Aid to the Church in Need: Radical Hinduism rising in Nepal

Radical Hinduism rising in Nepal

Posted by Press Release on 10/10/2008, 9:04 am
Message modified by board administrator 13/10/2008, 8:03 am

ACN News, Friday, 10th October 2008 – NEPAL

Radical Hinduism rising in Nepal

By John Newton

THE leader of Catholics in Nepal has told how the Church received threats from the same fanatics who bombed a mosque a few days ago.

Speaking to the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Anthony Sharma, Vicar Apostolic of Nepal, described how the group responsible for the blast on Saturday, 4th October had threatened to bomb a church in Biratnagar, in the Morang district of eastern Nepal.

In a rare insight into religious affairs in the country sandwiched between China and India, the bishop explained that the Nepal Defence Army (NDA), a militant Hindu paramilitary organisation, warned of a possible bomb exploding in the Catholic compound.

But the leader of the militants, who demanded money from Catholic leaders, stopped making threats and even offered protect the Church after being shown its work with the poor.

Back in July, however, the NDA murdered a Salesian priest, Fr John Prakash in Sirsiya.

The priest was beaten up before being shot dead after armed men broke into the Salesian residence in the early hours of the morning.

Fr P.V. Matthew, who was in the presbytery at the time, was seized and locked in his room.

Stressing that the killing was motivated by money and not religion, Bishop Sharma said: “In general, the Church is well esteemed by the people – it is seen as a service organisation.

The Church, which numbers 7,000 faithful in a population of 24 million, runs 27 schools, three colleges as well as a number of social projects.

The bishop said violence and unrest had suddenly worsened in 2006 when Nepal became a secular state, a move which “created a tremendous fear among the Hindus”.

Stressing that Muslims – rather than Christians – were bearing the brunt of the violence, the bishop added: “We do expect some problems in the future from groups like this.”

The NDA recently sent a statement to Kantipur Television network saying it would “continue such attacks until Nepal is reinstated as a Hindu nation”.

Bishop Sharma’s comments came after Saturday’s (4th October) explosion in Morang left five people injured. Police said the bomb exploded during prayers at the mosque.

In March three people died in a similar blast at another mosque in Biratnagar. The NDA claimed responsibility for the bombings.

The unrest in Nepal coincides with a campaign of violence by Hindu fanatics in India where 60 Christians have died and 50,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

Aid to the Church in Need gave more than $(AUD)137,000 (€69,000) to the Church in Nepal in 2007 for education projects and its work with the poor.

Bishop Anthony Sharma said: “We are teaching 17,601 children, including 9,000 girls. We emphasise girl’s education – traditionally women were seen as second-class citizens, especially in villages, but we are helping to overcome that.”

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy See, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need. ACN is a Catholic charity – helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Fr Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity”, the organisation is now at work in about 145 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 45 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information, please contact the Australian office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web: www.aidtochurch.org

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Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org