The news: When A. Raju, an 89-year-old Catholic Dalit Christian, died on July 17 in Tamil Nadu, his family faced a three-day standoff before he could be buried. Higher-caste Christian groups objected to Raju being laid to rest in the village's shared Catholic cemetery — a stark reminder that caste prejudice has followed many Indian Christians right through the church doors, and even into death.
Why it matters for church leaders: This is not just a Catholic issue or a Tamil Nadu issue — pastors across denominations and regions know that caste dynamics quietly shape seating, marriage, leadership, and fellowship in their congregations. If the church cannot demonstrate equality before the grave, its witness to the gospel is severely undermined.
The takeaway: Use this story as an invitation to honestly examine whether your church's practices — formal or informal — reflect the equality that the gospel demands.
Source: Christianity Today
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