Maria Emilia Menezes | |
---|---|
President, All India Catholic Union | |
In office 2000–2004 | |
Preceded by | Norbert D'Souza |
Succeeded by | John Dayal |
Personal details | |
Nationality | Indian |
Profession | Industrialist |
Maria Emilia Menezes was President of the All India Catholic Union (AICU) from 2000 until 2004. She followed Norbert D'Souza and was succeeded by John Dayal. [1]
Maria Emilia Menezes is an eminent industrialist in Goa. She was President of the AICU for four years. When elected in 2000 she was the first woman to hold that post. [2] Soon after her election it was announced that Menezes and Ines Cotta Carvalho,Secretary General of the AICU,were planning to visit Kuwait,Bahrain,the U.A.E. and Oman in October 2000 to raise support for AICU activities. [3] During her tenure the Union grew rapidly. [4] She was an energetic fundraiser,determined to establish a Corpus Fund of one Crore rupees so the AICU would be able to support the Church and related organizations rather than asking them for support. [5]
Following the 2002 Gujarat violence,Menezes and AICU vice-president John Dayal issued a statement in September 2002 voicing profound concern at events in the state. They said Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his rivals were involved in "an aggressive misuse of religious sentiments in their political campaigns". The statement said Modi and the Sangh Parivar were dismissing the pain of the survivors of the violence and raising fresh fears among minorities. [6] Menezes was unanimously re-elected in September 2002. In her speech after reelection Menezes said the AICU would continue to stress growth of community leadership,and would look for increased participation from Dalits,women and young people. She said the AICU would focus on restoring the rights of Christians of Dalit origin,working at the state and national levels. [2]
Speaking at the 49th Annual General Meeting of the Union in Chennai on 6 September 2003,Menezes said the AICU must reshape itself to better deal with "present political trends and turmoil within the Church". She said "It must harvest ideas and bring renewal in the Church and country". She said that "Proper formation of the laity for the distinctive role in the life and ministry of the Church must continue to be a priority". [7]
Christians in India were in a somber mood in December 2008 after the anti-Christian violence in Orissa earlier that year and the Mumbai attacks on 26 November 2008. As past president of the AICU,Menezes said "Christmas is going to be as always. But the manner of celebrations should be different. In solidarity with their suffering brethren in Orissa,the Catholic community should suppress festivities and instead concentrate on the spiritual aspects of Christmas". [8] She called on parishes throughout India to use the money they would have spent on Christmas to help their fellow-Christians who were suffering in Orissa. She said the response had been generally good,but not in Goa. [9]
Christianity is India's third-largest religion with about 26 million adherents,making up 2.3 percent of the population as of the 2011 census. The written records of Saint Thomas Christians mention that Christianity was introduced to the Indian subcontinent by Thomas the Apostle,who sailed to the Malabar region in 52 AD.
Christianity is the third largest religion in Pakistan,making up about 1.27% of the population according to the 2017 Census. Of these,approximately half are Catholic and half Protestant. A small number of Eastern Orthodox Christians,and Oriental Orthodox Christians also live in Pakistan.
John Dayal is an Indian human rights and Christian political activist. He is a member of the National Integration Council (NIC) of India,Secretary-General of the All India Christian Council and a past president of the All India Catholic Union. He has been outspoken in opposition to communal polarisation,bigotry and the spread of hatred between religious communities.
Maria Aurora Couto was an Indian writer and educator best known for her book Goa:A Daughter's Story and for promoting literature and ideas within Goa and beyond. She lived in the north Goan village of Aldona. In addition to her books,she wrote for newspapers and magazine,and also taught English literature at Lady Shri Ram College,Delhi and Dhempe College of Panjim. She also helped start the DD Kosambi Festival of Ideas in 2008.
The caste system among South Asian Christians often reflects stratification by sect,location,and the caste of their predecessors. There exists evidence to show that Christian individuals have mobility within their respective castes. But,in some cases,social inertia caused by their old traditions and biases against other castes remain,causing caste system to persist among South Asian Christians,to some extent. Christian priests,nuns,Dalits and similar groups are found in India,Pakistan,Bangladesh,and Nepal.
Religious violence in India includes acts of violence by followers of one religious group against followers and institutions of another religious group,often in the form of rioting. Religious violence in India has generally involved Hindus and Muslims.
Anti-Christian violence in India is religiously motivated violence against Christians in India. Human Rights Watch has classified violence against Christians in India as a tactic used by the right-wing Sangh Parivar organizations to encourage and exploit communal violence in furtherance of their political ends. The acts of violence include arson of churches,conversion of Christians by force,physical violence,sexual assaults,murders,rapes,and the destruction of Christian schools,colleges,and cemeteries.
