Arson attack on Catholic church in New Delhi raises tensions among India's Catholics
December 02, 2014
An arson attack on a church in New Delhi has raised new fears that India’s Catholics are the targets of violence.
“The arson attack should be strongly condemned,” said Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai. He added that the incident “threatens the development of our nation.”
The December 1 fire destroyed the interior of St. Sebastian church. Police took more than 10 hours to respond to calls for help, and initially said that the fire was caused by faulty wiring. On later, after cans of kerosene were found on the scene, did police open an investigation.
“The police are not serious about this crime,” complained John Dayal, a Catholic lay activist. Father Matthew Kojickal, the chancellor of the New Delhi archdiocese told the AsiaNews service that “what is certain is that the attack was carefully planned and carried out on a place of worship of a religious minority.”
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Further information:
- Delhi church fire raises fears of communal aggression (UCANews)
- Card. Gracias: Arson attack on Delhi church an attack on India's progress (AsiaNews)
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