Rome, Italy, Aug 13, 2010 / 15:58 pm
On August 29, Christians in India will celebrate the “Day of the Indian Martyrs” to remember those who died for the faith and the Gospel. Speaking about the event, the president of the Indian bishops’ Committee on Ecumenism, Bishop Anil Couto, recalled that they are “making an effort to remember those who died in the name of Jesus Christ.”
Bishop Couto told Vatican Radio, “Martyrdom is the highest expression of love. Celebrating this day does not mean canonizing a saint but rather recalling the sacrifice of bearing testimony to Christ.”
“The courageous life of the martyrs is the heritage of the Church and we want to preserve it for future generations. This has value not only for the Catholic Church but also for all of the churches and ecclesial communities,” said Bishop Cuoto.
Father Pushpa Anbu, director of the Secretariat for Ecumenism of the Bishops of India, added, “We need to recall the importance of those who have sacrificed their own lives for the faith in every Christian denomination. In the past, similar initiatives have brought our people closer to Christ. We hope and pray that such efforts will be made in all the churches and communities of India,” he concluded.