Cardinal Oswald Votes; Lauds India’s Democracy
Mumbai: The sixth phase of the 2014 general elections in India are beingheld today in India. Among the cities where polling is taking place today is Mumbai, the most populous city in the country with over 18 million inhabitants. **Voters who went to the polls this morning, included Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai. He spoke to AsiaNews about the meaning of today's vote for himself and for the nation, because "as Christians we must serve and work to build a better society".
The Cardinal said: It is a great responsibility to exercise our franchise, and hence I postponed my trip to Rome, I prayed as I cast my vote, prayed for our great nation, prayed for the Mission of the Church in India, prayed for the citizens of our beloved motherland, and prayed for the next elected government.
Jesus was clear about religious authority and civil power, and it is our bounden duty as citizens to be involved in civic affairs, to serve and work for a better society. As Christians, we have to actively contribute to nation building, The Catholic Church has been selflessly serving the people without discrimination.
For tens of hundreds of years, through our apostolates of education and health and welfare, the Church has been serving the nation in some of the most remotest areas of our country, serving tirelessly the poor, the marginalised and dispossessed, We work silently and without discrimination.
Our apostolate is service to nation building. I felt an immense sense of peace, as I cast my vote, and tremendously proud of our democracy. India is the largest democracy in the world with 814 million people voting in different phases, this is a matter of great pride, that such a huge percentage of humanity exercises its vote in a peaceful manner; we are a model to the world in the exercise of our choosing the government. God Bless Our Great Nation!!
Source: Asia News