Bangalore, December 19th: At the Annual Priests’ Christmas Fellowship hosted by the Archbishop, Archbishop Rev. Peter Machado, addressing a gathering of over 200 priests reaffirmed “our need to hear the voice of the poor and feel their pain in our hearts”. He also spoke on many public platforms earlier that “our love for the poor and less-privileged and marginalized and the voiceless will bring us to receive God’s blessings” No poor should be left out from feeling that they are not loved by God, he added.
At a large gathering of priests on 19th December at the Archbishops House in the week preceding Christmas the newly appointed Archbishop of Bangalore after a session of prayer for people of all religions, said “Christmas is always a time to re-focus our attention who are less privileged”. He reiterated that people of all Religions, with a heart filled will love, will “share, care and comfort those who need to feel they are not discounted by God”.
At the Annual prayer and fellowship gathering of priests on 19th December at the Archbishop’s House he called for greater concern for those who became homeless and lost because of Natural calamities. He contemplated measures of how we can rehabilitate ‘as much as we can’ to help those in distress.
The Prelate has repeatedly called for avoiding lavish spending on religious celebrations and saving money for the poor instead.
In his Christmas message, Archbishop Peter Machado said ‘ Jesus Christ was born among the poor and helpless in a stable in Bethlehem’ indicative that He chose to identify with the poor.
Archbishop Peter Machado is the new Archbishop of Bangalore since May 31st 2018. The Archbishop Released the Annual Report of the activities of the Bangalore Multi-purpose Social Society (BMSSS) on the various social out-reach activities done. Its present Director is Fr, Navin who co-ordinates activities under the aegis of the Archdiocese.
The Archdiocese has already raised over a crore for flood victims at Kodagu and looks forward to continue to rehabilitate victims, especially the homeless with the generosity of donors. At a recent meeting, he mentioned ‘in times of calamity and suffering we must not see religion as a barrier to help’ . He personally visited Kodagu victims shortly after the disaster.
