The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : `Individuals have freedom to choose their religion'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 07, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

`Individuals have freedom to choose their religion'

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, FEB. 6. Individuals have the freedom to choose their religion and nobody can stop them, said Sister Nirmala, Superior-General of the Missionaries of Charity.

Sr. Nirmala said that she had never heard of forceful conversions. "I myself converted from Hinduism to Christian faith. No body asked me to convert. That was the act of God. He called and I responded," Sr. Nirmala told presspersons.

On the attack on nuns at Olavanna, Kozhikode, last year, Sr. Nirmala said that it was a forgiven and forgotten chapter. The only prayer regarding the issue is that it should not happen to anyone anymore, she said.

On a question on being the successor of Mother Teresa, Sr. Nirmala said that it was a privilege and challenge.

"We are living in the spirit in which Mother lived," she said. The activities of the Missionaries of Charity are being extended to more and more areas. There have been invitations from a large number of countries to open more centres. At the time of the death of Mother Teresa, there were 594 convents. Now, there are 724 convents, she said.

In the tsunami-hit areas, the Missionaries of Charity will be focusing on effective and immediate relief measures, she said. She will be visiting the tsunami-hit areas of Kollam and Alappuzha districts.

Sr. Nirmala was accorded a reception at Nirmala Sisu Bhavan. Dominic Presentation, Minister for Fisheries and Sports, and Sebastian Paul, MP, were among those who attended.

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