When St. Francis Xavier arrived in Goa, India, on May 6, 1542, his historic missionary activity not only helped grow Christianity throughout India and the East, but also established a pattern of charitable activity that continues to be admired and forms the basis for so much Christian outreach to the needy. He tended to the needs of the poor and the sick, set up orphanages, established schools for those who were outcast, and more.
That charitable legacy, and similar efforts by other Christians, continues to provide a huge benefit to Indian society far beyond just Christians. But that much-needed legacy of faith-based charity efforts, along with the very existence of many churches in India, is now facing the gravest of challenges in new legislation that could threaten nearly all of that work.
With Secretary of State Marco Rubio now on a diplomatic trip to India, the U.S. has the opportunity to strongly urge India to make sure faith-based charities can continue to operate without fear. This dire threat to Christian charities in India involves amendments to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, or FCRA. The FCRA is already burdensome, requiring any civil society organization to obtain a license to receive foreign funding.
Over 20,000 FCRA licenses have been cancelled since 2010, often for unclear reasons, including the licenses of prominent Christian organizations such as the Evangelical Fellowship of India. Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity had their licenses revoked until global outcry caused the government to reverse its decision. Given the immense poverty found in India, international financial support is vital for charities and religious organizations to survive. But these proposed amendments would be even more devastating.
A charity or religious organization can have its license revoked merely if the government thinks that its efforts negatively affect “social or religious harmony,” whatever