Updated on: 22-Mar-2014
Archbishop William Calls Christians in Bihar to Work for a Just Society

New Delhi (CBCI News): Archbishop William D’ Souza of Patna invited all the Christians in Bihar to an active engagement with justice. Quoting Prophet Micah, he urged them “to do justice, and to love kindness”. Catholic Social Teaching shed light on how Christians should respond to the signs of the time, he said. Archbishop William was inaugurating a two-day workshop on Catholic Social Teaching at Sewa Kendra, Patna, 19 March,  organised by the Office for Justice, Peace and Development - Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (OJPD-CBCI). 

Catholic Social Teaching is a call to social activism, pointed out Fr Charles Irudayam, Secretary of OJPD-CBCI. He said that protection of human dignity was at the heart of Church’s social activism. The defence of the rights of the weaker sections is Church’s priority, he added. Other resource persons included  Fr. Amalraj, the Director of Bihar Regional Forum; Sr. Dorathy, Social activist,  Sr. Cynthia, a Lawyer in Patna High Court, and Fr. Peter Ladis, Professor of Law. The Archbishop William suggested that the materials be translated into Hindi for the purpose of educating the people at the parish-level and at the grassroots. 

The participants were assisted to take stock of the key issues in the region and to explore practical ways of defending the rights of women, children, the scheduled castes, scheduled and the minorities. The 45 participants of the workshop said that they had learnt the importance of awareness, analysis, discernment and action for an effective social activism. They also expressed their willingness to allow their social activism to be guided by such key principles of Catholic Social Teachinges human dignity, solidarity, and preferential option for the poor. The participants consisted of priests, nuns and lay people. 

Fr. Charles Irudayam
Secretary, OJPD-CBCI, New Delhi
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