Page 124 - Religion Belief
Ramakrishna Mission was told to cancel my Chicago programme: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that "evil forces" threatened the Ramakrishna Mission, forcing it to cancel her trip to Chicago to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanandas historic speech there.
Jalandhar diocese trashes allegations against him; says open for probe
Jalandhar diocese Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused of rape by a nun, Tuesday rejected the charges as "baseless and concocted" and said he was open for probe. "If I am found guilty, which I am not, I am likely to be punished...I will appear before police if I am summoned. I am a law abiding citizen," he told television channels here. The Kerala priest said he like everybody else had the right to take legal recourse. He has been accused of rape and unnatural sex with the complainant multiple times between 2014 and 2016. Terming the allegations against him as "serious", the bishop said only three persons knew the truth. "The complainant's sister, myself and God (know the truth)," he said. The bishop also accused the nun of "blackmailing" him. "In the first letter she (nun) wrote to Mother Superior, she made some demands...she wanted Bihar (church) to be treated as a separate region and that she be re-instated as Superior of the House...it is a clear case of blackmailing," .
Nun shoots off scathing letter to Vatican against bishop,
A nun who has accused a Roman Catholic Bishop of raping her has petitioned the Vatican representative in India alleging that the clergyman was using "political and money power" to bury the case even as the Kerala government Tuesday assured "justice will be done". Making a fervent plea for urgent intervention, the nun in a scathing letter also sought to explain her silence before coming out against the bishop and said she had "tremendous fear and shame" and wondered why the church was "closing its eyes towards the truth". As the issue snowballed with continuing protests seeking action against Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar diocese in Punjab, senior minister E P Jayarajan rejected allegations of attempts to sabotage the case and asserted that the probe was proceeding in the "right direction." "A very strong investigation is being carried out in the case. It is proceeding in the right direction. No accused would be allowed to escape the clutches of the law," he told ..
'Jalandhar police's role in Kerala nun rape case limited'
Jalandhar police commissioner Praveen Kumar Sinha on Tuesday clarified that they have no direct role to play in the Kerala nun rape case, and are only facilitating the probe for the Kerala Police.Speaking to ANI, Sinha said, "Kerala Police came here and we facilitated their probe. Jalandhar Police have no role to play. Having said that, we will assist them. However, it will be limited to facilitating probe and maintaining the law."However, one of the nuns in Kochi, while demanding the arrest of Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulackal, said that the protestors were aware of the consequences of going against the Bishop."We had complained to Mother General Sr. Regina, but she wants to support the Bishop, fearing that if she does not, her position will be taken away," she added.Earlier in the day, the nun, who leveled rape allegations against the Jalandhar Bishop, appealed to the Vatican for justice.In a seven-page letter dated September 8 addressed to the Apostolic Nunciature - the ...
Anti-church elements behind rape charges: Jalandhar Bishop
Crying foul over the rape allegations against himself, Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulackal, has accused 'anti-church elements' of falsely implicating him.In an exclusive interview with ANI, the prelate, who allegedly raped a nun from Kerala, assured of his cooperation in the investigation of the case."I think some internal forces are using these nuns for some advantage. The antis in the church are pushing these nuns forward to raise their own issues. There is a conspiracy behind this. Few people are taking advantage of this. I will cooperate to all legal measures," Bishop Mulackal told ANI.A nun from Kerala has accused the 54-year-old priest of raping her on several occasions between 2014 and 2016, a charge that the Bishop denied."Police had a conversation with me and they recorded my statements on the issue. They (nuns in Kochi) are free to protest and raise their demands. I do not want to comment on that. Right now, I am in Punjab. I don't know much about, what all is happening in .
Nun writes to Vatican envoy against Bishop, seeks justice
A nun who has accused a Roman Catholic Bishop of raping her has petitioned the Vatican representative in India alleging that the clergyman was using "political and money power" to bury the case and sought his removal from the post. In a letter to Giambattista Diquattro, Vatican's Apostolic Nuncio (a diplomatic mission), the nun said she has turned to the Church authorities for justice. "Seeking your urgent intervention in this case as the representative of the Holy See in India," she said. She alleged that by continuing in the position of Jalandhar diocese Bishop, Franco Mulakkal and his close associates "are using the wealth of the diocese to divert" the course of the police investigation. Her missive comes amid protests by group of nuns and others against delay in taking action against the bishop, who has been accused of rape and unnatural sex with the complainant multiple times between 2014 and 2016. "They are arranging people to attack us and Bishop Franco is using his political ..
