Fr. Bernard Digal: India Mourns Newest Christian Martyr

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Fr. Bernard Digal has died after a slow agony of more than two months. The religious, brutally beaten by Hindu fundamentalists the night of August 25, has died two months later, this evening at 9:25 local time, from the serious injuries he suffered in the assault.

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On Saturday, October 25, a feverish Fr. Digal was taken to St. Thomas Hospital in Chennai, in Tamil Nadu; the doctors operated on him to remove a blood clot from his brain, caused by the beating on the night he was attacked. Yesterday, his lungs collapsed and he fell into a coma.

This morning, the bishop of the diocese gave him the anointing of the sick; Raphael Cheenath, archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, was at his deathbed. The religious was given a respirator to keep him alive, but his body gave out.

Last September 10, we published an interview with Fr. Bernard Digal, given from the bed at the the Holy Spirit Hospital in Mumbai where he was hospitalized. During the interview, he told AsiaNews about the night of the attack and the violence he suffered.

Fr. Bernard denounced "without bitterness, but also without sweetness" the brutality of the assault, following which "he remained unconscious and half naked in the forest for an entire night, until he was found by his driver."

"Fr. Bernard has been given the martyr's crown," Raphael Cheenath, archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwa, tells AsiaNews. "Fr. Bernard succumbed to the merciless beatings from the Hinduvta extremists. The Kandhamal Christians now have a powerful intercessor in heaven, Fr. Bernard will now continue his work for our people from his heavenly home."

Our God is alive and He will surely show His Mighty Power to those who raise their hands on innocent brothers/sisters of ours. It won't be too late when they will see the Powerful hand of our Risen Lord and Father who is watching the great sacrifices of our beloved Priests, Nuns, Missionaries and all our dear families who are laying down their innocent lives for our One and Only God - we shall never be moved. Let God crush the Satan beneath His feet who has risen against our people and causing persecutions all over the world.

Benny Colaco | 10/29/2008

We feel sad and restless. I think these incidents must wake up the sleeping giant (Catholic church) to transform the world by living as an incarnation of the Gospel. All Catholics must wake up from the slumber of comfort, false security of wealth, I don't care attitude. It is time to ask what I can give as an offering to God while being in world. It must start from each one of us.

Jevelson | 10/29/2008

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