The North East Catholic Research Forum extends heartfelt condolences to the Catholic community of Tura on the demise of Most Rev. George Mamalassery, Bishop Emeritus of Tura. May his departed soul find eternal rest.
Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan | 14-Nov-2024
I wish to begin this write-up with certain alarming statistics: • 129 million Indians are living in extreme poverty (World Bank) • In the 2024 Global Hunger Index, India ranks 105th out of the 127 countries. • One farmer/farm labourer dies by suicide.....
Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai | 11-Nov-2024
What’s new? In recent times, a lot. Let me begin with the adage “Don’t carry coal to Newcastle”. This is because Newcastle, in north east England, was known for its industry and coal fields. Hence any attempt to send coal there would be superfluous. Can.....
Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang | 07-Nov-2024
Often people claim that they have abandoned their traditional religion and embraced Christianity. Many people think that it is a great victory. Yes, there are many good elements that exist in our society but there are also some social evils that eat into.....
Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang | 01-Nov-2024
Catholic Church observes ‘All Saints Day’ on November 1 as a day to honor all the saints in heaven and ‘All Souls Day’ November 2 to pray for the souls in purgatory. ‘All Saints Day’ is intended to honour the memory of countless unknown and uncanonized s.....
Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan | 01-Nov-2024
I was intrigued by the revelations Bishop James Thoppil of Kohima, chairman of the northeast bishops’ formation commission, made during the meeting of the formators of northeastern region held from October 21-23, 2024 at Mount Tabor Retreat Centre in Dima.....
Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang | 27-Oct-2024
The Catholic Church has always understood baptism differently. It teaches that baptism is a sacrament that accomplishes several things, the first of which is the remission of sin, both original sin and actual sin—only original sin in the case of infants a.....
Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash | 23-Oct-2024
It is good to be here at this the 29th Annual Convention of the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA). I wish to place on record my deep and sincere gratitude to the Executive Committee of the ICPA and all others concerned for giving me the joy and pri.....
Opinion | Articles | Peter F Borges | 19-Oct-2024
Imagine a world where the echoes of children’s laughter are replaced by the quiet taps on a smartphone screen. Where once there were scraped knees from climbing trees and chasing friends, now there’s the glow of Instagram and TikTok keeping kids captivate.....
Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan | 15-Oct-2024
Every day news headlines, both in print and digital media, give us terrible shocks. News about murders, robberies, human trafficking, cheatings, corruption, atrocities on women, sectarian violence, caste-based discrimination, abuse of nature and natural r.....
Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai | 15-Oct-2024
Back in 2000 Arun Shourie wrote a book “Harvesting Souls – Missionaries, their designs and claims”. It was a condemnation of everything remotely connected with missionaries. In the Indian context it was about our Christian presence. For those who came.....
Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai | 17-Sep-2024
Had I entered a Spelling Bee contest I would have failed miserably, considering that I have mis-spelt the title of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” that he wrote during the Covid pandemic. Unlike previous Popes, he wrote in Italian, not Latin. Se.....
Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash | 08-Sep-2024
Today (5 September) is a very special day for the world: it is the Feast Day of Mother Teresa, the Foundress of the Missionaries of Charity. She died on this day in 1997. The Catholic Church throughout the world venerate her as a Saint – and rightly so. F.....
Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan | 08-Sep-2024
Of late I have been watching a few Tamil television serials. I was surprised to note a running thread in all the serials. What is it? HATRED. This hatred is usually fuelled by different types of revengeful activities. For this purpose, every serial has a .....
Opinion | Articles | John Dayal | 24-Aug-2024
Sometime later this year, if all goes well in India and the United States, India will send its second citizen into space. The first one, fighter pilot Rakesh Sharma, was on board a Soviet spacecraft in 1984. The next, also an air force pilot, will be on b.....
The recent statement from the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, proposing a regulatory body to oversee church properties akin to temple boards and waqf boards for Hindus and Muslims, undoubtedly raises concerns. However, given the number of controve.....
Pope Francis has already announced the names of 21 new Cardinals who will officially assume the new role on December 8th, 2024. Following their appointment as cardinal-elects, the Holy Father wrote a short but powerful letter to all these men, who would s.....
The All India Catholic Union, which is the apex body of lay Catholics in India, was born well ahead of India's independence. It is a union with inclusive representation, upholding the Catholic faithful's mandate from all three rites of the Catholic family.....
