Church warns anti-conversion bill threatens freedom of conscience

Bombay Archdiocese warns draft law risks undermining freedom of conscience, urging safeguards against misuse while reaffirming opposition to forced conversions and commitment to dialogue and justice

MUMBAI, Maharashtra (Indian Catholic News)  — The Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay has expressed serious reservations about provisions in a draft anti-conversion bill that it says undermine personal freedom of conscience while acknowledging the state’s role in preventing coercion.

In a March 10 press statement, the archdiocese said it “notes with concern the Maharashtra Cabinet’s approval of the draft Anti-Conversion Bill (Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam, 2026), as reported in the newspapers.”

“While we acknowledge the State’s duty to safeguard individuals from coercion, inducement or deceit in religious matters, we must express serious reservations about provisions that undermine personal freedom of conscience,” it said.

The statement criticised the requirement for prior approval before religious conversion. “The requirement of a sixty-day prior notice and permission from a designated authority before any act of conversion is, in our view, a burdensome process,” it said.

“Besides, it reduces religion from a matter of conscience to a matter of state permission. No citizen should need state approval to respond to the voice of one’s conscience, or to any sincere conviction.”

The archdiocese warned that such provisions could erode dignity. “Such a mechanism risks eroding the very dignity the law claims to defend,” it said, adding, “We reject forced conversion outright; such acts are theologically invalid. True conversion is a free act of the spirit, never coerced.”

It also raised concerns about provisions allowing family members to initiate complaints. “Likewise, the provision allowing blood relatives to trigger police action through complaints, without safeguards against malice, opens the door to abuse,” the statement said.

“To prevent such a situation, where an allegation proves baseless, fairness demands that the complainant too be held accountable and penalized.”

Reaffirming its stance, the archdiocese said, “The Church in Mumbai remains committed to dialogue, truth, and the common good.”

“We will continue to uphold the right of every person to seek, embrace, or change faith freely, without being burdened with the fear of punishment,” it added.

The statement concluded with an appeal to authorities. “We urge the Government to reconsider these clauses, ensuring that any legislation respects both liberty and justice.”