The Hindu : Church call to preserve secularism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 14, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Church call to preserve secularism

By Our Staff Reporter

THRISSUR, JAN. 13. The newly-elected president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, has said that the Catholic Church would play a more "proactive and positive role" in preserving the secular fabric of the country.

Cardinal Toppo, the first tribal from India to be elevated as Cardinal and to the post of CBCI president, made these observations while replying to questions about reports of `smear campaigns' against the Church by certain sections in society, at a `Meet-the-Press' programme organised by the Thrissur Press Club today.

"We should not waste our time and energy for countering those small sections who are campaigning against the Church. We should be focussing on the vast majority of this country who accept us as citizens of this country. We should be proactive and positive and join that mainstream to preserve the long-cherished secular lineage of this country. The CBCI has always strived to uphold the secular credentials of the country and have opposed organisations that threaten those foundations," Cardinal Toppo said.

Pointing out that the minorities had been given special rights under the Constitution, the CBCI President said, "I hope it will continue to be so in future.''

Emphasising the need for unity both within the Church and in society, Cardinal Toppo said the CBCI would hold frequent inner-religious and inter-religious dialogues for ushering in peace and harmony in society.

The Archbishop of Thrissur, Mar Jacob Thumkuzhy, who was elected as the first vice-president of the CBCI, later told a press conference in the afternoon, that the attempts of certain sections to create the feeling that this country belongs to Hindus alone was dangerous. Replying to questions, he said even though there were links between religion and politics, as both of them were basic facets of human life, religion should not be used for making political gains in a manner that would deny space to other religions. Fernandez was re-elected as secretary general.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala