A Catholic priest in northeast India views the promotion of ecumenism as an "act of God."
“It always takes an act of God to make us one,” says Fr. Tom Mangattuthazhe, in charge of ecumenism in the northeastern states of India.
Northeast India, officially the Northeastern Region, is the easternmost region of India and comprises eight states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and the state of Sikkim.
Mangattuthazhe periodically interacts with leaders of different churches to find common ground and foster understanding and unity among Christians in the North Eastern Region, especially amid Christians facing many challenges due to social-political realities.
He oversees the North Eastern Regional Bishops' Council (NERBC) for ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue.
On October 12, Mangattuthazhe met with Rev. Dr. Solomon Rongpi, senior pastor of Diphu Baptist Church and former general secretary of the Council of Baptist Churches in North East India (CBCNEI).
“We had a fruitful interaction with Fr. G. P. Amalraj, Fr. Joy Pallikunnel, a senior priest of Dibrugarh and a pioneer of ecumenism in northeast India, Allen Brooks, the spokesperson of the United Christian Forum North East India (UCFNEI), and Assam Christian Forum, Mrs. Allen Brooks, and with Fr. Francis Bosco SDB, in charge of the migrant ministry in India.
“We are called to follow Jesus Christ, seeing the challenges we face in the light of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” said Mangattuthazhe.
“We are not looking at what could be obvious success factors. But we enjoy it when we can see our calling from the right perspective of Jesus Christ,” he added.
Allen Brooks said, "Praise God for the spirit of unity and ecumenism that brought us together today and fostered meaningful connections and fruitful discussions.”
“As we navigate life's challenges, we may continue to find strength in our shared faith and the power of the cross. He added, "May the resurrection of Jesus Christ guide our calling, illuminating our path."
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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