Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – “The Catholic Church in Nepal is experiencing a time of great joy: we are esteemed and appreciated because we are at the service of the people, especially in the area of education. This is evident in the nearly 200-300 people who request Baptism each year.” These were the words of Bishop Anthony Sharma, SJ, Apostolic Vicar of Nepal, in an interview he granted Agenzia Fides while in Rome participating in a study seminar held by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, for Bishops ordained in the last two years.
Bishop Sharma explained how the Church has always manifested herself as “a community at the service of others,” and in this way has won the support of all social, political, and religious groups present in Nepal.
Bishop Sharma told Fides of the various phases in the Church’s mission there. “Following the arrival of the first Capuchins in the 18th century, Nepal was without Christians for 140 years. The second phase in the mission began in 1951, when the Jesuits came to start an educational service in a Hindu nation, whose King was considered the reincarnation of a god. At that time, they could only open schools, but not do missionary work. This lasted until 1984, when Nepal’s authorities asked the Holy See to open diplomatic relations. This occurred as a result of political opportunities, as Nepal (a small country between two giants like India and China) needed recognition on an international level. In fact, following the establishment of relations with the Vatican, the recognition came.
However, there was a problem. There wasn’t even 1 church in the entire country. In the accord for the diplomatic relations, the erection of a ‘Mission sui iuris’ in Nepal was included. I was given responsibility for it in 1984. Since then, we have entered into the third stage of the mission, and we are still seeing fruits. The Lord loves the small church in Nepal!”
The Bishop told of how the Church carries out relations with the local population: “We make her presence known. We are in the country to serve, above all in education, which has been the main need up until now. Education used to be a privilege only for the rich, for the families from the highest castes who could afford the cost of studies. The Catholic community began its free service, open to all regardless of caste, religion, race, etc. In this manner, we could invite people from all over and oftentimes we were given lands on which to build new schools.”
“Education is a priority for three reasons: it is an opportunity for development; it gives dignity and right to women in the society of Nepal; it goes against the caste system that in Nepal, as in India, is strongly rooted in social life. In our schools, the students are all equal, and this is evident in the relationships they have among them.”
The Bishops mentioned the fruits of the last 25 years. “We have 27 schools total, in the entire country: 6 in Katmandu and 21 in rural towns. We offer education to over 17,000 students, 9,000 of whom are girls. We have strengthened our role as Church, present to serve the people, which has led us to win the affection of all classes of people. The Catholic community now has 7,000 baptized members, and each year there are an additional 300 that enter. This has been made possible by the 1991 Constitution that declared freedom of worship and religion, and whoever requests Baptism can be accepted. This implies a serious period of time as catechumenate (2 years) before Baptism.”
The Church in Nepal is also working in various areas of social services, in favor of the poor, the sick, and the marginalized: “We have been the first to take care of children with learning disabilities or who are handicapped, and there are many in the country. There are currently three Catholic centers that work to help them. In 1989, we began Caritas Nepal, which is part of the network Caritas Internationalis.”
The Catholic Church in Nepal has 6 male religious congregations and 17 female, a total of 65 priests and 155 religious sisters. Among the Church’s challenges is its desire to “be present in the western part of the country, which is why we have recently requested another group of Capuchins; our desire to build more churches, as there are currently 5 parishes without a church; and add on to our health services, which are greatly needed in this country.”
On a political and social level, he said that the relations are stable, even with the Maoists. “Everyone is appreciative, because they see that the Church is on the side of the people and there to serve them: the Lord has done great things for the small community of Nepal.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides 15/9/2008)
