India’s Christians Are Under Threat, and U.S. Inaction Isn’t Neutral

May 18, 2026

Writing recently for The Pillar, Andrea Picciotti-Bayer shed critical light on new legislation in India that if enacted could be devastating for Catholic institutions there (e.g., schools, hospitals, orphanages, clinics, and others) that benefit from the generosity of faithful foreign donors, including Americans.

Picciotti-Bayer, Director of The Conscience Project and a member of RFI’s Board of Directors, begins with the bigger picture, noting, “If you listen, the accounts of religious persecution against Catholics in India are difficult to ignore.” She continues:

Many of those working with and for Catholics in the country have to speak carefully, and often with hesitation. The fear of retaliation is real — it shapes what can be said publicly and what must remain unsaid. But the consistency of their concerns across regions, ministries, lay and clerical lines, points to a reality that is becoming harder to dismiss: conditions for Catholics in India are worsening. For those paying attention, their situation is getting more urgent week by week. That concern is sharpened by a development now moving through India’s Parliament.

Read the full article: “India’s Christians are under threat, and U.S. inaction isn’t neutral.”