Persecution cannot deter Church: Card Oswald

(November 24, 2011) Cardinal Oswald Gracias has said that no amount of persecution or even death can deter the Catholic Church from its commitment to uphold the values of love, justice and peace. The cardinal, who is also the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, said this on Thursday, in Bombay while paying tributes to Sr. Valsa John, who was hacked to death in Jharkhand last week. The Catholic Church in India is committed to the well-being of the country and the welfare of its people regardless of caste, creed, gender, language, age or region, he said. “We are always in the front line in the defence, uplift and the empowerment of the downtrodden and the marginalised even to the point of martyrdom. The latest example is Valsa John and her supreme sacrifice. I bow my head to the memory of this brave daughter of Kerala.” the cardinal said.