Indian Catholic priest-lawyers pledge to fight anti-conversion laws and protect minorities through pro-bono work and public interest litigation.
Newsroom (03/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) A gathering of Catholic priests and nuns who are trained lawyers has committed to actively resist what they describe as “anti-conversion narratives” and to serve as a pro-bono legal shield for vulnerable communities across India.
Archbishop Raphy Manjaly of Agra, addressing the seventh national convention of the National Forum of Lawyers (Catholic Priests & Religious) held in Jaipur from November 28-30, urged the participants to challenge unjust laws and become a dedicated legal taskforce for vulnerable communities.
“Our Constitution is a secular scripture for us,” the archbishop told the assembly, calling on the priest- and nun-lawyers to exercise a “prophetic” role in defending India’s constitutional guarantees.
The three-day convention concluded with participants pledging to reach out to people living on the peripheries and to defend their rights. New office-bearers were elected, including Holy Spirit Sister Julie George as president, Father Benjamin D’Souza as vice-president, and Holy Family Sister Helen Teresa as treasurer.
Delegates acknowledged that Christians face growing hostility, particularly in the twelve states that have enacted stringent anti-conversion laws. Speakers described these laws as tools increasingly used by hardline Hindu groups to target the community.
Sister Sheeba Jose, an Ursuline of Mary Immaculate nun and lawyer who works with persecuted Christians in Uttar Pradesh – a state frequently cited as a hotspot for anti-Christian violence – emphasized the power of collective legal action.
“When we fight an individual case, its reach is very limited,” Sister Sheeba said, “but when we address issues of larger public interest, it can benefit so many people facing similar problems.” She advocated greater use of public interest litigations (PILs) to serve broader societal interests.
Former Allahabad High Court Justice Pankaj Naqvi, a guest speaker, urged the Catholic lawyers to develop “collective strategies” against what he called rising legal hostilities toward religious minorities and their institutions. He reminded the gathering that the Indian Constitution explicitly guarantees freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
Father A. Santhanam SJ, a Jesuit lawyer from Tamil Nadu and former convener of the forum, said the convention also focused on strengthening the organization at state and provincial levels.
“We want to be more effective in our service to the people in view of the changed circumstances in the country,” Father Santhanam said, noting that discussions covered challenges facing not only Christians but Indian society as a whole.
Sister Helen Teresa, who practices in the Supreme Court and the Jharkhand High Court, summed up the forum’s renewed mission: “We as Catholic lawyers are called not merely to practice law, but to defend the soul of the Constitution.” She added that members would continue combining “legal expertise, pastoral sensitivity, and prophetic courage” in service to society.
The National Forum of Catholic Priest and Religious Lawyers thus closed its Jaipur convention with a clear resolve: to transform their dual vocation into an organized defense of constitutional secularism and minority rights amid a worsening climate of religious intolerance.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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