As Nepali Catholic Society renews its leadership, “interest in the faith is growing"
The Catholic organisation was founded 25 years ago to defend the rights of Catholics in the country. "In the past we could not evangelise, but now we are allowed to bring Jesus and the pope’s precious words to everyone,” says new president. More and more Nepalis are asking to convert.
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) – The Nepali Catholic Society (NCS) has just renew its leadership. Its purpose is to support the Nepali Catholic community, raise awareness among the faithful, propose the faith to anyone interested, and spread the words of Pope Francis.
"Unlike the past, more people are oriented towards material things,” said Ganes Parajuli, the NCS’s newly elected president. “We have to reach out to everyone to proclaim Jesus as the proper ideal for life.”
The NCS was founded 25 years ago with the aim of protecting the Catholic minority in Nepal. Leadership positions are renewed every three years.
In the past, "the NCS fought for the rights of Catholics, although Nepal was a Hindu monarchy, because Jesus has always been our good shepherd," Parajuli explained.
“People are very interested in knowing the truth about Christ, but often non-Christians create a lot of confusion,” the NCS president noted. “We lay people are involved in society to share the values that we learnt from Jesus. Because of this many people want to convert, even though they do not know how to do it."
One of the tasks that falls on NCS members is to provide the first knowledge about faith to anyone interested.
What is more, "we want to share the messages of the pope and the Vatican, which are useful to the people of Nepal and the whole world," Parajuli added.
NCS vice president Carolina Satyal confirms the importance of the words of Pope Francis. "He is a guide for peace, solidarity and respect for the environment. His messages are crucial for countries like Nepal, because they can be applied in practice and appeal to everyone."
Outgoing president Babukaji Darshandhari agrees. The pope’s words must be given the widest dissemination.
"We must share them in public gatherings, in coffee shops, and everywhere people meet,” he said. “In the past, Christians could not preach biblical teachings, but now the state is secular and we have that freedom."
When proclaiming God’s message to others, "we must also do it by telling our personal experiences. This will help us meet our objectives,” he added.
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