal. He said that more than the denial of bail to the nuns, the angry shouts of the mob that gathered outside the court against them pained him. 'Is this a secular democracy? Is this the age-old Indian culture which has traditionally respected those who wore robes and went out to serve the community,' he asked. The State has over the past four days witnessed bipartisan protests over the arrest of sisters Preeta Mary and Vandana Francis of the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) order.
New Indian Express
30-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'Will decide accordingly': Kerala Catholic body warns BJP that 'friendship' will depend on progress in nuns' case
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A powerful body of senior Catholic clergy in Kerala on Wednesday indirectly cautioned the BJP that any prospective friendship would depend on securing justice for two nuns from the state jailed in Chhattisgarh over alleged conversion and human trafficking. Addressing reporters here, Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) president, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, said the incident would be a determining factor in the Church's political stance. "If no justice is done, then what friendship can there be? How can we speak of perfect brotherhood?" the Cardinal asked, expressing displeasure over the denial of bail to the two nuns, who were arrested following complaints made by Bajrang Dal members. "The nuns are yet to get bail. This will be a criterion. Naturally, we will observe developments and decide accordingly," he said. Cleemis questioned the "sincerity of outreach efforts" when justice was being denied to the nuns. "Everyone should act on what they preach and show sincerity. This is what we expect," he said, responding to questions about the BJP's attempts to engage with the Christian community in the state.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Can Indians vote to choose next pope? Meet the four cardinals joining papal conclave
India's representation in the conclave The four Indian cardinals participating are: Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao (72) Cardinal Baselios Cleemis (64) Cardinal Anthony Poola (63): Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad (51): The conclave process A global church at a crossroads As the Catholic Church embarks on the sacred process of electing its 267th pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, four Indian cardinals are among the 133 electors convening in the Sistine Chapel. This conclave, notable for its unprecedented geographical diversity, underscores India's growing influence within the global Catholic community.: Archbishop of Goa and Daman, and President of both the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India and the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences. He is recognized for his commitment to family ministry, interfaith dialogue, and social Indian Express: Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, based in Thiruvananthapuram, and President of the Synod of the Syro-Malankara TodayMetropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad and the first Dalit cardinal in the Catholic Church, symbolizing a significant step towards Emeritus of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, emphasizing the Vatican's commitment to fostering understanding among different conclave commenced on May 7 with a solemn Mass in Basilica, followed by the cardinals' seclusion in the Sistine Chapel. Under Michelangelo's iconic frescoes, they will cast secret ballots, requiring a two-thirds majority—89 votes—to elect the new pope. The process is enveloped in strict confidentiality, with measures like signal jammers and oaths of secrecy to prevent information conclave is the most geographically diverse in history, reflecting the Church's expansion beyond its traditional European base. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, emphasized the need for unity and love in his homily, urging electors to choose a pope capable of guiding the Church through contemporary challenges.
