India
India, with a population of about 1.4 billion, is expected to become the world’s most populous nation by 2028. It is already the world’s largest democracy and the seventh-largest country by geographical area.
While India is a secular nation with no national religion, around 80 percent of the population practices Hinduism. Muslims account for 14.2 percent of the populations, Christians are 2.3 percent, followed by Sikhs at 1.7 percent, Buddhists, Jains, and others. Catholics are estimated to make up 1.5 percent of the total population.
CNEWA’s mission in India is to support the two Eastern Catholic churches: the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, with 31 eparchies and about 5 million faithful, and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, with 11 eparchies and some 500,000 faithful.
Since 2014, India has been ruled by the National Democratic Alliance, a Hindu-nationalist government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party. This government made amendments in legislation that affect religious organizations and institutions, particularly the Catholic Church.
Even though Catholics are a minority in India, the church has proved its expertise regarding education, health care, and care for the for vulnerable and marginalized.
Accompanying the Church
CNEWA supports church leadership and activities by providing subsidies for seminarian and novice formation, the repair of seminaries and convents, faith formation, support for the construction of prayer halls, and youth formation programs.
Responding to Human Needs
CNEWA also supports humanitarian efforts to improve the living conditions of the poor and those in need. These efforts include: child care initiatives, including the repair and renovation of child care homes; malnutrition support programs; health, hygiene and child abuse awareness programs, as well as many initiatives to help people with disabilities and other marginalized groups.
