Catholic body urges govt to withdraw FCRA bill, flags violence against Christians

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), the apex body of the Catholic Church in India, on Friday, Aug 14 urged the government to withdraw the FCRA bill, while also expressing deep concern for the Christian community facing "incidents of violence, atrocities, intimidation and mob lynching" in different parts of the country.

In a message on the eve of the 80th Independence Day, CBCI president Anthony Cardinal Poola stressed that the Christian community has "served India for generations through education, healthcare, social service and humanitarian assistance," and said the FCRA bill could hamper institutions doing humanitarian service.

"India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. Therefore, the question before us is not, 'Which religion is greater?' or 'Which religion should prevail?'" he said. "Our concern must be much greater: How can we uphold the dignity of every human person and build a nation where no one is left behind?"

He stressed that freedom must translate into "humanity, justice, equality and the upliftment of the poor, the marginalized and the downtrodden."

"At the same time, we must express our deep concern for the Christian community, which in different parts of our country has faced incidents of violence, atrocities, intimidation and mob lynching. Every citizen has the right to live, worship and serve without fear. We appeal to the Government and all authorities to protect this constitutional freedom and ensure justice wherever it is violated," he said.

The CBCI president said the Christian community has "served India for generations through education, healthcare, social service and humanitarian assistance, reaching especially those who are poor and vulnerable. We therefore respectfully appeal to the Government to repeal the proposed FCRA Amendment Bill, whose provisions could seriously hinder genuine charitable institutions from continuing this humanitarian service to the people of India," he said.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 2026. The contentious legislation was recently brought up for discussion during the Monsoon Session before being referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) amid intense Opposition protests.

The CBCI president added that the freedom has been "earned through immense sacrifice," and said, "On this Independence Day, let us renew our commitment to India where freedom is respected, diversity is celebrated, justice is upheld, and every human being is treated with dignity."