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

NECCOD huddled into a three Day Spiritual exercise

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

A Group Photo on the concluding day of the retreat

After being deprived of the opportunity to come together for social or spiritual get-together for two long years, members of the North East Catholic Community, Delhi (NECCOD), took full advantage of the relaxations allowed by the government following impr.....

The Loudness of Selective Silence

Opinion | Articles | John Dayal |

The Loudness of Selective Silence To me, as a reporter and human rights activist for more than half a century, a marker of individuals, groups and societies has been not their loud protestations in support of what they hold dear, but the loudness of th.....

Make Love Not War

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Make Love Not War As teenagers in the 1960’s we were exposed to the anti-establishment pop culture of the Beatles, and the anti-war protests of the hippies. The latter’s war cry (sic) was “Make love not war”. As I write this the Russian invasion of.....

Women Today: A tribute on International Women’s Day

Opinion | People's Edit | Joseph M Thohrii |

“One Woman Can Change anything, Many women can change everything” -Tony Moririson In this 21st century, to be a woman in India is a challenge. Looking and studying the present scenario of women in India, she has to battle hard and fight an uncertain.....

Justice for women religious in the Catholic Church

Opinion | Articles | Virginia Saldanha |

The message of Pope Francis on the day of Consecrated Life has heartened a number of women religious in India. It is based on his prayer intention for the month of February: “Let us pray for religious sisters and consecrated women, thanking them for their.....

Fire Frightening Franco: A corollary to Somebody Raped Nobody

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

In my previous article I dwelt more on the judicial aspects of the judgement in the Franco Mulakkal rape case. The present one is based on the petition that I have submitted to Abp Anil Couto, the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Delhi ecclesiastical region.....

Former Governor & Union Minister Margaret Alva writes to Prime Minister

Opinion | Articles | Editorial Team |

In the backdrop of increasing attacks on Christians and other minority groups in the country, a well-known Catholic leader, Mrs. Margaret Alva, had written a letter to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, pointing out that his silence is being construed as legi.....

Contributions of the Roman Catholic Church in Mizoram in 73 Years (1947- 2020)

Opinion | Articles | Luke Sangkima |

Introduction During December 10 – 12, 2021 the Diocese of Aizawl celebrated its Silver Jubilee. It should have been held exactly on February 7, 2021 but because of the Covid pandemic, the celebration was held on the dates noted above. The story goes lik.....

Indigenous Jesuits Priests Spearhead Mission in poverty-stricken Hazaribagh

Opinion | Articles | Bijay Kumar Minj |

Growing up as a child in the remote and dusty fields of Hazaribagh, Santhosh Minj had no inkling that one day he would lead the mission that Australian Jesuits started there. It is no mean achievement for someone born in an ethnic Oraon family in eastern.....

Facing our Barbaric Condition

Opinion | Articles | Victor Ferrao |

‘To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric’ writes Theodor Adorno. In the broadest sense to be barbaric means to be uncultured. Julia Kristeva tells us that the word originated in the context of Greek perception of other languages as inarticulate mumbl.....

Will Shishu Bhawan now be Renamed as Shishu Mandir?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Year 2022 dawned bleakly. Not just because of the resurgent Covid, but because of the.....

The North East Catholic Community of Delhi Gets a Website

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Two former Presidents and current President of NECCOD jointly launching the website

Keeping with the tradition of raising the bars of improvements and achievements under every successive President, the North East Catholic Community of Delhi (NECCOD), recently came up with their website – www.neccod.org featuring several user-friendly m.....

Manipur Christians Resent Scheduling Election on a Sunday

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Christian community in Manipur has strongly resented scheduling of polling on a Sunday, and urged the Election Commission of India to reschedule it to another day. The All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) and Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) were the first t.....

Thomas Ngaihte to Lead a Sixteen Member NECCOD Executive Council

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep |

Newly elected Executive members of NECCOD

In an election conducted by the Election Commission of the North East Catholic Community of Delhi (NECCOD) on Dec. 5, 2021, a sixteen member Executive Council was declared elected, with Thomas Ngaihte, as the President. Ngaihte presently is an Additional .....

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

Nongstoin Diocese gets a New Bishop

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

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.....

Formation needs transformation

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan

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.....

The Emerging Cultic Churches

Opinion | People's Edit | G.L. Khing

The term ‘cult’ refers to a system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards a particular figure or object. All religions are cultic in nature, yet the object of worship is God. A diversion from this true worship leads to erroneous cult where .....

Archbishop John Moolachira gave a clarion call to protect Mother Earth

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

Addressing the North East India Pastoral Conference 2022 in Guwahati on September 14, 2022, Archbishop Moolachira, President, North East India Regional Bishops Council (NEIRBC) gave a clarion call to protect ‘Mother Earth”. Invoking passages from the Bibl.....

Have Religions become the opium of the people?

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan

KJ Yesudas has been a legend in the field of music. We can never forget his mesmerising voice. One of his prophetic songs in Malayalam was titled: Manushyan Mathangale Srishtichu. He sang this song on various platforms. This song is very thought-provoking.....

Need for Re-skilling and Up-skilling in Post Covid 19

Opinion | Articles | Felix Jajo

The whole world still continues to fight a pandemic and the fight seems to have taken a longer period than expected. But with the vaccines rolling out, there is a ray of hope amongst the people. It has been almost a year since the first nationwide lockdow.....

Hat-Trick

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

The just concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) would be fresh in people’s minds. Hence one cannot be faulted for presuming that this piece is about cricket! It isn’t. It’s not about red balls but about red hats, the red Berettas given to Cardinals. They a.....

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.....

Nohkalikai Falls of Sohra: The Tragic Tale of a Mother who ate her Daughter

Current Updates | Culture | Philip Lyngdoh

In these days of gadget-driven world, it is hard to imagine youngsters huddling around a master storyteller to listen to tales that spellbound listeners. Adding to this change is the fast diminishing number of storytellers, although not so long ago, we ch.....

NISCORT Online Course

Education | College | NECARF Rep

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

Cardinal Poola: The first Dalit Cardinal has a task cut out.

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

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.....

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.....

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