Christmas at the Table, Churches in Flames

Delhi, December 19, 2025: Yesterday, the Catholic community in Delhi extended goodwill by inviting the Vice President of India to its Christmas celebration. Today, the Vice President hosted cardinals and bishops of many Christian denominations for a Christmas lunch—warm optics of inclusion and constitutional civility. Yet, even as greetings were exchanged over cake and carols in the capital, churches were set ablaze in Chhattisgarh and a Christian grave was dug up under police orders. This is the contradiction that defines India’s Christmas this year.

In Amabeda village of Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, violence erupted over the burial of a 70-year-old man. Allegations of conversion, claims of violated “customs,” and simmering hostility culminated in arson: two churches torched, clashes between villagers, stone-pelting, lathi charges, and injuries to civilians and police alike. A grave was exhumed, not by mob decree alone but following an executive order. Law and order intervened—but too late to prevent the spectacle of collective punishment and public intimidation.

The symbolism is jarring. On one hand, constitutional functionaries exchange pleasantries with Christian leaders, affirming harmony. On the other, Christians in the hinterland confront a reality where faith becomes a trigger for violence, burial becomes a battleground, and religious freedom is negotiated through force. The message that travels from Raipur to Delhi is unmistakable: recognition at the top does not translate into protection on the ground.

This is not merely about one village or one burial. It is about the steady normalisation of suspicion against minorities, where allegations of conversion are enough to inflame crowds, justify arson, and retroactively question a family’s right to mourn. It is about the selective urgency of the state—swift to host, slow to shield. When churches burn and graves are violated, silence from authority is not neutrality; it is abdication.

If Christmas lunches are sincere gestures, they must be matched by uncompromising action where it matters most. That means preventive policing before mobs assemble, accountability for arson, protection of burial rights, and a clear rejection of vigilante enforcement of “custom.” It means affirming, in deed not décor, that the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and dignity in death as much as it promises harmony in speeches.

India cannot afford this split-screen morality—festive tables in Delhi and flaming sanctuaries in Chhattisgarh. The true test of goodwill is not who is invited to lunch, but who is protected when the cameras are gone.

By Fr Suresh Mathew OFM Cap.

Download Catholic Connect App for Daily News Updates: 

Android: Click here to download

iOS: Click here to download