Religious violence in Odisha consists of civil unrest and riots in the remote forest region surrounding the Kandhamal district in the western parts of the Indian state of Odisha.
The indigenous population of the erstwhile Portuguese colony of Goa,Daman and Diu underwent Christianisation following the Portuguese conquest of Goa in 1510,which was followed by the Goa Inquisition from 1560 onwards. The converts in the Velhas Conquistas to Roman Catholicism were then granted full Portuguese citizenship. Almost all present-day Goan Catholics are descendants of these native converts;they constitute the largest Indian Christian community of Goa state and account for 25 percent of the population.
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) is an Indian right-wing Hindu organisation based on Hindu nationalism. The VHP was founded in 1964 by M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in collaboration with Swami Chinmayananda. Its stated objective is "to organise,consolidate the Hindu society and to serve and protect the Hindu Dharma". It was established to construct and renovate Hindu temples,and deal with matters of cow slaughter and religious conversion. The VHP is a member of the Sangh Parivar group,the family of Hindu nationalist organisations led by the RSS.
The Christian population of Goa is almost entirely Goan Catholics,whose ancestors converted to Christianity during the Portuguese rule in India. Christianisation followed the Portuguese conquest of Goa in 1510,which was followed by the Goa Inquisition from 1560 onwards. The Hindu population is mostly descended from immigrants from other states of India,who have been arriving in Goa since the last century There is a higher proportion of Christians in Velhas Conquistas than in Novas Conquistas.
The All India Catholic Union (AICU) represents almost 16 million Catholics in India:followers of the Latin Church,the Syro-Malabar Catholics and the Syro-Malankara Catholics. It has 120 diocese and district units. The AICU was established in 1930.
Vincent Michael Conçessao is a prominent Indian Catholic clergyman who was installed as the fifth Archbishop of Delhi in November 2000. He served as Vice President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India from 2000 to 2004.
Joseph D'souza is an Indian bishop,missionary,and Christian and Dalit rights activist. As of 2018,he was International President of the Dignity Freedom Network (DFN),President of the All India Christian Council (AICC),and CEO of Operation Mobilisation - India with is not affiliated with Operation Mobilisation,International. On 30 August 2014,he was consecrated as Archbishop of the Good Shepherd Church of India,and associated ministries.
Remy Denis is an Indian mathematician who was elected president of the All India Catholic Union (AICU) in September 2008,succeeding John Dayal. He was reelected at the annual general meeting of the AICU held in Mangalore in September 2010.
Norbert D'Souza is a railway engineer and trainer from Pune who was president of the All India Catholic Union (AICU) for four years. The AICU represents almost 16 million Catholics in India,including followers of the Latin Rite,the Syro Malabar Catholics and the Syro Malankara Catholics. He held office from 1996 to 2000,succeeding Peter G. Marbaniang and succeeded by Maria Emilia Menezes.
Peter Garnett Marbaniang was an Indian parliamentarian,legislator and academician from the state of Meghalaya. He served as a Member of the Lok Sabha from 1989 to 1996,as Speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and as a Minister in the Government of Meghalaya. He was the President of the All India Catholic Union from 1994 to 1996.
Allan de Noronha,commonly called Chhotebhai,is an Indian writer who was president of the All India Catholic Union (AICU) from 1990 to 1994.
The 2008 Kandhamal violence refers to widespread violence against Christians purportedly incited by Hindutva organisations in the Kandhamal district of Orissa,India,in August 2008 after the murder of the Hindu monk Lakshmanananda Saraswati. According to government reports the violence resulted in at least 39 Christians killed and 3906 Christian houses completely destroyed. Reports state,more than 395 churches were razed or burnt down,over 5,600 –6,500 houses plundered or burnt down,over 600 villages ransacked and more than 60,000 –75,000 people left homeless. Other reports put the death toll at nearly 100 and suggested more than 40 women were sexually assaulted. Unofficial reports placed the number of those killed to more than 500. Many Christian families were burnt alive. Thousands of Christians were forced to convert to Hinduism under threat of violence. Many Hindu families were also assaulted in some places because they supported the Indian National Congress (INC) party. This violence was led by the Bajrang Dal,Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the VHP.
The 2007 Christmas violence in Kandhamal violence refers to the violence that occurred during the Christmas of 2007 between the groups led by Sangh Parivar together with the Sangh-affiliated Kui Samaj and the Christians in the Kandhamal district of Odisha.