Ranchi, Jharkhand: The “Sisters of Mother Teresa are under attack from the authorities, who do not want the Catholic Church to work for the needy. But we will continue to serve the poor without fear,” states Mgr. Theodore Mascarenhas, auxiliary bishop of Ranchi and former general secretary of the Indian Bishops’ Conference (CBCI).
The bishop spoke to the Italian web portal of AsiaNews about complaints that the police have registered false cases of illegal adoptions with the connivance of the state commission that deals with adoption practices. “Someone does not like the fact that we work for the poor. They accuse us of forced conversions, but it is false. They are afraid of the Church because it has a place in the hearts of the people “.
The missionaries of Charity ended up under the magnifying glass of the state authorities last year, when the Nirmal Hriday (pure heart), an orphanage of the religious, was implicated in a case of alleged sale of minors by two employees. Sr. Concilia Baxla, who ran the facility, was jailed. Although a formal charge was never filed against her, authorities held her for 15 months, releasing her on bail in September of this year. Meanwhile, the Hindu nationalist government has investigated all orphanages.
Msgr. Mascarenhas denounces a persecutory policy towards the sisters: “After Sr. Concilia’s release, two other complaints were presented. The first on 22 October, the second on 18 November. Other Catholic sources from Jharkhand and neighboring Indian states confirm a climate of discrimination against the missionaries: “The sisters are persecuted because they are a symbol of the Church’s charity in India. The authorities do not want Christians to work for the poor.”
Msgr. Mascarenhas clarifies “It is not just the sisters of Mother Teresa who are under attack. The Jesuits are under investigation in two proceedings, then also the Ursuline nuns. They attack us because the sisters look after people who are rejected in society, dying and suffering. They would like to paint us like thieves, sellers of children. They know that if they physically attack us, we become stronger. While it is easier to attack ourselves morally. They want us to lose credibility but we are strong in faith. Let us move forward in our service of love for the poor. It is the Lord who gave us this task.”
