US embassy cable - 04VATICAN1299

UNCLAS VATICAN 001299 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LEVIN; DRL/IRF FOR BARNES; SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IN, KIRF, PHUM, PREL, SOCI, VT, XD 
SUBJECT: TOP JESUIT: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UNDER PRESSURE IN 
INDIA 
 
 
1.  (SBU) DURING A MARCH 31 MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR, 
SOCIETY OF JESUS (JESUIT) SUPERIOR GENERAL HANS-PETER 
KOLVENBACH EXPRESSED HIS MOUNTING CONCERN ABOUT RELIGIOUS 
FREEDOM FOR CHRISTIANS IN INDIA.  KOLVENBACH, WHO RECENTLY 
RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO INDIA, SAID THAT HINDU FUNDAMENTALISM 
    SEEMED TO BE ON THE RISE IN THE COUNTRY.  IN SOME PROVINCES, 
HE NOTED, POLICE PERMISSION WAS REQUIRED TO BAPTIZE NEW 
CHRISTIANS.  ALTHOUGH THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION HAD DECLARED 
SUCH PROVISIONS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, LOCAL JURISDICTIONS 
SOMETIMES CONTINUE TO ABIDE BY OLD POLICIES. 
 
2.  (SBU) LAW AND CUSTOM ALSO DISCRIMINATED AGAINST CHRISTIAN 
CONVERTS, ACCORDING TO KOLVENBACH.  IN SOME SITUATIONS, 
CONVERTS FACE THE LOSS OF SOCIAL STATUS AND ECONOMIC 
OPPORTUNITY FOLLOWING THEIR CONVERSION.  KOLVENBACH 
CHARACTERIZED THE TREATMENT OF CHRISTIANS IN INDIA AS 
HARASSMENT RATHER THAN PERSECUTION, BUT HE POINTED OUT THAT 
AT LEAST TWO JESUITS HAD BEEN KILLED IN INDIA IN THE LAST FEW 
YEARS IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE RELIGIOUSLY MOTIVATED ATTACKS. 
 
3.  (SBU) THE JESUITS ARE GENERALLY WELL RESPECTED IN INDIA, 
KOLVENBACH SAID, DUE TO THEIR SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES, BUT 
THEIR PRIESTS ARE INCREASINGLY KEPT AT ARM'S LENGTH BY THOSE 
HOSTILE TO "WESTERN" INFLUENCES AND BY OTHERS WHO ARE 
CONCERNED WITH PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF THESE CONNECTIONS.  HE 
SAID THAT THE COMMON ATTITUDE FROM GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IS 
THAT CHRISTIANS ARE "WELCOME" IN INDIA, BUT MUST UNDERSTAND 
THE DYNAMICS OF INDIAN SOCIETY: WITH LITTLE TO HOLD THE 
WIDELY DIVERSE COUNTRY TOGETHER BESIDES RELIGION, HINDUISM IS 
INCREASINGLY SEEN AS THE MOST IMPORTANT FONT OF NATIONAL 
UNITY AND ONE THAT POLITICAL LEADERS -- PARTICULARLY AT THE 
LOCAL LEVEL -- ARE LOATH TO SEE DILUTED. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
 

 
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 2004VATICA01299 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED