Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bangalore (Agenzia Fides) - “It is a very serious act that must be condemned without appeal” and that has led to confusion and bitterness in the local Church, Fides was told by the Church sources in Bangalore, where on the night between November 8-9, the Church of St. Anthony in Kavalbyrasandra, Archdiocese of Bangalore, was violated, desecrated and looted by a group of unidentified persons. Suspicion falls on Hindu extremist groups responsible for numerous acts of anti-Christian violence.
The vandals forced open the door, entered the church, stole the change in the poor boxes and objects of value. They also violated the tabernacle, knocking the consecrated hosts on the ground and trampling on them, and damaging several statues.
The incident has generated a mass protest from Christians of all denominations who peacefully took to the streets demanding an immediate reaction from the government to find and punish the guilty, and protection for places belonging to Christian minorities. Over a thousand faithful gathered in the Church of St. Anthony yesterday morning, all expressing their disapproval. The parish priest, Fr. Arokiadas said: "This is a deliberate act to offend the religious sentiment of many Christians. What particularly saddens us is the desecration of Holy Communion.”
But after the initial investigation, the police said that it would be "a case of theft and vandalism." The Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore has publicly expressed shock and regret for the incident and made himself the voice of protest, contacting civil authorities and police chiefs to call for an investigation into the incident, quickly and effectively. The Archbishop also condemned "the apathy of government and police in pursuing the perpetrators of such incidents," noting that people are losing confidence in the authorities.
The event is not the first of this kind. A church was sacked in Bangalore in September and throughout the state of Karanataka (southern India), anti-Christian violence is frequent. Christians fear the escalation of attacks, which occur with total impunity. "To stop them - notes the local Church - we need the certainty of punishment and a clear signal from the civil authorities in discouraging extremists."
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/11/2009)
