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Addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for his weekly blessing, the pope said Christians were suffering the "tragedy" of religious oppression in countries where they have thrived for centuries.
"(I) call the attention of the international community, of religious leaders and of all people of goodwill to the tragedy that is happening in certain countries of the east where Christians are victims of intolerance and cruel violence, killed, threatened and forced to abandon their homes and roam in search of refuge," he said.
"At this moment, I am thinking above all about Iraq and India," he said.
Half of the Christian community of Iraq's northern city of Mosul has recently fled after attacks and death threats. The murder of a Hindu leader in August sparked anti-Christian riots in India, killing 35 people and damaging dozens of churches.
"I am sure that the ancient and noble populations of those nations have learnt over the course of centuries of respectful cohabitation to appreciate the contribution that the small but hardworking and skilled Christian minorities bring to the shared homeland," Benedict said.
"They are not asking for privileges, but desire only to be able to continue to live in their country together with their fellow citizens, as they have always done," he said, calling on governments to spare no efforts to ensure rights were respected.
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The Hindu's who are killing Christians while they even know that Maoists, supported by China (just like in Nepal) are behind the killings of Hindu leaders, are a shame for the non-violent policies of Ghandi before in India. Indian politicians and hindu's have lost the respect that I had for them for years!Hans van den BergAmsterdamThe Netherlands
Revered Pope,I can understand your concern on the issue. But, I believe that your should also condemn the thousand of muslim brothers and sisters killed by US forces in Afghan and Iraq using force. Every human life, no matter hindu, christian or muslim is precious. Loka Samastha sukino Bavanthu. Pray for the whole world to be peaceful.Thank you.
Let us talk to protect everybody in this planet doesn't matter who they are what their religion is?and where they live.World needs a common law Which protect all religions, races,and cultures.let us join hands, and forget selfish motives and make this world more meaningful with great beauty.
There should be no mercy for all criminals and murderers of innocent civilians. Period. And to all those posting irresposible comments on this open forum, I'm ashamed of my hindu brothers and sisters for indirectly justifying and verbally supporting terror outfits by talking about forceful conversion.Lets take for example if we hindus were killed just because we practice our religion, would that make sense?? Or lets just say people in countries around the world, countries in Asia, Africa, former CIS countries, Europe, America, the gulf were to just KILL all people of our community and destroy all hindu places of worship with no apparent rhyme or reason, would that make sense to you? Do you understand now? We are human beings. Not animals and barbarians my friend. We need to behave with dignity and respect.An eye for an eye will only make a man blind-Gandhi
Why does the pope not call on Bush to stop the war in Iraq, Why does the pope not call upon the militias in Africa to stop the civil war? People all over the world are suffering due to war, poverty... but these so called religious leaders are only worried about a particular sect of people suffering? I wonder if Jesus would ask the pope if he did anything good for the humanity or did he do good only for Christians!!!!
I don't know if any of those people posting their irresponsible comments on this forum are human and have human values. Remember folks 'what goes around comes around.' Shame of you if you think that the injustice meted out to any civilian in the country is justified. If the Pope is expressing his concern, he has a voice and a right to do so. When barbarians attacked innocent civilians around the country, where was your moral standard? Where were you to stop all those criminals from attacking defenseless civilians? Do you not have any moral values left in you? If one of your own loved ones, brother,sisiter, father, mother, were victims would you still support the attackers? I'm ashamed to know that there are Indians in our country who have fanatical and fundamentalist views. What a shame!
well said rakesh,you talk very highly with noble
We as civilized citizens of the country, need to treat every individual with dignity and respect. Else we are no different from barbarians and animals. We should urge the Central government to enforce the rule of law and throw all miscreants, perpetrators of crimes against civilians and murderers in jail before it becomes uncontrollable.
In the interest of all minorities in India, His Holiness, Pope Benedict can call to stop the unnecessary conversions of Hindus in to Christianity and withdraw his financial forces to accommodate this lucrative conversions, I think there will not be any bloodshed nor any voilence in India. As he rightly said, these minorities since ages have lived in hormony, but why are they not these days. Please give a serious thought to it, Your Holiness, Pope !
