Nine missionaries working with a Catholic order known for their work with those most desperately in need in India were attacked and injured on Saturday, September 25. The attacks began as two missionaries visited a slum area on the outskirts of Kozhikode. According to news reports, they were dragged from their jeep and the crosses around their necks were broken. They managed to escape and took refuge in a police station after the people living in the slum intervened on their behalf.
An hour later, as the Mother Superior and six others arrived in a jeep to assist those attacked, they were likewise surrounded by a group of around forty, wielding iron rods. Shouting "Long Live BJP," "Long Live the RSS" and other pro-Hindu nationalist slogans, the mob assaulted the missionaries. Both the BJP, the opposition nationalist party, and the RSS, its parent organization, are known for their pro-Hindu practices and policies.
None of the injuries was life-threatening, but the authorities are taking this situation very seriously. The Missionaries of Charity, best known because of their founder, Mother Teresa, have refused to file a report, saying they are called to forgive. The assailants are reported to be young adults opposed to the work of Christians in the country. At last report, four of the attackers have been identified by police.
Pray for those involved in the attack, that they will see the love and mercy of God and will repent and come to trust in Christ. Pray for a full recovery for those attacked.
For more information on difficulties facing Christians in India, click here.
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