Today, with between 830 million Hindus and 140 million Muslims, the 25 million Christians (2.3% of the total population) represent the country’s third-largest religious community. And even though there is genuine harmony and coexistence, Christians in certain states are regularly victims of violence.
On Sunday, May 20, in a village in the Archdiocese of Hyderabad, in the southern part of the country, a church dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima was vandalized by about 100 attackers, who destroyed the crucifix and smashed the statue of the Virgin Mary.
We also regularly receive reports of several cases of arbitrary arrests and intimidation targeting Christians.
L’Œuvre d’Orient calls for religious freedoms to be respected and urges Indian authorities to take firm action against fundamentalist groups.
Bishop Pascal Gollnisch
Paris, June 2, 2017
Some figures:
According to tradition, the Eastern Churches of India were founded in A.D. 52 by the Apostle Thomas.
- 3,287,590 km² (nearly six times the size of France)
- 1.2 billion people; the second most populous country in the world after China
Three Catholic churches:
- Syro-Malabar Church:
- Major Archbishop: Cardinal Georges Alencherry
- 4.5 million faithful—31 dioceses, mainly in Kerala
- The second-largest Eastern Church united with Rome (after the Greek Catholic Church of Ukraine)
- Syro-Malankara Church (affiliated with Rome since 1930):
- 450,000 followers
- Major Archbishop: Cardinal Isaac Cleemis Thottunkal
- Latin Church: approx. 17 million members
As a Church-sponsored organization, Œuvre d’Orient is the oldest French organization entirely dedicated to supporting Christians in the East. It has been contributing to their education and healthcare and providing them with spiritual guidance for over 160 years. For more information: www.oeuvre-orient.fr