Raped Kerala nun seeks justice from the Vatican
The nun, who levelled rape allegations against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulackal, has appealed to the Vatican seeking justice.In a seven-page letter dated September 8 addressed to the Apostolic Nunciature - the representative of the Holy See in India - the nun described the ordeal she allegedly went through at the hands of the Bishop. She also mentioned about the trauma that she has been facing ever since she spoke about the abuse.Alleging the church authorities of inaction, the nun wrote, "I feel this kind of silence on the part of the Church authorities and protection of those who commit the crime may create a situation where the Church loses its credibility before society."She added, "It will have a very adverse effect on women in the Indian Church that they have no other option than to react in a manner that safeguards their dignity as human persons even at the cost of losing their catholic faith."The plea is also marked to 21 other high ranking authorities of the Roman Catholic ...
Kerala nun rape case: Protest enters day 4
The protest against Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of allegedly raping a nun, has entered the fourth day in Kochi today. The nuns are demanding action against the Bishop.Being staged at the High Court Junction bus station, the protest has been called by the Joint Christian Council. The protesting nuns have claimed that they are not getting help from the police, church authorities and the government. They have alleged that the probe is being delayed since the Bishop belongs to a higher authority and is not a layman.The Missionaries of Jesus on Monday called the rape accused Jalandhar Bishop an "innocent soul" and even claimed that the protesting nuns were being guided by external forces.Bishop Mullackal has been accused of raping and having unnatural sex multiple times with a nun in Kottayam, between 2014 and 2016. While narrating her ordeal to the district police chief, the nun had said that she was raped around 13 times over a span of two years.Member of the ...
China to form new rules to regulate online religious activities
China is all set to regulate online religious activities with new official guidelines to crackdown on "illegal promotion" of some "extreme forces and cults", the Communist government's latest move to ramp up control over religious affairs. A draft guideline on regulating religious information on internet was released on Monday, which observers called very "timely" as religious information on the Chinese internet is "chaotic" due to illegal promotion of some extreme forces and cults, state-run Global Times reported. The online religious information includes religious doctrines, culture, knowledge and activities promoted through instant messages and various social media platforms in the form of texts, photos, audio and video messages, the guideline said. According to the guideline, religious organisations, institutions and venues which have obtained licenses are allowed to preach and offer religious training only on their own network platforms built upon real-name registration ...
A riveting tale of an extraordinary Indian (Book Review)
Title: The Life and Times of Yogananda; Author: Philip Goldberg, Publisher: Hay House India; Pages: 336; Price: Rs 399.
PM greets on anniversary of installation of holy book at Harmandir Sahib
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday greeted people on the occasion of 'Prakash Purab' of the Guru Grant Sahib. It is observed to mark the installation of the holy Sikh scripture at the Golden temple in Punjab's Amritsar on this day in 1604. "Greetings on the special occasion of the Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. We bow to the Guru Sahib and seek blessings for the peace, progress and prosperity of humankind. May the spirit of harmony, compassion and brotherhood always prevail in our society (sic)," he tweeted in English and Gurmukhi.
Leaders of neighbouring countries should be like neighbours: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said leaders of neighbouring countries should be like neighbours who meet and visit each other frequently without any elaborate protocols.
HC directs Kerala govt to inform about steps taken by SIT probing rape of nun
The Kerala High Court Monday directed the state government to inform it about the steps taken by the special investigation team of the Kerala Police probing the case of alleged rape of a nun by a Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. A division bench also sought to know the steps taken by the government to ensure the safety and security of the nun allegedly victimised by the Jalandhar Diocese Bishop Franco Mulakkal and her fellow nuns supporting her in her fight. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice A K Jayansankaran Nambiar, wanted to know whether the Bishop was questioned by the team in Jalandhar when it went there about a month ago and directed the police to inform it of the steps taken by it after that. Considering a plea filed by George Joseph K of the Kerala Catholic Church Reformation Movement seeking a court-monitored probe into the case, the court asked why no steps have been taken to ensure the nun's safety and security. "Law is above all other ...
