Bangladesh Catholics urge Vatican to protect indigenous rights during Cardinal Czerny’s Nov 1-5 visit focused on hope and care for minorities.
Newsroom (29/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) Catholic leaders in Bangladesh plan to press the Vatican for stronger protection of human rights, particularly for indigenous communities, during a Nov. 1-5 pastoral visit by Cardinal Michael Felix Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
Czerny will meet with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB), its Justice and Peace Commission, and other church leaders. He will also engage with displaced street children, indigenous groups, internal Catholic migrants, and Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. The visit’s theme, “Raising Hope to Foster a Culture of Care,” underscores the church’s focus on vulnerable populations.
Indigenous Catholic leaders expressed optimism that Czerny will raise land disputes with Bangladeshi authorities. “Just as Pope Francis advocated for indigenous rights in Canada, we hope Pope Leo XIV will act through Cardinal Czerny to address oppression here,” said Sanjeeb Drong, a Garo Catholic and secretary of the Indigenous Peoples Forum in Bangladesh.
Indigenous communities, which comprise nearly half of Bangladesh’s Christians — less than 1% of the nation’s 170 million people — have long sought constitutional recognition. Most lack legal land titles and face gaps in social security. The Catholic Church has advanced indigenous education, Drong noted, but he called for greater human rights advocacy, including environmental protection and empowerment of lay organizations.
“It’s time for the Church to prioritize the rights of Christians and indigenous peoples,” Drong said. “As a minority, direct action is challenging, but the Church can build capacity for rights-based work.”
The CBCB’s Justice and Peace Commission conducts seminars on environmental issues, campaigns in schools, and supports internal migrants and Rohingya through Caritas Bangladesh. Yet some leaders argue the church falls short due to minority status and limited human rights expertise.
Commission officials expect Czerny’s visit to spotlight poverty, migration, social justice, and religious minorities, potentially attracting international support for education, health, and poverty alleviation programs. Holy Cross Father Hubert Liton Gomes, the commission’s secretary, told Crux the trip could foster interreligious dialogue in the diverse nation.
Gomes highlighted challenges for Christians, indigenous peoples, and migrants, urging Vatican attention. “Topics like minority rights, religion, migration, and labor can be sensitive; local resistance is possible,” he said. “Moral support is valuable, but implementation requires funding, capacity, and cooperation.”
While the visit offers visibility and inspiration, Gomes warned that without follow-up, impact may wane. He added that Czerny will respect local culture, religion, and political neutrality, which may temper advocacy on contentious issues.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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