Caste System vs. Catholicism

Interesting controversies.  Excerpts:

...“We are in the crosshairs of violent individuals because we help the destitute.” Hindu extremists consider the Church an enemy because of its commitment to human development and against the caste culture that marginalizes the “untouchables”. In a public speech in Bangalore, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai and President of the Indian Conference of Bishops, complained that the Catholic Church is under attack because of its social work in favour of lower castes. According to Cardinal Gracias, “although the Catholic Church represents just 3% of the total population, it continues to make a significant contribution to nation-building: with our schools and our educational institutions, we are committed to bringing ethics into public life and the economy.”



Re-elected for the next two years as President of the Indian Conference of Bishops, the Archbishop of Mumbai calls the Catholic Church “an inalienable part of the nation.” False allegations of forced conversions and the violence of Hindu nationalists “intensify our faith and push us to increase our engagement” with the poor, marginalized, Dalits, girls and women, reports AsiaNews, the Agency of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions. Indian society is still in the grip of a culture of caste, which perpetuates attitudes, structures and an ethos of inequality and dehumanizing practices. Contrary to the Evangelical vision of Christ, the “caste mentality” prevails within the Christian community. Christians must instead recognize those who fight to be recognised in society as persons through which God reveals himself...

Well, that's an interesting state of affairs.