The Holy Bible in the Chapter 11:11 of Gospel of Luke, “Jesus asks, “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead.”

It is with extreme disappointment that I have to once again write on a topic that disturbs me because the values of peace, love and hope that I have imbibed in me comes from my unflinching beliefs in the teachings of Jesus.

Unfortunately its the Catholic Church who acts as custodian of Jesus’s teachings that appears to be walking the path that is completely opposite to the lessons in humanity that Jesus expressed through his teachings. Instead of offering a fish are we attempting to offer the child a snake.

With due respect to your office and your vocation as Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi, I am shocked, disappointed and downright angry reading the contents of your pastoral letter.

Here is an extract of that letter that has disturbed me the most:

“We are witnessing a turbulent political atmosphere which poses a threat to the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution and the secular fabric of our nation.”

This country has witnessed immense communalism, terrorism and rampant corruption in every corner of democracy from Emergency to communal riots under the watch of different political parties in power and every Indian knows this to be true. But are you categorically stating the India is currently witnessing a turbulent political atmosphere that is different from any other political year in the past.

Please tell the people of India what is your view on the Emergency that took the very principle on which the country was formed on and threw it in the dustbin because one particular political leader thought its was her birthright to do what she felt was right for her political party in the guise of doing it for the country. I was not even born when it happened, I would like to know what was official stand that the Catholic Church took at that time.

Please tell the people of India when innocent Kashmiri Pandits were raped and killed by Kashmiri Muslims driven out of their home and left to fend for themselves, what was the stand of the Catholic Church and did it official condemn the rape and murder of innocent Indians. Was there not a political turmoil at that point of time.

Please tell the people of India more recently what is stand taken by the Catholic Church in the numerous killings of Hindus on the grounds of religion and politics in different parts of India. Do I, as a Christian turn a blind-eye to this truth or does the Church see only Christians and Muslims as victims of atrocities?

Please tell the people of India the stand of the Catholic Church of the media reports and cases filed against Priests abusing minors in different parts in India and the world; is that not turmoil in the innocent minds that have been brutally violated by a representative of God.

The game that the Catholic Church is playing of division is devious and demonic in nature. The democratic principles of this country is not only for us minority but for the majority as well.

Look at the India around you and don’t go by media reports, its a Hindu at St Michael’s Church in Mahim, a Christian at the Ajmer Dargah and a Muslim at the Shantidurga Temple in Goa. This exist is because they understand the true meaning of secularism.

Secularism is not acceptance of all religion in governance, it is the acceptance of no religion in matters of governance.

I agree with you that we should fast and pray but this must be done to eradicate all those who on the basis of religion divide us Indians.

I am proud of my Hindu lineage, it has helped me understand the message of Jesus and the purpose to my life.

It is my belief in the teachings of Jesus that I have the courage to stand up and tell you that as Christians we must unite all, even those that we think are the sinners; but repentance must come from us first before we go to change others.

The Bible says, “I have carved you on the palm of my hands”. I was taught by my parents that, that line in the Bible was for every single human creation of God and not only those who follow the Catholic Church.

India is a nation of unity in diversity, I believe we are more spiritual a nation than religious.