IJ02400.1444 May 7, 2007 62 EM-lines (684 words) INDONESIA    Diocesan Program Provides Food For Child Quake Victims X KOTO SINGKARAK, Indonesia (UCAN) -- More than 100 children aged 10 and under gathered with their parents to receive supplies that they heard Padang diocese's Emergency Response Team (ERT) was bringing just for them. When two trucks appeared on April 23 in Ranah village, 40 kilometers northeast of Padang, 110 children cheerfully welcomed them and lined up to receive supplemental nutrition packets. The children were among the people affected by two earthquakes that struck on March 6 near Padang, capital of West Sumatra province, 880 kilometers northwest of Jakarta. Ranah is in X Koto Singkarak town, whose name includes the Roman numeral X, or 10. The special ERT aid came in two kinds of packages: one for children up to 5 years old and another for children aged 6-10. For the younger group, each package contained three kilograms of mung beans, three kilograms of sugar, 30 eggs, multivitamin juice, eight boxes of baby porridge and four boxes of baby biscuits. The older children each received five kilograms of mung beans, three kilograms of sugar, 30 eggs, multivitamin juice and 30 packs of biscuits. Small, green mung beans are commonly eaten in Indonesia to boost nutrition. The volunteers who distributed the aid came from the Center for Intercommunity Studies (Pusaka, Indonesian acronym), set up by Catholics and Muslims in Padang, and Nahdlatul Ulama's Institute for Human Resource Studies and Development (Lakpesdam NU). Nahdlatul Ulama, which claims 40 million members, is the largest Muslim socioreligious group in Indonesia. Agnes Lindawati Dharmali of Pusaka told the parents and their children, all Muslims, that the aid packages were designed for a month. "The aid will improve children's nutrition. They are especially susceptible to illness after the earthquake, because they live in simple temporary houses, with poor sanitation and food," she said. According to the government's disaster-management coordination unit based in the provincial governor's office, the March 6 earthquakes killed 73 people, injured 421 and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings. They registered magnitudes of 4.9 and 5.8 on the Richter scale, classifying them as moderate. The children UCA News met corroborated media and government reports that the quakes forced them into temporary houses with poor facilities. Siti Rahmadani, 9, said her family still lives in a makeshift shelter beside their damaged house. "We crowd together. We sleep and eat in one 12-meter-square temporary wooden room. Our 'house' is made of corrugated iron sheets," she said. She hopes her parents will rebuild their real house soon. Rahmat Darmawan, 10, lamented that his house is in ruins. He wants to forget the March earthquake, "but I cannot because the remains of my house always remind me of it." He too with his parents in a temporary shelter built in the yard of their destroyed home. "We feel cold at night, especially when it rains," he continued. According to the boy, his family has not yet received government financial aid for rebuilding their house. Village head Hendri Zal, 35, told UCA News the same day that the quakes rendered 40 percent of the 400 houses in his village uninhabitable. "The villagers prefer building temporary structures beside their damaged houses rather than staying with relatives or neighbors," he said. He thanked ERT for the humanitarian aid, "because so far the young victims have had only rice and instant noodles. "Their parents," he said, "cannot cultivate their fields because they are busy trying to rebuild their houses." According to Dharmali, Pusaka and Lakpesdam NU volunteers earlier distributed supplemental nutrition packages for 210 children in other quake-affected villages, and also gave out family packages donated by Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. Catholic Church's overseas aid agency. She added that Padang diocese plans to collect more funds for humanitarian aid specifically for child quake victims. "We would like to focus on children with our current program of providing food supplements," she said. Father Agustinus Mujihartono, head of ERT, told UCA News it "will keep distributing aid and involving local interfaith partners and parochial social sections." He added that the diocesan program collected funds from CRS, Caritas Germany, Caritas Czech and through special parish Mass collections. END Related UCAN Reports INDONESIA Local, International Church Bodies Prepare Aid Response