Nepal’s Catholic community celebrate appointment of Vicar Apostolic

April 30,2014: The Catholic community of Nepal was delighted at the appointment of Fr.Paul Simick as the new Vicar Apostolic of the country. Pope Francis appointed him on 25 April. According to the faithful, the bishop designate , who comes from Kalimpong in India, "will be able to protect the rights of Catholics and spread the word of God on the rooftop of the world." His predecessor, Bishop Anthony Sharma, said: "His appointment is part of God's plan for Nepal and for the world . I know him to be a very learned man, and I am delighted to welcome him . We will work together for the welfare of the country.
Nepal is home to about 150,000 Christians, including 8,000 Catholics. Before the fall of the monarchy (2006), Hinduism was the state religion, affecting the lives of every citizen. Following the proclamation of a secular state, religious freedom was guaranteed; yet minorities, especially Christians, are still subjected to harassment and threats from the majority community.
Hindus are often involved in discrimination, violence against women and marginalisation of the poor. In turn, they, and sometimes Buddhists, accuse Catholics and other Christians of converting people by force or by offering them money.
Source: Asianews