Civil society group submits memorandum to Vatican on ‘targeted violence' against Christians in India
The memorandum was handed over to Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, foreign minister of the Vatican, on Thursday during his week-long visit to the country to meet Indian officials and church functionaries. It urged Gallagher to talk about attacks on Christians while meeting Indian officials.
On Thursday, the archbishop held a meeting with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
After the meeting, Jaishankar on social media said that he was pleased to meet the archbishop, adding that the two leaders had a 'good conversation about the importance of faith, and the need for dialogue and diplomacy to address conflicts'.
Pleased to meet Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Holy See.
A good conversation about the importance of faith, and the need for dialogue and diplomacy to address conflicts.
🇮🇳 🇻🇦 pic.twitter.com/i56UurexQq
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 17, 2025
The visit comes months after the United Christian Forum released a report on January 10, which said that the number of attacks against Christians had increased from 127 in 2014 to 834 in 2024.
In its memorandum submitted to Gallagher, the civil society group referred to the report on the rise in 'incidents of violence and hostility towards Christians', adding that the 'primary reason for these attacks has been false allegations of fraudulent conversions', The Hindu reported.
Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were the top two states where such allegations had led to 'either attacks on people at prayer or their illegal arrest by the police', the civil society group said citing its report.
'A large number of Catholic priests and nuns faced arrests, attacks, and legal actions in northern India,' the memorandum added, according to The Hindu. 'It is an alarming situation for missionaries.'
Jose Vallikkatt, a Catholic priest based in Punjab's Bathinda city, told the newspaper that while the 'physical and mental torture is abominable, what is more alarming is the denial of religious rights of Christians. That's a constitutional violation'.
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