North East Catholic Research Forum

The North East Catholic Research Forum extends a hearty congratulations to Rt. Rev. Dr. John Thomas, Bishop Emeritus of Itanagar, on his 50th anniversary of priesthood.    **//**    Hearty congratulations to Prof. David Syiemlien and Prof. R. Lalrawna on being honoured with the Padmashri Award for their contributions in the field of literature and education.

Latest from us

Indian Synod: Forward or Backward?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Synod, what’s that? Are we suffering from collective amnesia? The next round, the Continental one, is slated for 24th – 27th February. For Asia it will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. If I correctly recall, our Asian bishops had earlier met in Pattaya, anot.....

Immunological Thinking

Opinion | Articles | Victor Ferrao |

Humans have gone through several ages of affliction. There was a microbial age that ended with the discovery of antibiotics. Thanks to immunological science and technology, we have left it behind although covid-19 virus threatened to usher it again. The.....

Nongstoin Diocese gets a New Bishop

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Bishop Elect of Nongstoin Diocese,Rev. Fr. Merwin

According to a press release issued by Rev. Fr (Dr) Stephen Alathara, the Deputy Secretary General of CCBI, Rev. Fr Wilbert Marwein has been appointed as the new Bishop of Nongstoin Diocese. The communiqué also adds that Fr. Wilbert Marwein was born on 1.....

Indian Dalits Still has Miles to go

Opinion | Articles | N.Leo Samuel |

In the last week of December, a few people from Vengaivayal, a village in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu in southern India, were treated for upset stomachs and vomiting at the local government hospital. This continued for a week with more villagers rep.....

Vikas - Vishwas –Vilash – Vinash

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

There has been a progression, or rather regression, of Vs over the last week. For those unfamiliar with Hindi, let me first do a literal translation of the 4 Vs in this title – Vikas (Development), Vishwas (Faith), Vilas (Luxury) and Vinash (Destruction)......

CAN Hosts an Impressive Convention at Jakhama

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Participants of CAN Convention side the Bishop Abraham Memorial Indoor Stadium

The 39th – year convention of the Catholic Association of Nagaland (CAN) was hosted at the St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama, wherein over one thousand participants from 36 Parishes and 21 quasi Parishes took part. The four-day event was graced by Most Rev (D.....

Catholic Community of Sikkim took the tidings of Christmas to CM

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Catholic community of Sikkim celebrating Christmas with CM Sikkim

Christmas Carol Choir team of the St. Paul the Apostle Church, Gangtok, Sikkim, had the unique distinction of presenting Christmas Carols at the residence of Prem Singh Tamang (Goley), Chief Minister of Sikkim, on 24th December 2022 at Mintokgang. The rar.....

A Reflection on the Importance of offering Suffrages

Opinion | Articles | Penny Rose Chinir |

According to the Catholic faith, suffrages are intercessory prayers in the form of holy mass and other prayer services, beseeching the repose of the departed souls. For example in the FMA family – a family of over 12,000 nuns across the globe, of which th.....

Moving Back to the Middle Ages

Opinion | Articles | Thomas Menamparampil |

Tagore dreamt of an India where the citizens would have the courage to hold their “heads high”. Martin Luther King dreamt of a homeland that would give equal respect to every citizen. An Iranian composer longs for a civilized culture in her country where.....

Need to Uphold Human Rights in our Homes

Opinion | Articles | Myron J Pereira |

For almost all of human history, most men and women had no rights, only duties. You had to be born rich and powerful, a member of the "right" caste, race, class, sex, or religion to have rights at all. And even then, the whim of a local monarch or the mis.....

Advent Adventure

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

The Advent season is upon us. It is a preparation for Christmas, depending on our priorities. The Hindi word for Advent is Aagman. It is the same word used at airports for Arrivals. Advent means just that – the coming or arrival of somebody or thing. .....

UCFNEI Refutes Allegations of Force Conversions

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

In a meeting held in Guwahati on November 24, 2022, the United Christians Forum of North East India (UCFNEI) expressed strong resentment over allegations of Christians forcibly converting people. In a press release issued after the meeting, the organisati.....

