Christian leaders have requested urgent intervention from the Vatican regarding the increasing violence against Christians in India. The appeal was made during the visit of a Vatican envoy to India. The leaders expressed concerns about the safety and security of the Christian community. They highlighted specific instances of violence and discrimination faced by Christians.
5 months ago
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states, visited India from July 13–19, 2025, with the stated aim of strengthening bonds of friendship and collaboration 2. During his visit, Archbishop Gallagher held an official meeting with India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on July 17 in New Delhi 2. Jaishankar described the conversation as "good," emphasizing the importance of faith, dialogue, and diplomacy in addressing conflicts 2.
Amid the Vatican envoy's visit, Christian groups in India appealed for "urgent intervention" from the Holy See due to a documented rise in anti-Christian violence 1 2. The United Christian Forum presented a memorandum to Archbishop Gallagher, highlighting a significant increase in hostility targeting Christians under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pro-Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government 2. The memorandum reported 834 cases of violence and hostility against Christians in 2024, an increase from 734 in 2023 and a substantial rise from 127 in 2014 when Modi took office 2.
The United Christian Forum's memorandum cites allegations of "fraudulent conversion" as a primary driver for the escalating violence, leading to the detention of hundreds of Christians 2. The highest number of incidents in 2024 were reported in northern Uttar Pradesh (209 cases) and Chhattisgarh (165 cases), both states governed by the Hindu nationalist BJP 2. Odisha state, also under BJP rule, has recently experienced violence, including instances where Christian dead bodies were exhumed for "reconversion ceremonies" and Christians were prevented from burying their dead in tribal areas 2. Additionally, two senior priests in the Sambalpur Diocese were brutally attacked, tied up, and threatened with death if they continued missionary work 2. A June 21 attack in Kotamateru village, Malkangiri district, injured 31 Christians and led to the expulsion of dozens from the village, prompting protests demanding government action against Hindu fundamentalists 2.
Christian leaders expressed disappointment regarding the official discussions during the envoy's visit. Vocal lay Catholic leader John Dayal suggested that the "all-round silence" on the violence might suit the government 2. Jesuit Father Cedric Prakash criticized what he termed "Vatican tokenism," arguing that the atrocities against Christians should have been explicitly raised with the Indian government 2. While Archbishop Gallagher visited a Jesuit seminary, details of his private meetings with theology students were not disclosed 2.
How does the Church respond to persecution of its members?
The Church understands the persecution of its members as a participation in the redemptive suffering of Christ and a means of deeper union with Him . This perspective is rooted in the belief that suffering for the Gospel's sake is a source of growth and sanctification .
The Church's response to persecution can be understood through several key theological and practical dimensions:
The suffering of Christians, particularly persecution, is seen as a continuation and fulfillment of Christ's expiatory passion in His mystical body, the Church . Just as Christ was a sign of contradiction, so too are individual Christians and the entire Church when they struggle against sin and destruction amidst suffering and temptation . By enduring suffering in service of the Gospel, Christians complete what is lacking in their flesh of Christ's afflictions for the sake of the Church . This union with the suffering Christ is a special grace that draws individuals closer to Him, leading to profound conversion and a new understanding of their life and vocation .
Suffering, when united with and taken up into the action of Christ, acquires redemptive value . It is not merely an evil or a trial, but can become a source of good if experienced with love and through sharing in the suffering of Christ Crucified . This allows the person to grow more fully conformed to Christ and more closely associated with His redemptive work for the Church and humanity . The Father has disposed that suffering can enrich both the individual and the entire Church .
Those who suffer together with Christ, uniting their human sufferings to His salvific suffering, fulfill and continue to write the "Gospel of suffering" . They proclaim this message to the world, demonstrating that in Christ's Passion, all human suffering has been redeemed and can become a witness to the hope and joy of the Resurrection . This witness is a powerful lesson to those who are healthy and normal, revealing the spiritual greatness that surpasses the body .
All members of the faithful, regardless of their life circumstances, are called to increase in holiness daily, especially when facing hardships or persecution for justice's sake . They are encouraged to receive all things with faith from the hand of their heavenly Father and cooperate with the divine will . This active participation in the continuing process of redemption, through prayers, works, and sufferings, brings them into closer union with Christ .
While external trials are present, they are alleviated by the consolation of God's promises and a foretaste of eternal blessings . The Resurrection provides a new light that helps individuals navigate through darkness, humiliations, doubts, hopelessness, and persecution . Christians are encouraged to find inspiration and strength in Christ's Passion to turn away from resentment and grow through pain into new life .