False claims circulating web for months about a Buddhist extremists attack on 20 Catholic churches and death against threats missionaries. Fr. Babu Jose Pamplany, of the Franciscan Province of St. Thomas the Apostle (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala), denies rumours categorically: "It is all false. And with the Buddhists we have always had a very good relationship ".

Bangalore (AsiaNews) - "The news is completely false: no Buddhist in India has ever attacked any Catholic community": Fr. Babu Jose Pamplany, provincial superior of the Franciscans for India, categorically denies a news story circulating on the internet, which has concerned about Catholic communities around the world. According to this false report, in some unspecified date "Buddhist extremists" would have set fire to 20 churches, threatened to destroy another 200 in the province of Olisabang; announced the massacre of 200 missionaries.

"I also received similar information by mail - says Fr. Pamplany to AsiaNews - but I can confirm that this is a hoax. First, there is no Olisabang province in India. Then, the mail names a supposed provincial superior: not me. I want to specify it, because in our country we Christians have always had excellent relations with the Buddhists. It is unfair that they are painted in this way. "

The first Franciscans (Dutch) arrived in India in 1948 and founded the first house in Bangalore. From here, were then created three different regions: the Province of St. Thomas the Apostle, which includes Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, the Custody dedicated to Mary Mother of God, with the States of Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa, and the Foundation of St. Francis of Assisi, with the Assam and other north-eastern states. (GM)

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