Archbishop Peter Machado, Catholic Bishops of Karnataka meet Pope Francis
A Group of 56 Indian Bishops consisted of prelates not only from Karnataka but also Andhra-Telengana, Tamil Nadu and the Latin Bishops of Kerala went to Rome for their Ad Limina visit, which is mandatory for Bishops to meet with the Pope every five years. They began this visit with the Holy Mass at the Tomb of St Peter in the crypt of St Peter's Basilica on 12th September.
They also celebrated the Holy Masses at the three other major Basilicas of St Paul, Mother Mary and St. John Lateran, and visited important Congregations such as Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments, Integral Human development, Inter- Religious dialogue, Laity, Family, Catholic Education etc.
The Bishops also met Pope Francis who met and spent time with each one of them and had words of encouragement for them on September 17. The Pope also reportedly spoke of his concerns for the Church.
In his official speech, the Holy Father thanked the bishops for their dedicated service to the people and also instructed them to reach out the love of Christ to the needy and the poor by upholding simplicity, truth and justice. He then invited questions and clarifications. Archbishop Peter Machado wrote from Rome: “I considered it a unique but humble opportunity to represent the Archdiocese and the Karnataka State in Rome. Both Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Moras and myself were privileged to be provided accommodation at Casa Santa Martha, in the same residence as the Holy Father. In fact we were surprised to find him walking on the corridors and even eating in the same refectory, a little set apart, but we were instructed not to go too close to him or talk to him. The Holy Father is an epitome of simplicity and humility.
“I expressed appreciation for his teachings about the poor and more than anything else his approach to the poor. I assured the Holy Father that with his closeness to the poor, we in our Archdiocese, Karnataka State and Country at large feel consoled that he loves the poor and his heart beats for the poor. I told him of our humble attempts of coming to the aid of the poor, the latest one being opening a night shelter for those sleeping on the streets, beginning with one such shelter in the Archbishop's House Campus, perhaps with more to follow in the Archdiocese. Taking cue from the Holy Father's Celebration of the Day of the Poor, I told His Holiness that in consultation with the Priests, Religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Bangalore, we may keep up the coming year in the Archdiocese as the Year of the Poor. His immediate response in Italian was "Vai Avanti" which means "Go ahead!" was Archbishop Machado’s word from Rome" he further wrote.
“The Holy Father was happy that initiatives are being taken in many dioceses of India of greening the environment. The Pope expressed his keen desire to visit India as he has been visiting so many other countries. The Holy Father closed the audience with a prayer for India and blessings to all the bishops and the faithful of their dioceses. The Holy Father interacted with each one of them, and allowed them to take Groups photographs region-wise” an official press statement from The Archdiocese of Bangalore informed.
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UP: Fake IAS officer marries woman, flees with Rs 15 lakh dowry
Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): A newly married man fled with the Rs 15 lakh given to him as dowry by the bride's family, and it came to light later that he was an alleged serial scammer, police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Pritam Kumar Nishad from Etawah, allegedly posed as an IAS officer to deceive the woman into marrying him. He is currently absconding with his sister, and a case has been filed against him for cheating, dowry harassment, and forgery, officials said.
According to the police, the woman's family claimed that they spent nearly Rs 30 lakh for the wedding that was solemnised on March 11.
The match was arranged through a matrimonial group, where the accused introduced himself as an IAS officer, sharing purported interview clips, office visuals, and photographs with politicians to gain the family's trust.
Despite initially claiming he would marry without dowry, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh shortly before the engagement. The bride's family paid Rs 10 lakh in cash during the engagement and the remaining Rs 5 lakh on the wedding day, the police said.
The fraud came to light on Saturday after the woman reached Etawah, and a wedding attendee informed the family that the accused was not a civil servant. When her relatives visited the address provided by him, they found her in a small rented room, while the accused and his sister had fled, the police added.
The woman has also alleged that the accused planned to take her to Goa and sell her, and accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
The police suspect that the accused may have been involved in multiple such marriages in the past. Based on a complaint lodged at the cantonment police station, an FIR was registered on Saturday evening.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Kaustubh said efforts are underway to arrest the accused.
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