Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – "The Catholic Church in India will continue to work tirelessly and to make a specific contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals set by the UN." This is what Fides has been told by Fr. Nithiya Sagayam, Executive Secretary of the "Justice and Peace Commission" in the Indian Bishops' Conference, which recently published a new book entitled "The Church and the Millennium Development Goals." The text describes the situation in India, in the light of the social doctrine of the Church.
The publication will be followed, says Fr. Nithiya, by a broader Campaign for the Millennium Development Goals, through prayer meetings and liturgies throughout the country, and a petition will begin to circulate among the parishes and Christian institutions, asking the Indian government for a drastic reduction in military spending and increasing allocations of funds towards fighting poverty and hunger.
"India is a nation that is experiencing a great imbalance: on the one hand there is a very fast economic growth, but on the other, a third of its population lives below the poverty line. For this reason, the Indian Church has the duty of becoming a prophetic voice, always standing with the poor and the marginalized. The work of the Justice and Peace Commission embodies this spirit." In fact, the Commission has already launched, in recent months, a nationwide Campaign for the Right to Food, distributing publications on the subject in 10 of the most common Indian languages, as well as photographic and video material, to raise awareness among the faithful and all citizens regarding the urgent need to take action in favor of the poor and marginalized, which make up a large part of the Indian population. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 11/10/2010)
