Cardinal Cleemis demands ban on ‘Agnes of God’

The play, Agnes of God – an anti-Catholic Play directed by Mumbai born Kaizaad Kotwal, is an adaptation of a 1982 Broadway production.

                   The following letter from Cardinal Cleemis to Home Minister, received through Joseph Dias of Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), Mumbai,  which is self-explanatory, is published here for the benefit and quick information of  all CCV readers.

               Screen Shot 2015-05-25 at 8.37.28 pm      The controversial movie in question and the letter of Cardinal President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of

India (CBCI) deserve mature reflection and decisive Christian response, not any emotional one. 

                     Therefore may I request you to send in your considered and enlightened reaction to CCV, imitating the best example

we have at present, of Pope Francis, who has been reacting to various thorny global issues all through his whirlwind tour of the Americas. He did it  bravely and sweetly, Fortiter and suaviter, as the Latin Proverb says. Our Christian response also should be such. So your suggestions please, james kottoor, editor.

This is the UCAN Report on the same: Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, has demanded a ban on the play ‘Agnes of God’ saying it hurts the religious sentiments of millions of Christians in the country.
The content of the play "misinterprets the religious belief of the Christian Community and wrongly portrays character" of thousands of the clergy "who are committed to a life of celibacy," he said in a letter addressed to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The play, directed by Mumbai born Kaizaad Kotwal, is an adaptation of a 1982 Broadway production written by American playwright and screenwriter John Pielmeier.
The original work, reportedly based on a true incident in the US, tells the story of a novice nun who gives birth and insists that the child was the result of a virgin conception. Investigations by a psychiatrist lead to a clash with the mother superior of the convent but establish sexual relations. The title is a pun on the Latin phrase Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).
The drama was scheduled for Oct. 4 staging in a Mumabi auditorium but the authorities of the auditorium reportedly cancelled the show following protests from a city-based organization, Catholic Secular Forum.
Cardinal Cleemis said the drama is "a mockery of lakhs of Religious Sisters who are working selflessly with dedication and generosity" and the play "will deeply hurt the sentiments of Christians, who are always made easy targets, for no fear of retaliation and taken for granted for their peace loving nature.
"Cardinal Cleemis in the letter stressed that Christian community is "against any form of art and media that target the clergy and Religious men and women of any Religion, as we believe that Indian culture respects all faith and religions," said a press release issued by Father Joseph Chinnayyan, the deputy secretary general of CBCI.
Cardinal Cleemis wanted Singh to instruct chief ministers of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, where this play may be staged at different times, to ban this play.
The senior Church leader said a danger in allowing the play is that "it will be an encouragement for such vicious minds to come out with similar plays, based on other religions, and the reaction need not be always peaceful and tolerant, leading to destroying the religious harmony.
"The cardinal has written a similar letter to Minister for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley," said the release from Father Chinnayyan.


The CSF Memo for PM's Intervention CSF Thanks CBCI President for Stand. The Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), the Mumbai based community NGO has sought the intervention of the prime minister to halt staging of the controversial play, Agnes of God in the country. It is scheduled to be staged from 4th October onwards in metros like Mumbai, Hyderabad, etc.

The CSF general secretary, Joseph Dias had earlier written to the chief ministers of the concerned states appealing for stalling the
enactment pending a through investigation about the sinister developments and filing of an FIR against those concerned.

The CSF has saluted the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) president, Cardinal Cleemis for his bold stand in writing to the union home minister, Rajnath Singh and the union I & B minister, Arun Jaitley calling for a ban on the controversial play. The CBCI is the highest body representing the community in the country.

The CSF will await a response from the government until tomorrow & announce its plan for action.

Your brother in Christ

Joseph Dias +91 9769555657 csfpost@gmail.com

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1 Response

  1. Abraham Koothottil says:

    Again clamour for another ban! A religion which has to be protected through bans is not certainly an enlghtened religion. When some one wants to give expression to some idea or imagination which has some bearing on religious beliefs, the religious people in authority become troubled and neurotic and think that they are attacked and they approach the political authorities to ban! How long can the religious beliefs  which are most often antiquated and superstitious be protected using authority?

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