The Pope should dwell on history, Christians converting most of Africa to Christianity, foremost leaders of Slave Trade, no human rights respect on the subjects under their control in the Countries in their rule and now invading India through religion. It will be wise if he shuts up
India has been the most tolerant country for people from all faiths from age immemorial. What is not acceptable is that missionaries are promoting conversion onto Christianity by creating a conflict of interest by approaching when they are most vulnerable. When I was very sick with cancer and pneumonia in a hospital in the US and when my family was panicking, I was approached to convert into Christianity. I would appreciate if Pope Benedict can tell the Christians to cohabit with rest of the world without attempting to convert the vulnerable Hindus. That will help maintain peace in a land where tolerance, nonviolence and peace are the default state.There is divinity in everything and everybody.(Aham Brahmasmi)
Hindus have suffered for over 900 years under the imperialism of Islam and for over 250 years under imperialism of the Christian West. Both these have plundered, destroyed numerous Holy places, scriptures and the administrative structure of the Hindus. The Vatican should remind itself of the destructions and crimes by its fanatical faithful Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors’ in India, Sri Lanka, Timor Central and South America which are in economic and political turmoil even to this day. God is ever present in the universe and everything in it including in man as well and this is an inherent experience of man from birth.... like Job, in the Old Testament, there were Hindus with unfaltering faith in God.
Well, nearly all messages are against the Pope interfering in Indian affiars. it would be nice if the indian people stopped interferring in what is happening in other countries where hindus are targetted, like malaysai for example. it was hilarious to see all you Indians jumping up and down when you Indians were the targets there. You guys should practice what you preach and dont be hypocrites. You attend schools and universities run by Christians and then massacre them. To speak in your own language, you guys are "namak haraam". Kill people whose plates you eat from.
Indeed Derek - I wonder which nationality you are from..? Teh "Christian Institutions" that educated us were begun with teh express purpose of proselytising the "Cultured Religion"
How can an educated Indian talk hatred like this? Was it Indian culture to gang rape a Nun(atleast a fellow women) in the name of conversion. All religions are founded or organized at some time. Don't you know that even India and asia pacific countries were at some point of time Budhist and Jainist till Adhi shankara revived or reorganized hinduism in the current form. If you look at matters with little clear mind you will understand that there is nothing wrong in someone taking care of an under priveleged community and they intern getting attracted to that religion. Christianity is an offshoot of Jewdaism formed about 2000 years ago. Every christians whether western or eastern were converted to christanity at some point in time. What is wrong in it? I would say if we are concerned with conversion why not address it ideologically rather than resorting to goondagri raping and buring the poor. We need to stand up to build a modern nation not a law less militia land.
As a Christian, I am appalled that Pope Benedict does not see the pillar in his eye while he bemoans the motes in the eyes of Indians and Iraqis! Both countries will treat its religious minorities as they used to in the past with infinite tolerance if only the Pope will use his office to BAN proselytization by both Catholics and Protestants. They should follow the practice of eastern orthodox churches which do not proselytize! That is true Chistianity.
Orthodox proselytise, we just do it by being examples of good Christians. No one gets angry because of that. :)Sadly, however, i fear that many Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christian will be persecuted in India due to the acts of Western Christians. :(
If the Pope is so concerned of the welfare of the Christians all over the world, especially that of Roman Christians, he should not have made comments encouraging the propagation (read Conversion) of Christianity. If Christians remained true to their faith and restricted themselves to practising instead of propagating their religion, no violence would have taken place. Not withstanding the fact that the main reason behind conversion is the still prevailing caste system albeit in various disguises and the resultant issues, as well as the Brahministic, hindi chauvinistic attitude of the BJP and the RSS and other Hindu organisations, conversion is a worse prescription than the disease.
first let Pope advise christians not to force conversion on poor indians before asking India top protect christians
If POP and his missionaries stop misleading poor people and corrupting them, there will be no violence. POP must stop funding Indian Media and must ask all the Churches to stop forceful conversion. Also, Christians in Goa are destroying Hindus Temple! Is he not ask the Christians to stop it?
Let the people select any religion which they think best suits them.But all these conversions are in one way only!If any body converts to Hinduism from any of these TRUE religions,they will never be tolerated and treat it as an act against the wishes of God.
Pope, stop your blatant conversions going on in tribal areas and let those people follow their way of life. You have no right to disturb the social and spiritual balance of the country.
I request the Pope and true Christians to clarify why they could not stop George Bush, another christian from killing million innocent muslims in Iraq and Afghanisthan and even hanged Saddam Hussein .Why do you cry for few sporadic incidents of violence against Christians in India ? In democracy these type of incidents cannot be prevented as Governments are slow in controlling situation and bring law and order.Hindus are vegetarians and tolerant and believe in "Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavathu" unlike other religions Christianity and Islam which existed in India.Let us stop commenting on each other and pray God "Sab ko Sanmathi De Bhagwan". We, really, need good religious leaders to lead people in right direction.
Hi Eswar,"Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavathu" would please remind these words to Orissa govt, Modi, Advani etc. it looks like they have forgotten it.
The Pope being the spiritual head of Roman Catholics around the world is duty bound to ask the various countries to look after the temporal welfare of Christians , and by doing so he is only asking the other countries to adhere to Human Rights.The problem with the Parivar and its followers , as can be seen from the vitriolic messages posted is that they are so used to repearing falsehoods that they soon accept falsehood as truth even when it stares them in the face. Christianity is NOT a "Western" religion, it was born in the Midle East. The first Christians in India were in Kerala when Jesus's desciple came here alone and preached. There was no "forcible " conversion or conversion by the sword. Is it not a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution that anyone is free to practice or not practice any religion that he feels attracted to? If the common man has a right to change his shoes , clothes etc should the right to convert be denied ?
i fully endorse the appeal of the pope with regard to india.as far as iraq is concerned it is in war aginst a aforeign forcen againstits own population.who will listen to his pleas.the pope should also appeal to yhe invaders who are his coreligionists to end this dirty warn leave the country.in india it is the will of the governing bodies that is at the root of all this.it has beenproved time n again in anti minority killings.if the provincial n central govt want anyact of atrocity againdt fellow citizens can be stopped within hours.but there is dirty politics all around.i wish the appeal of the pope will be listened to. arman najmi
As a human, not to side any religion. Looking at all these comments below I feel ashamed, are we in the 21st century. If the Pope is only requesting to protect (not harming anyone), is it wrong (does he have no freedom to speak). We can speak whatever comes to our mind (even kill/burn) and even bad mouth
Thanks Sunita, atleast u see critically the comments. I feel too ashamed to read all these . Where is our education.
Religion should be Strictly kept as a philosophy which if some one wants to adapt it they should be allowed to do so , but it should be an individual's choice. By using money and power nobody should be allowed to do aggressive marketing in the name of religion... Every nation is having its own unique situations and others should understand it.After all religion should be a way to make people love all others... Unfortunately this never happens in any countries other than India.... Indians only preach Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu... Vasudhaiva Kudumbakam etc... and no division in minds of any Indians for so many centuries... But repeated actions of others created such kind of divisions in the minds of Indians now... How long a community will bear aggressive abusing of their culture and identity... Let us think and make this earth a peaceful place... by making all religion love all the world ... and to acheive this conversion must be stopped..
Dear All All of you I presume are educated .Is this how you express your view point in a public forum .The Pope is the spiritual father of catholics world wide and is justifiably concerned .All of you are squirming because of the blatant injustice meted out to christians in India .When there was a Hindu problem in Fiji , why did Vajpayee express his concern .You people should have reminded him that it was the internal matter of that country. Your ways of expressing yourself shows a lot about your religion and culture.