Bishop’s Message
Hope That Does Not Remain Silent
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Dear Fathers, brothers and sisters in Christ,
We begin the New Year under the gentle and powerful gaze of Mary, the Mother of God, whom the Church celebrates on the first day of January. In Mary, we contemplate not a fragile or passive faith, but a courageous and obedient “yes” that allowed God’s saving plan to unfold in history. She teaches us that hope is not loud or violent, but neither is it silent or indifferent. Mary pondered all these things in her heart, yet she did not withdraw from reality; she stood at the foot of the Cross and remained faithful when hope seemed lost.
Mary, Mother of God: The Woman of Silent Strength
As Mother of God and Mother of the Church, Mary accompanies us as we enter 2026, inviting us to trust in God while taking responsibility for the world entrusted to us.
Hope Born at Christmas
The celebration of Christmas has once again proclaimed to us the heart of our faith: “The Lord’s birth is the birth of peace.” In his Urbi et Orbi message, the Holy Father reminded us that the Child of Bethlehem is our peace, not a superficial peace based on silence or fear, but a peace rooted in justice, mercy, and truth. God chose not to remain distant from human suffering; in Jesus, He entered our wounded history and made it His own.
Peace Demands Responsibility
Mary’s motherhood itself teaches us this truth: God acts through human freedom and responsibility. As Pope Leo XIV reminded us, God does not save us without us. Peace begins in the human heart converted by grace, and it grows when individuals and communities take responsibility for the suffering of others. Indifference, denial, and silence only strengthen injustice.
The Indian Context: A Time of Testing
This call to responsibility confronts us sharply in our present Indian context. The Christmas season of 2025–26 witnessed disturbing incidents of intimidation, disruption of worship, and violence against Christian communities in different parts of the country. Symbolic gestures and public appearances cannot erase the fear and insecurity experienced by ordinary believers. Silence in the face of such violence deeply wounds the moral conscience of the nation. Like Mary, who fled with her Child into Egypt to protect life threatened by violence, many Christians today live with anxiety and vulnerability. Their cry must not go unheard.
The Church’s Mission: Service without Compromise
For generations, the Church in India has chosen the path of humble service. Through education, healthcare, and social outreach, she has served people of all faiths without discrimination. Our educational institutions have formed millions of students, shaping the moral and intellectual fabric of the nation. Yet this moment calls us to examine ourselves honestly: have we formed consciences that can recognize injustice and respond with courage?
Mary’s Magnificat reminds us that God casts down the mighty from their thrones and lifts up the lowly. Christian love does not mean silence in the face of oppression. Fidelity to the Gospel leaves no room for compromise with ideologies rooted in exclusion, hatred, and violence.
Forming Courageous Consciences
The increasing attacks on minorities over the past decade are not isolated events but symptoms of a deeper ideological challenge to India’s pluralistic vision. This is a kairos moment for the Church. Faith formation must go beyond ritual observance; it must shape disciples capable of discernment, moral clarity, and peaceful resistance to injustice. Mary, who trusted God’s promise against all odds, teaches us the courage of faith in difficult times.
A Call to Dialogue, Discernment, and Action
Together, we must discern and evolve a coherent pastoral and social response: peaceful, constitutional, and firmly rooted in Gospel values. Silence and inaction will only embolden forces that seek to marginalize minorities and erode democratic and constitutional safeguards.
Walking Together in Hope
As the Jubilee of Hope continues in our hearts, we place ourselves under the maternal protection of Mary, Mother of God. She leads us to Christ, the Door that never closes, the Prince of Peace who walks with His people even in times of trial. Our hope is not immature optimism, but a hope that speaks, witnesses, and acts.
May Mary our mother intercede for our Church and our nation. May the Prince of Peace bless our land with justice, harmony, and respect for all. And may we become a Church whose hope does not remain silent.
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”
(Numbers 6:24–26)