Diocese of Kohima bids Tearful Adieu to Fr. Dominic Selosie

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Requiem Mass of late Rev. Fr. Dominic Selosie

Priest, Nuns and the Laity of the Diocese of Kohima gave an emotional farewell to late Rev. Fr. Dominic Selosie, on 26th November 2022 at the St. Joseph Parish Church, Chumoukedima. Late Rev. Dominic Selosie breathed his last on 24.11.2022. The requiem ma.....

Caring Our Mother Earth: Pathways to Conservation

Opinion | Articles | Vincent T Darlong |

When God created the earth “God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:18). After he created man, God has put him in the Garden of Eden to care for it (Genesis 2:15). But today, we seem to be doing just opposite to what God had intended. Instead of caring for t.....

Editorial

Persecution as an Opportunity

The history of the church is replete with stories of persecution; the crucifixion of Christ itself being the greatest of all. Rome, where the Vatican, the supreme seat of the Pontiff, stands today, in fact was one of the foremost places where Christian pe.....

Weaving a Christian Relationship

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, in his book, Toward A True Kinship of Faith, wrote, “I have boundless respect for my Buddhist faith, but to see it within the context of its brother and sister religions has afforded me a vision of the grandeur and exten.....

We hope the Church Hierarchy is listening

According to the media report, the son of a pastor, Ramesh Baghel, has been prevented from burying the dead body of his late father in the village cemetery because some Hindutva activists from his village did not allow the burial to take place. He appeale.....

The Twin Pillars of the Catholic Church

Dealing with the differences between the laity and clergy, the two pillars of the church, is a perpetual problem for the Catholic Church. Though the problem is real and sometimes threatens to tear apart the cohesiveness of the synodal church, it has alway.....

It is time Christians learn to read things between the lines

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.....

Look within, before gazing afar

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 AICU needs to explore beyond its current boundaries.

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: Another wakeup calls for Mankind

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.....

Democracy has finally triumphed

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.....

Unleashing Unity: A Synodal Mandate for the Catholic Church in Northeast India

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.....

Is the CBCI admitting that Catholic Schools are indeed converting people?

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 Silence is deafening

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.....

Previous Articles

Shankaracharya exercises his prophetic mission

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan

Shankaracharya exercises his prophetic mission A few days ago, I watched a YouTube video uploaded by AAA YouTube channel of Ajit Anjum. In this video the news reporter is interviewing Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand. He came across to me as a .....

Diocese of Kohima bids Tearful Adieu to Fr. Dominic Selosie

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

Priest, Nuns and the Laity of the Diocese of Kohima gave an emotional farewell to late Rev. Fr. Dominic Selosie, on 26th November 2022 at the St. Joseph Parish Church, Chumoukedima. Late Rev. Dominic Selosie breathed his last on 24.11.2022. The requiem ma.....

St. Paul’s Parish, Pallel Extends Covid Relief

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

The Pandemic spares no one, but hit the poor the hardest. In St. Paul’s Parish, Pallel, under the Diocese of Imphal, there are 2252 members spread across 18 Villages belonging Lamkang, Moyon, Monsang, Chothe and Marings tribes. In all these villages, the .....

Arunachal Pradesh Gets the Third Indigenous Priest

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao ordained father Vincent Rangwang in an impressive ceremony at Lazu Parish in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh on October 10, 2022. Father Rangwang is the first Catholic priest from the Ollo community, and the third .....

Conversion, Colonizer and the People

Opinion | Articles | Victor Ferrao

Conversion has come back to haunt us. How are we to understand the complex reality of conversion? Are we to simplify it by reducing it to spiritual conquests? Conversion viewed as a spiritual conquest is tainted by its political overtones. Our understan.....

Jesus and the Rolling Stones

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

Most of us would have heard of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1970 musical “Jesus Christ Superstar”. It was an attempt to re-present Christ in a modern day idiom. Nobody will have heard of Jesus and The Rolling Stones, the jazz group Mick Jagger founded in 1962. R.....

Statement of Concerned Catholics

Current Updates | Editorial Pick | Editorial team

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.....

Folklore and Folktales of the Mao Tribe

Opinion | Articles | A. Kazhiini Mao

Introduction Every race, tribe or community has a set of beliefs, tales, legend, myth, proverb or sayings which plays a significant role in indicating the uniqueness of their group and their social cultural identity. The Mao, one of the major tribes of t.....

