Book on Church and Human Rights Released

October 23, 2012: Bishop Yvon Ambroise, Chairperson of the Office for Justice, Peace & Development (OJPD) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) released the Indian edition of a document by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace “The Church and Human Rights” during a State-level consultation on justice and peace issues at the South Indian city of Trichy, Tamil Nadu, on 19 October. The first copy of the book was received by Fr Aruldass, Director of Tamilnadu Social Service Society (TASSOS).
Bishop Yvon said the edition will help to 'animate the People of God toward a concerted, concrete engagement with promotion and defense of human rights'. He thanked Fr Charles Irudayam, Secretary, OJPD, for making the book available for the readers in India. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Secretary, Bishop Mario Toso hoped “the document, after its publication in India, would arouse in the Indian readers a renewed zeal for the cause of human rights, justice and peace.” The Pontifical Council first released the document on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The one-day State-level consultation, at which the book was released, was organised by OJPD and TASOSS to review the justice and peace issues in Tamil Nadu. The consultation was attended by the Justice and Peace Secretaries from the dioceses of Tamil Nadu-Pondicherry region. There were around 20 participants who expressed their readiness to work for justice and peace issues in this region and decided to make the people aware of legal issues through the publication of leaflets in the regional language with different themes.