India bishop, fearing extremist violence, cancels Christmas festivities

CatholicNewsAgency ^ | Uttar Pradesh, Dec 9, 2008

[GonzoII]

India bishop, fearing extremist violence, cancels Christmas festivities

Faithful leaving Mass at the Lucknow Cathedral

Uttar Pradesh, Dec 9, 2008 / 06:04 am (CNA).- Citing concerns about Hindu extremists, Bishop Gerald Mathias of Lucknow, India has canceled many of the Christmas festivities in his north Indian diocese.

One of the canceled festivities is the annual Christmas ‘Dance Drama,’ whose celebration on the steps of the cathedral of Lucknow City is typically attended by more than 50,000 people, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reports.

The dance’s performers include seminarians and novice religious sisters and brothers. Drawing heavily on local culture, the dance drama reenacts Scriptural texts from throughout the Bible with a concentration upon the Nativity.

The two open-air performances of the dance attract a mostly non-Christian audience to St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Lucknow, a majority Hindu city with a 20 percent Muslim population. The event is a key means of outreach in the city of three million, of whom only 4,000 are Catholics.

In further changes to Christmas plans, Bishop Mathias decided not invite the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh state, the Governor of Lucknow, the chief justice and other dignitaries to an event of carols, brief speeches, and a meal.

The bishop has also called off a Christmas Day gathering for around 15 priests from Lucknow and another celebration involving clergy and religious from throughout the diocese that was planned for December 30.

Father Ignatius D’Souza, the Diocese of Lucknow’s vicar general, acknowledged that people would be disappointed by the cancelations. However, he reported that an ordinary exhibition of the Christmas story will continue in the cathedral compound and said people were welcome to enter and light a candle according to the local custom.

Father D’Souza explained the decision to cancel the events, saying:

“We are concerned about fundamentalist activity. The extremists’ strategy is very long term and they might see our diocesan Christmas activities as an opportunity to take action.”

“Although we have very good security arrangements for the events and have an excellent relationship with the local police department here, we can’t be too careful. You don’t know the mind of those wanting to stir up trouble.

“Every time there are general elections, there are people wanting to inflame tensions.” General elections are planned to occur before May 2009.

According to ACN, the priest also stressed that the cancellations were made as an act of solidarity with Christians in Orissa who would be marking the first anniversary of atrocities in Khandamal, where churches were ransacked and many people were forced from their homes.

Up to 500 people have died in recurring anti-Christian attacks in the Indian state of Orissa. Violence also unexpectedly broke out in Karnataka state in southwest India, with Hindu extremists destroying many churches.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India recently urged dioceses to scale down Christmas festivities.

Copyright @ CNA
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com)

[GonzoII]

I guess that’s a good call, Bishop, the way I understand things; only Divine Providence should arrange martyrdom.

[Doogle]

The extremists’ strategy is very long term and they might see our diocesan Christmas activities as an opportunity to take action.”

..and it worked

[ConorMacNessa]

The threat of Islamic terrorism, however grave, does not in my view excuse the duty to witness at the Nativity of our Savior.

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[ZULU]

Gee. I thought Islam was the religion of “Peace”.

In reality it is the religion of “Piece.” It wants to take a Piece out of every country on earth until it takes over the world.

They are worse than NAZIs because there are so many more of them out there.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I would surmise the Bishop knows more than he’s letting on. The Catholics of Uttar Pradesh have ALWAYS been a tiny minority and have ALWAYS had to deal with threats from extremists. This year, it must have been dramatically escalated. I think he’s probably responding to a specific homicidal threat.

The Catholics at the time of Nero and Diocletian kept the Faith, but that doesn’t mean they hosted dance festivals on the streets of Rome.

[SoConPubbie]

Guys,

This story is not about Islam, but Hinduism.

[ConorMacNessa]

I see - my opinion remains the same.

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[saradippity]

Would the threat of Hindu terrorism excuse "the duty of witness at the Nativity of our Savior"?

I don't mean to be snippy and I think your answer would be the same;however,in the interest of truth,the Bishop was talking Hindus not Muslims.

[GonzoII]

“The Catholics at the time of Nero and Diocletian kept the Faith, but that doesn’t mean they hosted dance festivals on the streets of Rome.”

—

Right.

Witness the catacombs. -And Catholic Europe later.

[Gene Eric]

ping

[GonzoII]

But when you think about it, these Brothers are witnessing all year-round.

[saradippity]

Okay,now we know how you feel about Islam and Peace,but tell us what you think about Hindus and Peace. That is the group,or religion,that caused the Nativity festivities to be canceled according to the article posted.

[ZULU]

India is a Hindu Country. It has been for thousands of years. Christianity is the interloper here. But that doesn't excuse violence in any way towards people peacefully practicing their own religion.

On the other hand, Hinduism is not a proselytizing religion.
Hindus don't invade other countries and does not advocate the use of violence to spread their belief system.

And I seriously doubt that the overwhelming number of Hindus support the use of violence as Hinduism is essentially a non-violent religion. Islam is essentially an intolerant, aggressive proselytizing faith whose followers believe they are destined to conquer the world.

[Republic of Texas]

Get a billion Hindus in a room, there are bound to be a few nuts. Still doesn’t compare to Islam.

[ZULU]

PRECISELY.

See:

http://hinduism.about.com/cs/basics/ht/idealhindu.htm

This contrasts quite a bit with the Koran, Haddiths, Sharia Law and Islam in general.

[Funee Kat]

India is a Hindu Country. It has been for thousands of years. Christianity is the interloper here.

Christianity has been active in the Indian subcontinent since the first century, long before the modern state that is now India. At the time, much of the religeon, especially in south India (Karnataka)was comprised of vedic rituals that predated Hinduism, at least as it is now known. Most of the Hindu persecution of Christianity in India now is driven more by nationalistic concerns than religeous.

[ZULU]

The beliefs which form the basis of modern Hinduism go back into the mists of time, well before the arrival of Christianity in the subcontinent.

“Most of the Hindu persecution of Christianity in India now is driven more by nationalistic concerns than religeous. “

Probably. Als probable, some Hindui intolerance of non-Hindus has been a reaction to the exposure of Hindus to Islam. Pakistan is a violent, intlerant, aggressive Islamic state. Before Pakistan existed, there was much violence in the subcontinent between Hindus and Muslims - as in every area where Islam sought - or seeks - to intrude itself.

[Funee Kat]

You seem to sugest that Christianity as an ‘interloper’ has somehow no real moral or historical authority to be there. By that standard, no religeon has any right to be anywhere, since you can always find some other beliefs that predated it. The fact is that the establishment of Christianity in India was not based on conquest, as was the case with Islam.

[ZULU]

Not suggesting anything of the kind.

But if a group of people have been practicing a particular belief system for millenia, its natural for some of them to resent a new belief system appearing in their midst.

This would not be an issue in most Islamic Nations as they simply do not allow religions other than Islam to be practiced there or the missionaries are simply killed or deported.

This situation has to be viewed in historical context.

If you want to get angry at something, get angry at the fact that our government has expended lives and money to install a regime in Baghdad which is far less tolerant of Christians than the military dictatorship we removed. Be angry at the fact that our government, regardless of which party is in office, panders to a lunatic state which allows NO other religion but Islam to be practiced there, and then only the most virulent form of that religion - Wahhabism (Saudi Arabia). Be angry at the fact that when people were being massacred in the Sudan on the basis of the fact they were Christians, it was not an issue, but when it became a matter of religion, it was considered a world tragedy.

ISLAM is the enemy threatening Christianity, NOT Hinduism. Hinduism never was and Islam has been since the moment of its conception.