00:00The Prime Minister attends Christmas Bash. That's our next top story.
00:05Prime Minister Modi attended the Christmas morning service at the Cathedral Church of Redemption in Delhi,
00:11along with a large congregation of Christians of Delhi and North India.
00:14The service included prayers, carols, hymns and a special prayer for the Prime Minister
00:19by the Right Reverend Paul Swaroop, the Bishop of Delhi.
00:23Over the last few years, the Prime Minister has been regularly attending programs
00:27that have connected with the Christian community.
00:30In Easter 2023, he attended an Easter program at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi.
00:36During Christmas 2023, he hosted a program at his residence at 7 local Yadmak, Delhi.
00:42And in 24, he attended a dinner at Minister George Kurian's residence
00:47and a program hosted by the CBCI.
00:50This demonstrates Prime Minister's regular engagement with the Christian community.
00:54Father, we still our hearts before you on this Christmas morning.
01:04We give you thanks for the gift of your only Son, Jesus, who came as a Savior to save us from our sins,
01:15to give us a hope, the hope of life here in this world, life abundant and life eternal in the world to come.
01:27Lord, we thank you for sending your Son as the Prince of Peace.
01:35And Lord, we pray for your peace in our world.
01:40This morning, we pray particularly for our Honourable Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi-ji,
01:47that you would anoint him afresh with your Holy Spirit.
01:52Empower him, Lord.
01:55Father, we know that those whom you call, you also equip.
02:01And we know, Lord, that you have called him for this important task of leading our great nation.
02:07And so, Father, I pray for a double portion of your wisdom, your understanding, your discernment,
02:16that he would lead this nation in the paths of truth, of justice, of righteousness.
02:23And Lord, that you would bless him.
02:26Amen.
02:27He did not speak.
02:29He came to pray.
02:30And so, he participated in a normal Christmas service.
02:35Nothing out of the ordinary.
02:36It was the liturgy that we follow every Christmas.
02:41So, that was what he came.
02:42He came to pray, basically.
02:44Pray for our community.
02:45Pray for the nation.
02:47And we also prayed for him as the Prime Minister of the country.
02:51But meanwhile, a Kerala Archbishop has slammed Prime Minister Modi's outreach to Christians.
02:58Let's listen in to what he had to say.
03:00Let's listen in to what he has to say.
03:25But while the Kerala Archbishop
03:55has criticised the Prime Minister, Delhi's Bishop Paul Swaroop responded to the Cardinal
04:01and said that attacks are happening but today is not the day to raise those issues.
04:08Let's listen into what the Bishop of Delhi had to say.
04:13At one side you are praying for the peace and wellness of people.
04:17On the other side we have seen some sort of statements coming in from the Archbishop of Kerala
04:22where he is saying that the Prime Minister is going to celebrate Christmas
04:24but on the other side some attacks are taking place on the Christian community.
04:28How do you see this statement coming?
04:30See, it is a fact that these things are happening
04:33but I think today is not the day that we need to raise those issues.
04:37You know, there is a time and a place when those issues need to be addressed.
04:41I am not denying that.
04:42But today is a day of celebration.
04:45So I think we will address those issues as and when it has to be.
04:48So it will be addressed, you are sure that the government is going to...
04:51We have already been addressing several forums.
04:54So as in man we have to address these issues, we will.
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