The Horror stories of Kandhamal riots lingers in memory of Indian Christians

Opinion | Articles | John Dayal

Exactly 13 years since brutal violence scarred an eastern state, victims are still waiting for justice Feb. 24, 1784, was the day the Christian community in India shed its innocence, discovering its vulnerability in a land where social, religious and o.....

Holistic Education for Peace in Northeast India

Opinion | Articles | Paul Lelen Haokip

Northeast India boasts of rich biodiversity, but peace is still a longing. Insurgency, inter-tribal hostilities, boundary disputes, and trust deficits abound galore. Inhabitants of these eight states of India are vulnerable to media influence, political p.....

Quarantined within a quarantine: A personal experience of Covid-induced confinement

Opinion | Articles | John S. Shilshi

It was on the 15th of January 2022 that I began to feel unusually uneasy. There was an indescribable discomfort all over my body, which was triggered by a combination of dullness, weakness and absence of appetite or thirst. Just the thought of eating or d.....

Education

Step in to the World of Journalism and Mass Media

College | NECARF Rep |

Niscort Media College

For those who aspire for the world of Mass media.....

Avail Early Bird Discount in Media Studies

College | NECARF Rep |

Admission Notice

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......

NISCORT Announces three different courses in Journalism and Mass Communication

College | NECARF Rep |

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For those Interested in Journalism studies, the above affordable courses comes as a boon.....

NICORT Media College Announces Short Courses in Media fields

College | NECARF Rep |

Annoucment

NICORT Media College Announces Short Courses in Media fields.....

For those interested to make a Career in Mass Media and Journalism, NISCORT provides the opportunity

College | NECARF Rep |

NISCORT opens Admissions for Course in Mass Media and Journalism

NISCORT opens Admissions for Course in Mass Media and Journalism.....

NISCORT Online Course

College | NECARF Rep |

Online Media Course Details

NISCORT is conducting an Online Certificate Course in Media for Grauates. Those interested to join may contact the Institute.....

Current Updates

Christian Today in Conversation with Dr. John Dayal.

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

As India marks its 76th Republic Day, the Christian community faces what many describe as an unprecedented crisis of religious freedom. Recent appeals to both President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paint a troubling picture: over 720 in.....

Statement of Concerned Catholics

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

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.....

Pope Francis says he is frightened by escalation in war

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

Pope Francis in an interview

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.....

Our Baptism made us children of God: Pope Francis

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

Pope Francis during Sunday Angelus

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.....

Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil receives World Peace Award 2023

NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Archbishop Menamparampil receiving the award

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.....

Synodal myopia in the light of Synodality in the family and apostolates

Editorial Pick | Editorial team |

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.....

Opinion

Changing the Religious and Cultural Landscape of the Northeast through Saffronization

Articles | Pamreihor Khashimwo |

Abstract The religious and cultural landscape of Northeast India has undergone significant transformations due to the increasing influence of Hindutva ideology, often referred to as Saffronisation. This process, driven by organisations affiliated with th.....

Fails, Ails & Travails

Articles | Chhotebhai |

These words are not just a rhyme; there is reason behind them – fails, ails and travails. I use them in the context of the church in India and more specifically the Catholic Church. Looking at its grandiose institutions, wealth and prestige one could wond.....

Persecution as an Opportunity

Editorial | John S. Shilshi |

The history of the church is replete with stories of persecution; the crucifixion of Christ itself being the greatest of all. Rome, where the Vatican, the supreme seat of the Pontiff, stands today, in fact was one of the foremost places where Christian pe.....

No Other Land

Articles | Cedric Prakash |

Many years ago, there was a popular American song which one gustily sang at camps, picnics and other get-togethers. Thanks to its very catchy tune, it was always a hit. The chorus of the lyrics went thus: “This land is your land, and this land is my land.....

Saluting Zakia Jafri: Remembering the Gujarat Carnage 2002

Articles | Cedric Prakash |

February will always be a painful month for some particularly the Jafri family: on 28 February 2002, Ehsan Jafri, a former Member of Parliament and an authentic and much-loved citizen of secular India was murdered; on 1 February 2025, his wife Zakiaben wa.....

Pope Francis is a Miracle

Articles | M L Satyan |

At the age of 88 pope Francis is battling with his life. The health complications he is facing are indeed of grave concern for the doctors. His critical condition has caused grief to not only the Catholics but also to all the people of this world. Pope.....

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