Delhi Catholics denied permission for Way of the Cross on public road

India's national capital security is handled by the federal home ministry, citing similar systems globally

Apr 15, 2025

By Bijay Kumar Minj
Catholic leaders in New Delhi say they are dismayed after police refused permission for their traditional Way of the Cross procession on Palm Sunday, citing “law and order issues" and “traffic disruptions.”

More than 400 Catholics, led by Archbishop Anil JT Couto of Delhi, were to participate in the five-kilometer procession on the public road, which included the enactment of the Stations of the Cross.

The procession, which passes through a public road from St. Mary's Church in Old Delhi to the Sacred Heart Cathedral in central Delhi, was scheduled for Palm Sunday, which this year fell on April 13.

Police denied permission late the previous day, around 9 pm on April 12, citing logistical, law and order, and traffic problems that the procession likely could cause.

The Catholic Association of the Archdiocese of Delhi said in an April 13 statement that it was “deeply hurt and disappointed by the Delhi Police's decision.”

“The reason cited – law and order and traffic concerns on a Sunday – is difficult to accept,” it said.

The association noted that other religious communities and political groups are routinely granted permission for processions and rallies, even during peak hours on working days.

Fr Vincent D’Souza, the vicar general of the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese, had written to the Delhi police commissioner on March 10. Hence, the last-minute denial disappointed many Catholics.

“The denial of permission this year feels biased and unfair, casting a shadow on the principles of equal treatment and religious freedom,” the statement said. “Christians now question whether their constitutional right to religious freedom is being equally upheld.”

The association President, A C Michael, said the Catholics have organized this annual Palm Sunday Way of the Cross through the public road since 2013.

Exceptions were during the Covid pandemic and last year. In 2024, they could not because of the troubled situation following the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, the then-chief minister of Delhi, he told UCA News on April 14.

George Kurian, the federal minister of minority affairs, said the decision “was based solely on security grounds.”

Speaking to the media, he said permission was also denied to celebrate the birth anniversary of Hindu deity Hanuman on April 12 with processions.

A BJP leader told UCA News that Delhi police have banned all public processions because of a “peculiar security situation” in the city.

Last week, the government extradited from the U.S. and brought to New Delhi Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who is accused of conspiring the Mumbai terrorist attack of 2008.

"Officials just do not want terrorists to attack religious gatherings or use such events to retaliate in any way," he said, explaining all processions have been banned in Delhi since April 10.

However,  K C Venugopal, general secretary of the opposition Congress party, criticized the federal government of the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a letter to federal Home Minister Amit Shah, he asked, "Since when did practicing one's faith become a security threat?"

Shah's ministry handles the security of the national capital, citing similar systems for federal capitals globally.--ucanews.com