'Church attacks in Karnataka have only increased our faith'

The wave of attacks on churches in Karnataka have only "increased our faith and brought us together," says Archbishop Bernard Moras, whose noteworthy initiative has united churches of many denominations.

On June 19, over 200 Christians from various denominations congregated at St. Mark's Cathedral in Bangalore. They were culled under the banner of Karnataka United Christians Forum for Human Rights (KUCFHR).

Addressing the gathering, Archbishop of Bangalore, Bernard Moras, said, "God has the power to bring good even from evil. The formation of this forum is a testimony to that."

He pointed that the attacks on churches, religious personnel, priests, nuns and pastors had "prompted church leaders to think of ways and means to arrest this violation of our right to worship and proclaim our faith."

He was referring to last year's assault on churches and prayer halls by right-wing Hindu groups. At least 20 Christian worship places were attacked in the violent crime spree in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada.

It was following this incident the forum came to birth, with representatives from various Christian groups.

The attacks on Christians, explains Archbishop Moras, propelled the move for such a platform "where we could identify what is common among us" and even think out-of-the-box for "reaching out to the less fortunate and underprivileged" in our society.

The Christian leader while expressed sadness over remarks such as "Karnataka will become a second Gujarat" high-spiritedly declared, "nothing will prevail against the unity of the Church".

The meet hosted by CSI Bishop Rev. Vasanth Kumar, welcomed delegates from the Methodist, Orthodox, Jacobite, Believer's Church, Federation of Christian Churches and independent churches.

Together, they agreed to stick to acceptable methods in proclaiming one's faith and disfavor unchristian activities such as forceful conversions, allurements and inducements of any kind.