North East Catholic Research Forum

The North East Catholic Research Forum is saddened by the demise of Pope Francis and join the Catholic community in mourning his death in prayer.

Latest from us

A Reflection on Christmas

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

Four months ago, I conducted a few sessions during a retreat held at Christeen Retreat Centre, Kottayam, Kerala. The participants consisted of a bishop, priests, nuns and lay Catholics. The topic that I dealt was: Cross, Death and Resurrection. I presente.....

Undoing the Culture of Silence

Opinion | Articles | James Pochury |

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." (Martin Luther King Jr.) When the youth of ICYM Northeast recently walked the hallowed grounds of Old Goa, touching the sacred relics of St. Francis Xavier and .....

Why is the Pope’s Visit to India thwarted?

Opinion | Articles | John Dayal |

The prophetic Monsignor, Benny D’Aguiar, wrote in The Examiner, India’s oldest newspaper which he edited, of Pope Paul VI’s visit to Mumbai in 1964 to attend the International Eucharistic Congress: “There has never been anything like it within living memo.....

CHRISTMAS: A History or a Mystery?

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

Where was the Holy Family when Herod ordered the killing of the children in Bethlehem? As we approach Christmas, this question began to haunt me. It forced me to look deeply into the infancy narratives in both Mathew’s and Luke’s gospels. As a layman with.....

Electoral Democracy and the Woman Voter

Opinion | Poem | Anthony Dias |

Politicians of all ilk on the prowl, find always a way To weaken, even subvert, democracy’s sway When they smell defeat due to anti-incumbency The poor women voters they begin to fancy! If ‘poverty is the biggest environment polluter’ It also is m.....

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.....

Shocking Statistics versus thoughtless slogans

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan |

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.....

New Delhi – New York, Via Newcastle

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai |

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.....

Embracing True Christianity: A Call to Authentic and Prophetic Action

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang |

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.....

All Saints Day’ and ‘All Souls Day’

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang |

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.....

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 validity of Catholic Baptism

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang |

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.....

Upholding Gandhian Values of Truth, Justice and Nonviolence for Journalism Today!

Opinion | Articles | Cedric Prakash |

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.....

Sacrificing Childhood magic to social media

Opinion | Articles | Peter F Borges |

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.....

Editorial

The Pope didn’t Sulk or Shun

The Vatican News released a video of Pope Francis extending Easter greetings to a multitude of people at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, which was one day before his final journey to the eternal world. A close look at that video reveals that the Holy Father w.....

The CBCI blinks yet again

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), regarded as a father figure by an estimated 23 million Catholics in this country, has yet again shown lack of wisdom while taking decision on crucial matters. While the organization may like to downplay som.....

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.....

Previous Articles

Bishop Victor Lyngdoh is the New Archbishop of Shillong

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

As per a communiqué issued by the Diocesan Administrator of Shillong Archdiocese Rev. Father John Madur on December 28, 2020, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, appointed Bishop Victor Lyngdoh as the Archbishop of Shillong. Most Rev. Victor Lyngdoh (64) was t.....

Unceasing Prayer

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.....

CHRISTMAS: A Celebration of Sharing

Opinion | Articles | Joseph M Thohrii

Christmas is a yearly festival celebrated to mark the birthday of Jesus Christ. Edna Ferber, an American novelist, once said, “Christmas isn’t a season; it’s a feeling," a feeling that encourages oneness and harmony. It is a season to wish one another pea.....

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.....

Electoral Democracy and the Woman Voter

Opinion | Poem | Anthony Dias

Politicians of all ilk on the prowl, find always a way To weaken, even subvert, democracy’s sway When they smell defeat due to anti-incumbency The poor women voters they begin to fancy! If ‘poverty is the biggest environment polluter’ It also is m.....

The Blame Game Continues

Opinion | Articles | Chhotebhai

The Blame Game Continues A highly respected and erudite clergyman from Kerala sends me his articles. Of late he has made three claims: 1. The Jews killed Jesus 2. Priests have always manipulated people to commit violent acts, justified in the nam.....

Prominent Festivals of Tangkhul Tribe

Current Updates | Culture | TS Shimreingam Angelus

Nearly a century back, when Christianity, under the denominational name of the American Baptist Mission, reached Tangkhul, the missionaries of foreign origin could not fairly understand the believe and practices of the Tangkhul People, their culture, cust.....

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.....

The Messenger is Gone, but not the Message

Opinion | Articles | M L Satyan

After a very long period, God selected a modern, pro-poor Francis Assisi in the form of a pope to reform the church that was rusting. Definitely, he too had been seriously reflecting on the contrast between the wealthy Vatican and the acute poverty outsid.....

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.....

NECCOD celebrates 30th Anniversary

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep

The North East Catholic Community of Delhi, on December 6th 2020, celebrated the 30th year of their existence in the National capital at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, New Delhi. The occasion was combined with the usual Pre-Christmas celebration the organisa.....

Opinion

After Francis, Who?

Articles | Chhotebhai |

Focus now shifted to the Camerlengo (the papal custodian till the election of the new pope). It was now his duty to follow the guidelines for the election of a new pope as specified in Universi Dominici Gregis (UDG), promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 2.....

The Messenger is Gone, but not the Message

Articles | M L Satyan |

After a very long period, God selected a modern, pro-poor Francis Assisi in the form of a pope to reform the church that was rusting. Definitely, he too had been seriously reflecting on the contrast between the wealthy Vatican and the acute poverty outsid.....

The Pope didn’t Sulk or Shun

Editorial | John S. Shilshi |

The Vatican News released a video of Pope Francis extending Easter greetings to a multitude of people at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, which was one day before his final journey to the eternal world. A close look at that video reveals that the Holy Father w.....

A day after He went, memories of Pope Francis come piercing with Realization

Articles | James Pochury |

The news broke quietly, like a whisper lost in the noise of our indifferent world: Pope Francis had passed away. For many, it was a passing headline. For those who understood what he represented, it was the end of an era. And for those of us shaped by rig.....

In Pope Francis’ death the world is orphaned!

Articles | Cedric Prakash |

In Pope Francis’ death the world is orphaned! In the death of Pope Francis, the world has lost one of the greatest personalities of modern times! We are saddened that he is no longer in our midst! He was truly a compassionate pastor with a warm, lovi.....

‘Transitus’ of Francis: End of an Era and a Great Legacy Pope Francis (1936-2025)

Articles | George Plathottam |

The world mourns for Pope Francis at his ‘transitus’, to use a word that is both rich in meaning and familiar to the Church and the Franciscan spiritual tradition to describe one’s passing. His death, no doubt, is the end of a remarkable era. He leaves b.....

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.....

Education

Job Fair in Don Bosco Kohima

College | NECARF Rep |

Job Fair Notice

For kind attention of young boys and girls who are interested in getting recruited in different Comnpaies......

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.....

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