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A violent mob ambushed two Catholic priests, two nuns, and a catechist in eastern India earlier this week, as they were leaving a village following a memorial Mass, according to an Aug. 8 report from Agenzia Fides.
The attackers, reportedly about 70 members of the militant Hindu nationalist group Bajrang Dal, accused the group of attempting religious conversions — allegations Church leaders called false and inflammatory. India’s Latin Rite bishops later condemned the assault, describing it as “disturbing and out of place,” according to Agenzia Fides.
The incident occurred Aug. 6 after Fathers Nirappel and Lijo, joined by religious sisters and a catechist, arrived at the local mission station around 5 p.m. for the second anniversary of two Catholics’ deaths. The liturgy began after 6 p.m., timed to when farmers were returning from the fields. As they left the village around 9 p.m., they were attacked.
“Less than half a kilometer from the village, in a narrow, wooded area, a group of about 70 men from the Bajrang Dal was waiting for us,” said Fr. Lijo in a statement released by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CCBI). “First, they attacked our catechist, who was riding a motorcycle. They brutally beat him, dismantled the motorcycle, emptied the fuel tank, and threw him away.”
The group then turned on the priests.
“They physically attacked us, pushing us, assaulting us, and brutally beating us. They punched us, stole our phones, and kept shouting that we wanted to turn them into Americans, converting them by force. They shouted, ‘You can’t make us Christians anymore,’” Fr. Lijo recounted.
Village women pleaded with the mob to stop, explaining the visit was for prayer and remembrance, but the violence continued.
“It was a premeditated ambush,” Fr. Lijo added. “They brought their media to create a false narrative.”
Police arrived after 45 minutes, but the attackers persisted even in their presence, according to Fr. Lijo.
“The police told the group they would take us to the police station for questioning, but in reality they were just saving us from further violence,” said Fr. Lijo.
The Times of India reported Aug. 8 that the police have refuted allegations from CCBI about the situation, saying there was “no such incident reported in the district.”
Fr. Lijo said he had traveled from his Joda parish in the Diocese of Balasore to celebrate the Mass.
“I never imagined such hostility for such a peaceful and sacred gesture,” he added.
The attack comes amid many reports of persecution of Christians in India and what many see as an increase in religious intolerance in the country. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) expressed “deep dismay” over the incident.
>> Christian rights group demands India end violence against Christians following mob attack <<