Jalandhar Bishop 'innocent soul', says Missionaries of Jesus
Calling the rape accused Jalandhar Bishop an "innocent soul", the Missionaries of Jesus on Monday claimed that the protesting nuns in Kochi were being guided by external forces.In a press statement, the Missionaries of Jesus claimed that the rape allegations on Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, were totally baseless."We strongly condemn the protest in Kochi. We cannot crucify an innocent soul (Bishop) based on such allegations. The allegations are totally baseless. We doubt the nuns are forced into this protest by external influence," the statement read.Members of the Joint Christian Council in Kochi held protests demanding the arrest of the Jalandhar Bishop, who is accused of raping a nun in Kottayam. On September 8, a group of nuns staged a sit-in protest at the High Court Junction bus station in Kochi demanding the arrest of Mulakkal.
Kerala HC told government to file report in bishop abuse case
The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the state government to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken on the complaint of a nun alleging that a bishop sexually abused her for three years.
Youth Cong alleges lathicharge by police on its protesters against fuel price hike near Delhi Gate
Youth Congress activists alleged that they were lathicharged by police near Delhi Gate here while they were pedaling rickshaws as a mark of protest during the Bharat Bandh against hike in fuel prices on Monday. A senior Delhi Police officer, however, denied the allegation saying the protesters were dispersed when they tried to dismantle a barrier that was erected near Delhi Gate to stop their protest march. The Youth Congress protesters, including its national president Keshav Yadav were participating in the procession of cycle rickshaws that started from a petrol pump near Delhi Gate. "Our peaceful procession was moving from a petrol pump near Dilli Gate towards ITO, when Delhi Police lathicharged us. Youth Congress vice president Srinivas B V along with other leaders Sarvesh Tiwari, Mukesh Rai, Gaurav Kaushik and Haider Abbas were brutally beaten up by the policemen," alleged Youth Congress spokesperson Amrish Ranjan Pandey. He said the injured leaders were taken to GB Pant ...
Assam declares death anniversary of Sankaradeva as holiday
Assam government has declared Tuesday as a public holiday on account of the death anniversary of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva, an official release said Monday. The holiday has been declared as a public holiday under Section 25 of NI Act, 1881, it said. All financial institutions/cooperative banks will remain closed on account of the holiday. The state will observe the 450th death anniversary of the saint who has an all pervasive influence on Assamese culture, religion and society.
China shuts down prominent Christian church
Beijing officials have shut down one of China's largest "underground" Protestant churches for operating without a licence, the Communist government's latest move to ramp up control over religious worship. Around 70 officials stormed into the Zion Church -- housed on the third floor of a nondescript office building in the north of the capital -- after its Sunday afternoon service, said church pastor Jin Mingri. "They chased everyone out and sealed off the place, even tearing down our signage on the wall," Jin told AFP on Monday. "All our things have been confiscated and we have not been allowed to re-enter the building." The local civil affairs bureau said the church and its affiliates have been banned. "After investigation, (we found) the 'Zion Church in Beijing' was not registered and carried out activities in the name of social organisations without authorisation," the Chaoyang district civil affairs bureau said in a statement. China's officially atheist government is wary of any ...
Group: Officials destroying crosses, burning bibles in China
China's government is ratcheting up a crackdown on Christian congregations in Beijing and several provinces, destroying crosses, burning bibles, shutting churches and ordering followers to sign papers renouncing their faith, according to pastors and a group that monitors religion in China. The campaign corresponds with a drive to "Sinicize" religion by demanding loyalty to the officially atheist Communist Party and eliminating any challenge to its power over people's lives. Bob Fu of the US-based group China Aid said over the weekend that the closure of churches in central Henan province and a prominent house church in Beijing in recent weeks represents a "significant escalation" of the crackdown. "The international community should be alarmed and outraged for this blatant violation of freedom of religion and belief," he wrote in an email. Under President Xi Jinping, China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, religious believers are seeing their freedoms shrink dramatically even ..
Trader shot dead in Sultanpur
A trader was shot dead by unidentified persons here, police said Monday. The deceased was identified as Krishna Singh (45), a trader in inverter batteries. The incident took place on Sunday night, when Singh closed his shop in Surapur market and was going home. He was shot at by unidentified men. Passers-by alerted the police. Superintendent of Police Anurag Vats said the case is being investigated and the old enmity angle is being looked into.