- 17 July, 2025
New Delhi, July 17, 2025 – The United Christian Forum (UCF), New Delhi, submitted a memorandum today to His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, who is currently on an official visit to India. Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi presented the memorandum on behalf of the UCF at the Apostolic Nunciature in New Delhi. The representation appeals for urgent intervention by the Holy See in response to the rising incidents of violence and harassment targeting Christians across the country.
The memorandum stated that 834 cases of violence and hostility against Christians were reported in India in 2024, up from 734 in 2023.
It also highlighted the misuse of anti-conversion laws, particularly in states like Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. According to the United Christian Forum (UCF), these laws contain ambiguously defined terms such as “force”, “fraud”, and “allurement”, which are frequently exploited to target and harass Christians.
The UCF's memorandum argued that the vague language enables authorities to interpret the law arbitrarily and abuse it. It cited various examples, including peaceful prayer gatherings that officials often mischaracterise as conversion attempts involving inducement, leading to false accusations and legal harassment.
Another major concern raised in the memorandum is the alleged complicity or inaction of local police. In several reported cases where Christians were killed, the authorities dismissed the incidents as land or family disputes, despite claims from local communities that they were religiously motivated attacks.
The UCF’s memorandum included several key recommendations and requests to the Vatican. Notable among them are:
- That the Vatican raise these concerns in bilateral human rights dialogues with the Indian government;
- It issues official statements condemning incidents of violence against Christians in India.
- It initiates independent fact-finding missions in the affected regions;
- It advocates for judicial transparency, including live broadcasting of trials conducted under anti-conversion laws.
The document warned that the current climate of hostility is not limited to isolated events but instead signals a systemic pattern of discrimination against Christians that threatens India’s constitutional values of secularism and religious freedom.
Calling for urgent global support, the memorandum stressed that intervention by the Holy See is vital to safeguarding the rights of religious minorities and upholding human dignity in India.
By Catholic Connect Reporter
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