Catholic bishops in Maharashtra warn that new anti-conversion law criminalizes legitimate religious instruction and threatens faith freedom.
Newsroom (23/03/2026 Gaudium Press )Catholic bishops in India’s Maharashtra state have issued a stark warning: priests and lay leaders running programs to prepare adults for baptism could face imprisonment under a newly passed anti-conversion law. In a joint statement released March 19, the state’s bishops denounced the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act as “a direct and unjustified interference in the legitimate religious practices of the Catholic Church.”
They said the legislation, passed by both houses of the state legislature in mid-March, threatens to criminalize voluntary religious conversions and undermines fundamental rights guaranteed by India’s Constitution. “Under the present law, even such a carefully discerned and freely chosen conversion could be easily challenged,” the bishops said.
A Threat to Religious Instruction
The bishops’ statement focused heavily on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) — known in the United States today as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Intended to help adults understand and freely embrace the Catholic faith, the RCIA is a cornerstone of the Church’s evangelizing mission.
However, under the new legislation, anyone who facilitates a conversion could be accused of coercion or “brainwashing,” a term expressly mentioned in Section 2(p) of the bill. The bishops warned that RCIA leaders and clergy could be subject to imprisonment of up to seven years and steep financial penalties, even when conversions take place with fully informed and voluntary consent.
“The shifting of the burden of proof on the accused, the lack of deterrent punishment on false allegations, and the broad, ambiguous language of the Act raise serious concerns regarding arbitrariness and potential misuse,” the bishops wrote.
They added that such ambiguities open the door for false accusations and “third-party interference” from family members or others opposed to an individual’s religious decision.
Political and Social Context
Maharashtra, India’s second most populous state with more than 112 million residents, has a Christian population of less than one percent. Roughly 80% of its people identify as Hindu, and Hindu nationalist movements have grown increasingly powerful in the region.
The state’s ruling coalition, Maha Yuti, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), campaigned in 2024 on a promise to introduce anti-conversion legislation. After its electoral victory, the government introduced the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act on March 13, 2026, and pushed it rapidly through both legislative houses within four days. The bill now awaits the formal assent of state governor Jishnu Dev Varma, also affiliated with the BJP. Once signed, Maharashtra will become India’s 13th state to enact an anti-conversion law.
Supporters of the bill contend it seeks only to curb coercion and fraud, citing cases of interreligious marriages and alleged inducements targeting tribal communities. But critics, including the bishops, argue that such laws often discourage legitimate, voluntary conversions and embolden harassment against minority religions.
The bishops said the law “risks fostering suspicion, division, and injustice,” adding that it “appears to disproportionately affect minority communities.”
Church Leaders Urge Revision or Withdrawal
Before the bill’s passage, Auxiliary Bishop Savio Fernandes of Bombay publicly appealed to lawmakers to ensure the text was narrowly drafted, protecting against coercion while upholding religious freedom. He criticized a controversial clause allowing blood relatives of a convert to file police complaints—known as “first information reports”—even without evidence of coercion. Such provisions, Fernandes warned, could turn personal faith decisions into public legal battles.
“The law must apply uniformly across communities and ensure that no faith tradition is either advantaged or disadvantaged,” he said. “While the state has a legitimate role in preventing coercion or fraud, it must exercise that responsibility in a manner that does not intrude on an individual’s autonomy of belief.”
The Western Region Bishops’ Council of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, which unites the country’s three main rites, unanimously signed the statement of opposition. Signatories included Archbishop Elias Gonsalves of Nagpur, Archbishop John Rodrigues of Bombay, and Archbishop Sebastian Vaniyapurackal of Kalyan.
In their concluding appeal, the bishops emphasized that the Church has long supported the country’s progress and unity but could not remain silent when laws “depart from constitutional principles and adopt a coercive character.” They called for the immediate withdrawal or substantial revision of the Act.
“Religious freedom,” they wrote, “is not a concession granted by the state; it is a fundamental right that the state is bound to respect, protect, and uphold.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from The Pillar
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