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Church in the WorldGhandi backs anti-conversion law campaignIndia Anto Akkara - 12 August 2006THE PRESIDENT of the Congress Party, Sonia Ghandi, this week joined the campaign against a new law passed in three Indian states aimed at discouraging Hindus from converting to other faiths, writes Anto Akkara in Delhi. Devised by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Jananta Party, the new law requires religious converts to declare their intention a month in advance. Police then investigate whether "force or allurement" is involved. Mrs Ghandi, chairman of the United Progressive Alliance heading the federal Government in India, said that "these are enactments passed by the state legislatures where the Congress is in opposition. The Congress Party has opposed this strongly". Mrs Gandhi was born a Catholic in Italy and converted to Hinduism when she married Rajiv Ghandi. Under the new laws, anyone convicted of "indulging in religious conversion by force or allurement" faces a three-year jail term and a fine of 20,000 rupees (£236). |
 In this week’s issueMaking markets moral Iron and velvet Love in a Catholic climate Someone to talk to A good Lent takes planning South American surprise Can the Church support abuse victims on its own terms? Elena Curti Is the Church too slow in recognising that academies are the future for Catholic schools? Christopher Lamb Goodwin the scapegoat Elena Curti The pain of being a coeliac Catholic Sr M, guest contributor The Church's moral obligation to victims of clerical sexual abuse Speeches from this week's conference in Rome This week in Rome bishops and religious superiors met at the first Vatican-backed symposium devoted to forging a global response to the crisis of clerical sexual abuse that has disgraced ... Archbishop voices 'shame and sorrow' after priest's abuse trial Longley to visit parishes 'damaged' by Walsh Today, Tuesday 7 February, Bede Walsh, who served as a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, has been convicted by a jury, following a 10-day trial at Stoke-on-Trent ...
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