New Delhi: Concerned members of the Catholic community have written to the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) over its support for the Waqf Act passed by the Union government last week. The letter cautions against welcoming “state intrusion under the guise of reform” and has expressed concern over the CBCI’s appeal to political parties, asking them to support the Act.

The letter points out that at a time when minority communities across the country are facing increased scrutiny and pressure from political and state authorities, it is the responsibility of each minority group to stand in solidarity with each other.

The letter in full is produced below.

§

8th April, 2025

To 

The Catholic Bishops Conference of India

Dear Bishops,

We write to you as concerned members of the Catholic community in India—laity, religious and clergy—deeply committed to the values of justice, fraternity, and interfaith harmony that the Church upholds. As citizens of a secular and democratic republic, we also hold dear the constitutional values of equality, freedom of religion, and the protection of minority rights.

We read with growing concern the recent press statement issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (Ref: CBCI/PR/25-03) urging political parties in Parliament to support the proposed amendments to the Wakf Act. This intervention, in our view, raises several serious issues that merit careful reconsideration.

Since then, the proposed amendments have been passed by both Houses of Parliament and have now received presidential assent, making them law. The new Act introduces significant changes to the governance of wakf properties, including the inclusion of non-Muslims in Waqf Boards—an issue that has generated widespread apprehension and opposition, particularly from the Muslim community and a range of political parties. One of the central concerns is that the legislation infringes on the autonomy of a religious minority’s institutional affairs.

While we understand that the Catholic community in Kerala is currently facing a distressing situation in Munambam, where 400 to 600 Christian families in a coastal village are under the threat of displacement due to a local waqf claim over the land, we believe that this is a localized matter that should be addressed through legal, negotiated, and conciliatory means. This case, already under judicial consideration, should not have served as the basis for supporting a national legislative change that now has far-reaching implications for another religious minority community. The CBCI letter risks legitimising state intrusion under the guise of reform.

It is important to recognise that responses shaped primarily by immediate or local anxieties may inadvertently lead to consequences that also affect the Christian community’s long-term interests. A precedent that enables state interference in the affairs of one minority may well open the door to similar intrusions into the rights and governance of other religious communities, including Christians.

At a time when Christian institutions are themselves under increasing scrutiny and pressure from political and state authorities—and when the number of reported incidents of violence and discrimination against Christians has sharply risen, including over 800 documented cases in 2024 alone—we must be particularly vigilant in safeguarding the broader principles of minority rights and religious freedom. As citizens, it is our constitutional duty to uphold the rights of all religious communities and to stand in solidarity with those whose freedoms are under threat.

We hope that the CBCI will engage in deeper reflection and consultation before issuing public statements on matters that have wide-ranging consequences. The strength of our witness as a Church lies in our commitment to justice, peace, and solidarity—not only within our own community but with all those who are vulnerable.

We trust that this concern will be received in the spirit of respectful dialogue and shared responsibility that binds us all in faith.

Sincerely in Christ,

1. Susan Abraham, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist
2. Allen Brooks, Ex Chairperson, Assam State Commission for Minorities
3. John Dayal, Ex Member, National Integration Council
4. Brinelle D’Souza, Academic and Activist
5. Dorothy Fernandes PBVM, Former National Convener, Forum of Religious for Justice & Peace
6. Walter Fernandes SJ, Director, North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati 
7. Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, Secretary, Ecclesia of Women in Asia
8. & Indian Women’s Theological Forum
9. Frazer Mascarenhas SJ, Former Principal, St. Xavier’s College Mumbai
10. AC Michael, Ex Member, Delhi Minorities Commission
11. Elsa Muttathu PBVM
12. Prakash Louis SJ, Activist, Patna
13. Thomas Pallithanam, People’s Action For Rural Awakening & Meluko, AP
14. Cedric Prakash SJ,  Activist, Ahmedabad
15. Lisa Pires PBVM, Working in Goa on Issues of Trafficking and Migration

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