The Hindu : Delhi Archbishop questions T.N. ordinance on conversions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 12, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Delhi Archbishop questions T.N. ordinance on conversions

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI OCT. 11. The Archbishop of Delhi and vice-president of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), Vincent Concessao, today questioned the need for the Tamil Nadu Government to bring in the controversial ordinance on conversions three weeks ahead of the Assembly session.

Briefing mediapersons here today on the first Synod of the Archdiocese of Delhi, Archbishop Concessao said while the Catholic Church had no quarrel with any legislation that seeks to prevent conversion by force or fraud/inducement, there was a fear that it could lend itself to abuse; particularly in an environment that was hostile to the minorities.

The position of the Catholic Church on conversions, according to the Archbishop, had been laid down by the second Vatican Council which condemned conversion by force or fraud. ``The ordinance looks innocuous, but the problem lies in its implementation. Will the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's ``Annadanam'' programme in temples be seen as inducement or for that matter the ``langar'' offered in ``gurudwaras''? In the hands of vested interests, the services rendered by the church in the fields of education and health could also be seen as inducement.''

As for challenging the ordinance in court — a move being contemplated by some Christian organisations representing the laity — this is a measure that the Catholic Church is yet to decide upon. The ordinance is being studied by lawyers, and the church will decide its future course of action accordingly.

Also, in the opinion of the Archbishop, the charge of mass conversions by Christian missionaries did not bear scrutiny as government-generated statistics present an entirely different picture. Quoting census figures, he claimed that the Christian population in the country had come down from 2.8 per cent in 1951 to 2.18 per cent in 2001.

Meanwhile, the CBCI has deplored the ``intemperate remarks alleged to have been made about Prophet Mohammad by a religious preacher in America''.

Of the view that such disrespectful remarks weaken fragile inter-religious bonds and contribute to the spread of intolerance, the CBCI reiterated its faith in the universal unity of all human beings and placed on record its ``abiding respect for all religions, religious personalities and places of worship''.

On the Synod — to be held on Saturday — its convenor, Anil Couto, said important issues pertaining to the catholic church in Delhi would be discussed.

These include the plight of the marginalised laity who have moved to the capital from different parts of the country; the impact and need to improve service institutions of the church; and the role of the laity in church administration.

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