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THE CONTROVERSIAL POPE AND
HIS CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS
LONDON/NEW DELHI: The domestic dispute
over religious conversions got an external dimension on Friday 19th with an
increasingly assertive Vatican coming down hard on India for initiatives taken
by BJP governments to enact anti-conversion laws.
Thirteen months into his papacy,
Benedict XVI upbraided
This was a reiteration, though sterner,
of the seven-year-old message put out by the Pope’s predecessor, late John Paul
II, on a visit to
The Pope’s warning comes at a time when
the emotive issue of conversion has again hit the surface following attempts to
outlaw conversions in a BJP-controlled state.
A Bill passed by the Rajasthan
assembly, which evoked strong protests from Christian groups, Left and
liberals, has been lying with President APJ Abdul Kalam
after it was referred to him by governor Pratibha Patil, a UPA government
appointee.
In
the full text of the pope’s comments to Tripathi,
seen by TOI, Benedict XVI, once dubbed the ‘Panzerkardinal’
and 'God’s Rottweiler,' said the attempt to restrict
religious freedom "must be firmly rejected as not only unconstitutional,
but also as contrary to the highest ideals of India’s founding fathers, who
believed in a nation of peaceful coexistence and mutual tolerance between
different religions and ethnic groups."
Back home, the foreign ministry, usually sensitive to any whiff of interference
in
"It is acknowledged universally that
BJP, however, did not have any compunction in taking on the hardliner Pope. It
called his comments "grossly unjustified and an unnecessary interference
in our internal affairs."
"The pope was trying to reiterate the freedom of conscience guaranteed on
the universe declaration of human rights," said Father Babu
Joseph, spokesperson of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).
In a strong message, Pope Benedict XVI, who took over the reins of one billion
plus Roman Catholics in the world 13 months ago, spoke to New Delhi's envoy to
Vatican Amitava Tripathi
about some Indian states banning religious conversion through legislation.
"There are disturbing signs of religious intolerance which have troubled
some regions of
Said Joseph: "It is true that religious freedom is
guaranteed in the Indian constitution. But it is not ensured as it
should have been. It is not ensured everywhere in the country without
discrimination. Oppressive forces are there."
Joseph said the pope was trying to the draw the attention of the Indian
government to the issues that have been disturbing the Christian community.
BJP-ruled Rajasthan has recently passed legislation banning religious
conversions, but it has been awaiting President APJ Abdul Kalam's
assent.
Party leaders are angry over the pope's remarks.
"If
conversion is a right, re-conversion is also is a right. Will he agree to
it?" asked Malhotra.
"States like Orissa and Madhya Pradesh made a
law to ban conversion during first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's period.
The state governments found that Christian missionaries were crossing the
limit.
"I think even Christian doctrines say conversion by force or allurement is
wrong. How can we accept it then?" he asked.
Dilip Singh Judev, an MP
who has been involved in the re-conversion drive in north Indian states, said
the pope's reaction had come "out of desperation".
"They are not able to convert Hindus any longer. He is worried now," Judev said.
Malhotra's BJP colleague in the Lok
Sabha, Uday Singh, said the
pope was "well within his right to express concern about the welfare of
Christians as the head of the religious group".
"But when it comes to the law and legislative process in a democratic
country, he should have used a little more discretion," Singh said.
"Our reaction should also not be sharp."
BJP and Hindu groups had severely criticised the Pope's
predecessor John Paul II's call for conversion in
Asia during his visit to
(courtesy: TOI network)