Kiphire, May 16 (MExN): Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima, blessed and inaugurated the newly build Christ King Church in Hurong village on May 15.
In his exhortation, the Bishop appealed for peace, brotherhood, communion, and good will among different tribes in the region. “Hurt (Sin) ruptures our relationship with God and others. Sin and sinful thoughts emerge from the heart and one who commits sin is a slave to sin,” he stated.
Maintaining that no Christian can harbor hatred and call oneself Christian, Rev. Dr. James said such a person cannot really worship God in spirit and truth, a press release informed. “True worship is offered within each person and a physical structure like Church must be only the external expression of true worship, for every Christian is temple of the Holy Spirit.”
The Bishop further termed “sin of hatred” as a cancer that will ultimately destroy individuals and communities. He appealed to the people to forget the past and forge and restore the bond of brotherhood between the tribes. “Without peace there can be no development and without development there is no growth and without growth we are stunned Christians,” he stated. Christianity, he added, is not an external garb one puts on Sundays, instead it is the life energy that must direct and affect our life.
The felicitation programme, that followed the blessing and Eucharistic celebration, was compeered by Lucy Likhumla, the local catechist. Speeches were also delivered by Tsayangse, Chairman, Hurong Village Council, Rev. Fr. Benny Varghese, the previous Parish Priest and the present administrator, St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama, Rev. Fr. John Ntonse, Parish Priest, Kiphire.
Villagers and community leaders, Federico Dolz and Amelia Salumbides Gamogamo from Philippines, the trainers of Couples for Christ movement in the diocese, public leaders and community from Pungro, Kiphire, Sitimi, Phulungre and Singrep attended the programme.
