Catholic Conference expresses anguish over pattern of rising violence against priests

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has expressed deep anguish and strongly condemned the alleged mob attack on two Catholic priests and a catechist in Jaleswar, Odisha, calling it part of a disturbing pattern of violence against Christian minorities and indicative of a growing climate of intolerance in the country.

According to the CBCI, the incident occurred on Wednesday, August 6, when Fr. Lijo, Parish Priest of St. Thomas’ Church in Jaleswar, was returning to the parish with another priest, two nuns, and a catechist after conducting a requiem Mass in a Catholic home in a nearby village, and was stopped by a mob of around 70 people, many of whom were said to be outsiders.

While local women intervened to rescue the nuns, the priests and the catechist were allegedly abused, manhandled, and falsely accused of carrying out religious conversions, during which Fr. Lijo’s mobile phone was forcibly taken and never returned, and the catechist, Mr. Durjyodhan, was brutally beaten and had his motorcycle damaged.

In its statement, the CBCI denounced the lack of immediate police response and the failure to recover stolen property, highlighting that no First Information Report (FIR) had been filed even days after the incident, and church officials were awaiting the arrival of Bishop Varghese Thottamkara to assess the situation.

South First, in a post on X, claimed that members of the Bajrang Dal were responsible for the attack, stating that the group had targeted the priests, nuns, and catechists without evidence and had accused them of attempting religious conversions.

The CBCI described the attack as a blatant violation of constitutional rights and human dignity, warning that the rise in mob violence seriously undermines the safety, security, and peaceful coexistence of communities across India.

It called upon the Odisha government to take swift and decisive action to identify and prosecute the perpetrators, while also urging the authorities to uphold the constitutional rights of all citizens so that individuals may practise their faith without fear or intimidation.