The president of the Episcopal Conference, Bishop Thazhath, called a day to ask God for the gift of peace and raise awareness about the violence between Meitei and Kuki in the northeastern state. Monsignor Lumon, Archbishop of Imphal: “We are working to reopen the dialogue between the two communities, but the situation remains stagnant. Only prayer can help us.” Today in Bombay, the initiative of Card. Thank you.
Mumbai () – The Catholic Church in India has called a day of prayer for Sunday, July 2, to ask for an end to the violence in the State of Manipur, which since the beginning of May has already caused more than 100 deaths and tens of thousands of displaced people between the Meitei and Kuki populations. This was announced yesterday in a message by the Archbishop of Trichur, Andrews Thazhath, president of the CBCI. The prelate invited bishops and priests to announce this joint initiative already this Sunday and to live “this day in a meaningful way throughout the country.”
Suggested gestures include adding special intentions for peace and harmony to the prayers of the faithful and organizing an hour of adoration in all parishes to intercede for the people of Manipur. The Bishops’ Conference is also planning to organize torchlight processions or peace rallies to help raise awareness of the situation in Manipur. The archbishop asked Indian Catholics to encourage associations, movements and NGOs to convey their grave concern to those in charge of the federal government, “particularly with regard to the alarming disregard for the principles enshrined in the Constitution in that region.” Lastly, Mons. Thazhath called on Catholics to “generously welcome” the Manipurians and provide school and reception facilities for immigrant students.
In Bombay, Card. Oswald Gracias has already made this invitation his own today by praying for the people of Manipur on the feast of Saint John the Baptist. Together with all the members of the Curia, he began the day by asking God’s intercession for the many people who are suffering. Citing the latest report released by the Archdiocese of Imphal, he recalled how in Manipur today there is “fear, uncertainty and a general sense of despair”, with more than 50,000 people left homeless by violence.
Referring to the solidarity initiatives from Manipur, the Archbishop of Imphal, Dominic Lumon, told : “In the city the situation is calm at the moment, things are calming down. But in the suburbs, where the valley ends and the hills begin, in the places where both communities live together, the situation is still very tense. It is still they hear shots. Unfortunately, despite the interfaith meetings, the position of both groups is very rigid: for the moment no solution is in sight. Only prayers can help. On Monday, the Manipur Interfaith Forum will meet again: we we are meeting regularly every 4 or 5 days trying to plan strategies to resume dialogue.”
Bishop Lumon also expressed his gratitude to Card. Thank you: “From the first days he expressed his solidarity with us,” he said, “he has a reputation for building bridges and is a constant source of motivation for me. I thank him for his closeness and his concern for our safety. May God bless us with peace ”.
