The anti-persecution watchdog Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has welcomed a decision by India’s Supreme Court to stay all further criminal proceedings against a Roman Catholic priest in the country.

Fr Vincent Pereira was accused in 2023 of hurting the religious sentiment of the Hindu community by claiming that Christianity was the only true religion while addressing believers during a church service in Uttar Pradesh.

He was formally charged the following year with ‘deliberate and malicious acts’ intended to outrage religious feeling, but he sought to have the charges quashed. In March 2026 the High Court dismissed his petition on the grounds that claiming any one religion as the only true religion is wrong in a secular country like India because it may be derogatory to other faiths.

Fr Pereira then appealed to the Supreme Court which last week halted criminal proceedings.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘The Supreme Court order to stay proceedings against Father Pereira comes as a welcome step for religious minority communities across India. Such cases drain resources, create fear and discourage open religious practice, and raise serious constitutional concerns. We call on the Supreme Court to swiftly and conclusively acquit Father Pereira of the charges against him, rejecting the Allahabad High Court’s view that no faith can claim exclusive truth, which effectively criminalises a key doctrinal belief of many religions, and affirming the right to freedom of religion or belief enshrined within the Indian constitution.’

The Indian constitution guarantees every citizen the fundamental right to freely profess, practise and propagate their religion, subject only to considerations of public order, morality, and health. Propagation includes the right to preach and share one’s religious beliefs.