Vatican City – The Vatican is appealing for an end to religious violence in India, seeking to halt anti-Christian rampages by Hindu extremists.
The Vatican used its annual message for the Hindu Diwali festival of light, praising the father of Indian independence Mahatma Gandhi as a model of nonviolence.
The violence has claimed 38 lives since August, destroyed dozens of churches and left as many as 30,000 people homeless.
The Vatican’s written message, released Tuesday, said nonviolence is central to Hindu and Catholic beliefs and condemned the “manipulation” of religion for violent ends.
Associated Press
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