The Catholic Church in India

[Ocean_of_Mercy]

I was interested to learn that the Church first came to India in 52 AD. Given this, why are there still so few Catholics in India (1.55%) compared to other religions (eg. 80.3% Hindus)? Can anyone shed some light on why the faith didn’t seem to “take” like it did in countries such as Mexico and the Latin Americas?

 

[adawgj]

Not entirely sure. India is a big area and many great religions started there. (Buddhism and Hinduism in particular).

 

[Linusthe2nd]

I was interested to learn that the Church first came to India in 52 AD. Given this, why are there still so few Catholics in India (1.55%) compared to other religions (eg. 80.3% Hindus)? Can anyone shed some light on why the faith didn’t seem to “take” like it did in countries such as Mexico and the Latin Americas?

Not much is known of the early history of the Church as found here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_India

Why didn’t it take off like the Church in Latin America? One reason is probably because no European country showed much interest in India. Whereas riches were rumered to exist in Latin America. And with the Spanish explorers and conqurors came the clergy. This may explain the difference. Also, India was a much older and well organized culture which was harder to influence. Just my ideas. Others may have better ideas.

Linus2nd

 

[Ocean_of_Mercy]

It seems to me that Christianity would appeal to those who followed the caste system, especially if they were at a lower level. I wonder what the barriers to spreading the Gospel were/are.

 

[chataranga]

Greetings,
Father Mark @ the daily mass on ewtn this morning gave a quote from Mahatma Gandhi. I can’t recall it exactly but will try to paraphrase. I might have become a Christian if not for the Christians I have met. That makes a lot of sense especially if you already have a strong faith tradition. Often wondered about sticking with a tradition that allows a caste system myself. oh well- I guess that works for them but not for me. Blessings and stay safe.

 

[naomily]

Interestingly, Hinduism and Catholicism are both incarnational religions that share more than a few similarities. In many areas, Catholic and Hindu traditions and belief are combined in really interesting ways. I would have to look into it more thoroughly, but interpreting supreme god of the universe, Vishnu, as the God of the Bible would not be a difficult stretch. Hindu priests also invoke spirits to enter into religious statues for certain feasts— not unlike how a Catholic priest oversees God entering into the Eucharist.

I don’t know much about historical missionary work but I would hazard to guess that partially, Christianity was associated with British colonialism— why support the religion of your oppressors?

 

[Ocean_of_Mercy]

Interestingly, Hinduism and Catholicism are both incarnational religions that share more than a few similarities. In many areas, Catholic and Hindu traditions and belief are combined in really interesting ways. I would have to look into it more thoroughly, but interpreting supreme god of the universe, Vishnu, as the God of the Bible would not be a difficult stretch. Hindu priests also invoke spirits to enter into religious statues for certain feasts— not unlike how a Catholic priest oversees God entering into the Eucharist.

I don’t know much about Hinduism. It’s on my to-do list to learn more.

I don’t know much about historical missionary work but I would hazard to guess that partially, Christianity was associated with British colonialism— why support the religion of your oppressors?

Interesting theory. I was wondering mostly about the situation back in 52 AD, when Thomas the Apostle travelled to India. If I understand correctly, didn’t British colonialism in India start in the 1600s?

 

[Onegin]

Just a couple of thoughts from my own experiences in India as well as polling a few Hindu friends.

Hinduism is a very old religion. To even call it a “religion” is somewhat misleading - more like a collection of traditions. These traditions are so old, in fact, that it makes the traditions of Christianity, Judaisim and Islam seem like relative novelties. It dates back several thousands years BCE more or less around the start of the Indus Valley Civilization (approx. 3000 BCE). The fact that many of the ancient languages and traditions have carried on through today is fascinating but, even more so, they remain deeply ingrained in the culture. Language, religion and culture are so deeply interconnected. Most Hindus are very proud of these ancient languages and traditions and would see it as very strange to suggest that they would replace it with a relative novelty like Christianity! These are very deeply held beliefs.

There’s a fantastic six-part documentary series from the BBC called “The Story of India” and it gives a great background on the history and culture of the sub-continent. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to learn more about India and its roots.

 

[TheWiseMan]

I was interested to learn that the Church first came to India in 52 AD. Given this, why are there still so few Catholics in India (1.55%) compared to other religions (eg. 80.3% Hindus)? Can anyone shed some light on why the faith didn’t seem to “take” like it did in countries such as Mexico and the Latin Americas?

Good question. I never understood why such would be the case. I thinking it’s has to do with the fact that religions like Hinduism has a very strong influence. If a religion has a strong influence in the cultural backdrop of an area, chances are it would be difficult for a religion that is foreign to the predominant one.

In retrospect, it would be like asking, “why does Hinduism not take root in places that are predominantly Catholic, like Europe or the Americas?”