Wayanad in Kerala is considered to be one of the rural districts in the state that has many attractions: a wildlife sanctuary, lush green forest cover, high altitude comfort, home to animals including Asian elephants, tigers, and leopards, and mesmerizing.....
The Parliamentary Elections 2024 have been one hell of an epic exercise, not because they were conducted in a country known as the world’s largest democracy, but simply because of the manner in which the entire exercise was carried out. Between the first.....
As India engages herself in a general election since April 19th and braces for results on June 4, 2024, the air is thick with anxiety. The potential return of the Modi-led BJP, with its fascist undertones and anti-minority stance, threatens the very fabri.....
Provoked by series of wild allegations on Christian institutes converting students from other religions, the NECARF Review ran an editorial as early as October 2022 under the caption “Forced Conversions: Christian Response to the Allegations." The editori.....
The year 2023 ended somewhat on an unpleasant note for the Catholic Church, as there was a huge controversy over Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops attending a Christmas gathering on an invitation extended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Ch.....
Since 1997, the Catholic Church has commemorated World Day for Consecrated Life on every 2nd of February, an observation instituted by Saint Paul John II. On this day, the Church prays and encourages the world’s religious men and women to always be open t.....
The question today is, ‘How can we strategically leverage community engagement, media partnerships, and national and international solidarities and alliances to elevate the visibility of the Supreme Court directive on SC and ST representation in the North.....
In a papacy that spans a little less than a decade, Pope Francis has created some history by doing away with some of the Vatican’s pomp and privilege, at times at the cost of severe criticism from the conservatives who believe that the Catholic Church des.....
Not long ago, one senior lay Catholic commented in a group, “I watched one Episcopal ordination video from Arunachal Pradesh, and the seats in front were occupied by all whites, both male and female. I am just pondering if the laypeople will get proper se.....
Opinion | People's Edit | Neli Linus
“When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.” This British classical epitaph is seen in many places of war memorials. I saw it first at Kohima war cemetery. This epitaph is attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds (1875-1958.....
Opinion | Articles | John Dayal
Cardinal Poola: The first Dalit Cardinal has a task cut out. India has just elected a tribal woman as the republic’s president. And this week, it will see its first Cardinal from a group that was, till 1947, considered untouchable — whose very shadow wou.....
Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai
Some of you may have seen my latest YouTube Hindi video 1+1=11 (eleven). It is the title of a 2003 Bollywood movie starring Govinda and Sanjay Dutt. You may also have heard the Hindi saying “Akele channa bhar nahin phor sakta” (A single grain of gram cann.....
Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan
Even after so many years of independence, India’s youth is facing a lot of challenges like unemployment, human trafficking, drug abuse, psychological pressures due to broken family systems and stress at work place etc. Is the situation different for the C.....
Opinion | Articles | Myron J Pereira
Even a cursory reading of the Gospels leads us to encounter a Jesus who is always on the move. As an itinerant preacher who scarcely had a place to lay his head and whose message of healing was given to all — especially to the sick and the dispossessed —.....
Opinion | Articles | Victor Ferrao
Coronavirus has put us all into catastrophic and heart-rending conditions. People are dying gasping for breath. But we witnessed in explicable unpreparedness and appalling insensitive on the part of the government, giving priorities to winning elections .....
Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep
In an effort to continue engaging its members with online activities during the Covid-19 Lockdown, the North East Catholic Community, Delhi (NECCOD), conducted a Bible quiz, Painting and Essay writing competitions, which received massive response from the.....
Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai
Peter Unchained: A personal Experience In February 2017, I was in Rome to attend the marriage of my niece to an Italian. The nuptials were held in the church of San Giuseppe Dei Falegnami constructed above the Prigione Dei SS Apostoli Pietro e Paolo, n.....
Opinion | People's Edit | Michael Lunminthang
Unceasing Prayer The COVID situation gave us different experiences which we might not have come across in normal circumstances. In spite of the unending fear around us, to my surprise, I find myself contemplating more on ‘Prayer’ in my little ways t.....
Opinion | People's Edit | Team NECARF
This poignantly touching story of grit and determination shown by the early Catholics of Zhavame village in Nagland, was carried in the publication of the 9th Nagaland Catholic Youth Movement Convention. We picked not because it tells stories of persecuti.....
Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai
Bell – Flags - Nectar The Amrit Mahotsav is over. This 15th August I had to hoist the flag at one event and arrange for it at another. At both events I spoke on the “Har Ghar Tiranga” (The Tricolour in Every home) campaign. My first thoughts went bac.....
Articles | M L Satyan | 14-Nov-2024
I wish to begin this write-up with certain alarming statistics: • 129 million Indians are living in extreme poverty (World Bank) • In the 2024 Global Hunger Index, India ranks 105th out of the 127 countries. • One farmer/farm labourer dies by suicide.....
Editorial | John S. Shilshi | 13-Nov-2024
The recent statement from the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, proposing a regulatory body to oversee church properties akin to temple boards and waqf boards for Hindus and Muslims, undoubtedly raises concerns. However, given the number of controve.....
Articles | Chhotebhai | 11-Nov-2024
What’s new? In recent times, a lot. Let me begin with the adage “Don’t carry coal to Newcastle”. This is because Newcastle, in north east England, was known for its industry and coal fields. Hence any attempt to send coal there would be superfluous. Can.....
Articles | Benjamin Chang | 07-Nov-2024
Often people claim that they have abandoned their traditional religion and embraced Christianity. Many people think that it is a great victory. Yes, there are many good elements that exist in our society but there are also some social evils that eat into.....
Articles | Benjamin Chang | 01-Nov-2024
Catholic Church observes ‘All Saints Day’ on November 1 as a day to honor all the saints in heaven and ‘All Souls Day’ November 2 to pray for the souls in purgatory. ‘All Saints Day’ is intended to honour the memory of countless unknown and uncanonized s.....
Articles | M L Satyan | 01-Nov-2024
I was intrigued by the revelations Bishop James Thoppil of Kohima, chairman of the northeast bishops’ formation commission, made during the meeting of the formators of northeastern region held from October 21-23, 2024 at Mount Tabor Retreat Centre in Dima.....
Editorial Pick | Editorial team | 06-Jun-2024
On Thursday 4 April 2024, Pope Francis in a very incisive message to the participants in the First Colloquium between the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held in the Vatican said, “We n.....
Editorial Pick | Editorial team | 16-Jan-2024
In an interview on an Italian TV program, Pope Francis laments the risk of escalation in war, says he has no plans to resign, announces Apostolic Journeys to Polynesia and to Argentina, and reflects on ‘Fiducia supplicans’, saying “the Lord blesses everyo.....
Editorial Pick | Editorial team | 08-Jan-2024
During his Sunday Angelus on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Pope Francis reminds faithful that the day they were baptized, we became children of God forever, and this date of great grace must be remembered and celebrated. At our Baptism, we became.....
NE Brief | NECARF Rep | 15-Dec-2023
Archbishop Emeritus Thomas Menamparampil of Guwahati, whose name is synonymous with a crusader of ‘Peace and Reconciliation’, has been awarded the prestigious Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam World Peace Award 2023 on the occasion of the United Nations International H.....
Editorial Pick | Editorial team | 24-Nov-2023
Recent statements by prominent ecclesiastics raise important questions about certain assumptions that isolate synodality from theological, ecclesiological, canonical, and practical realities.(The Catholic World Report) This essay is occasioned by (1) the.....
Editorial Pick | Editorial team | 09-Nov-2023
A one-day meeting was organised by the Indian Catholic Forum in Bengaluru on October 28, 2023. It was held at Nava Spoorthi Kendra. The theme of the meeting was Synodal Church and Secular Society. This was a follow up of the national meeting held in V.....
College | NECARF Rep | 26-Mar-2024
For those who aspire for the world of Mass media.....
College | NECARF Rep | 10-Jul-2022
NISCORT, one of the Premier Media Colleges in the National Capital area, announces admission for several graduate and post-graduate level courses in Media studies. Interested students may visit www.niscort.com for details......
College | NECARF Rep | 05-Jun-2021
For those Interested in Journalism studies, the above affordable courses comes as a boon.....
College | NECARF Rep | 28-Feb-2021
NICORT Media College Announces Short Courses in Media fields.....
College | NECARF Rep | 05-Oct-2020
NISCORT opens Admissions for Course in Mass Media and Journalism.....
College | NECARF Rep | 15-Sep-2020
NISCORT is conducting an Online Certificate Course in Media for Grauates. Those interested to join may contact the Institute.....