ASIA/INDIA - Condemnation of the Bishops: Hindu leader offends Mother Teresa

New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – It is necessary to condemn and take legal measures regarding the false accusations and derogatory words against Mother Teresa of Calcutta by Hindu leader Swami Parpoornanda Saraswathi: says Archbishop Thumma Bala, at the head of the diocese of Hyderabad and President of the Council of Bishops of Telugu. In the statement sent to Fides, the Archbishop calls on the governments of the States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana not to remain indifferent in the face of offensive words against Saint Mother Teresa, broadcast during a television program in recent days.
According to the Hindu nationalist leader, "Mother Teresa organized the illegal trafficking of 50,000 women, making them work as nuns after converting them to Christianity".
Swami also said that the religious undeservedly received the highest national honor, the "Bharata Ratna" prize in 1980 by the Government of India.
"Is this not an insult to the nation and to the President of India who recognized the services of the Mother to the poor, the needy, the terminally-ill, the elderly, the abandoned and the suffering?", wonders Archbishop Bala.
"The work of Saint Mother Teresa - continues the text - is recognized all over the world and in 1979 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Currently there are 5.161 Sisters of Mother Teresa in 758 Homes working in 139 countries. Besides, the comments of Paripoornananda Swamiji were not requested because the subject of the discussion was something different. It was not necessary for Swamiji to speak of the Pope and Mother Teresa".
The Archbishop notes that "Paripoornananda Swamiji's comments and accusations on Mother Teresa not only deeply hurt the hearts and feelings of the Catholic Church and the Christian community, but also of people belonging to all regions and religions who respect her as saint and mother of the poor and the suffering".
The Indian Church condemns the attempts of those "who try to bring division in society". Following the footsteps of Jesus Christ, "we can forgive Paripoornananda Swamiji", the Archbishop said, recalling religious leaders of all faiths that "the primary duty of every religious leader is to foster harmony and peace in the community of our pluralist nation and safeguard the secularity and religious freedom guaranteed by our Constitution". The Bishops ask the government to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future. (PN-PA) (Agenzia Fides, 11/10/2017)

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