After Quake (March 9, 2007) INDONESIA Church Organizes Aid For Sumatra Quake Victims (March 8, 2007) INDONESIA Church Activists Launch Library Program For Child Quake Survivors (August 25, 2006) INDONESIA Catholic Universities Join Effort To Build Houses For Quake Victims (Augugust 10, 2006) INDONESIA Churches Get Aid To Earthquake-hit Nias (April 7, 2005) INDONESIA Earthquake Devastates Nias Island, Kills More Than 300 (March 30, 2005) INDONESIA Tsunami-Affected Muslim Students Thank Spanish Catholics For Aid (February 18, 2005) INDONESIA Dioceses Launch Campaigns To Support Tsunami Victims (January 5, 2005) INDONESIA New Diocese Contributes Aid For Victims Of Powerful Quake In Papua (Dember 3, 2004) MY02394.1444 May 7, 2007 61 EM-lines (675 words) MYANMAR    First Synod of 'Hilltribe' Diocese Stresses Lay Empowerment, Church Management KENGTUNG, Myanmar (UCAN) -- Bishop Peter Louis Caku of Kengtung is a believer in modern leadership methods. As he celebrated the jubilee of his priesthood recently in the midst of Kengtung's first diocesan synod, Bishop Caku encouraged a renewal of Church life in which not only priests but also laypeople become better managers and get more actively involved in their diocese. The main theme of the synod held April 10-16 at the diocesan formation center in Kengtung township, 500 kilometers northeast of Yangon, was "The Fullness of Life" (John 10:10). About 110 laypeople from the diocese's 20 parishes, and over 50 Religious congregation leaders and priests attended. Bishop Caku, who has been in poor health and has diabetes, is trying to shake up his diocese. Using modern leadership and management methods, he told participants, he wants to "holistically" reengineer the hierarchical Church structure to offer laypeople a greater say in how the Church is run in this hilly, heavily forested diocese bordering China, Laos and Thailand. In keeping with his vision of a "Communion of Communities," the 55-year-old locally born bishop told participants he aimed to promote active lay participation and make the diocese a "friendly community." The diocese needs and values the time, resources and abilities of all its believers in implementing this dream, he said. Participants said the synod's plan was useful. Ko Aung Soe, 26, youth leader of Mong Ping parish, told UCA News the bishop asked youth to consider what they can do to help the Church. Aung Soe said it was not easy to organize the youth, who tend to be self-centered and who generally suffer from an inferiority complex. "They would like to learn music and handicrafts but there is nobody proficient enough to teach them," he said. Mi Pha, 28, a catechist from Nant Pan parish, told UCA News that the meeting opened her eyes. She said she used to think all pastoral work and decisions were in the hands of priests, nuns and catechists. Then she saw, during the synod, that there was no discrimination and that all the delegates, clergy and lay, could work together to develop their diocese. New management methods are a key weapon in the bishop's revamp of the diocese, something he has been backing since he became auxiliary bishop in December 1997, the year of the Asian economic crisis. This was the year when new leadership methods, including the idea of "reengineering," began to be talked about in Myanmar. Notably, Bishop Caku, who succeeded Bishop Abraham Than in 2002, has been promoting American self-help guru Stephen Covey's methods, as described in his book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." Father Stephen Ano, secretary of the diocese, told UCA News that Bishop Caku has been keen on new methods. Part of the plan will involve giving priests training in modern leadership and management ideas, and includes a vision of how to empower and not neglect laypeople. Father Paul Albert Sai Kham told UCA News that the synod had opened up the possibility for everybody to get involved, noting that in his parish, Tachileik, lay participation is improving. A Church official told UCA News that a synod declaration will be published within a year, and the diocesan commission will release its action plan after the declaration. The highlight of the Kengtung gathering was the April 15 celebration of Bishop Caku's jubilee of priestly ordination led by Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, apostolate delegate of Myanmar. Archbishop Matthias Shwe of Taunggyi led the Mass, with Bishops Peter Hla of Pekhon and Raymond Sumlut Gam of Banmaw as concelebrants. About 3,000 worshippers joined over 100 clergy at the Mass. Bishop Caku was ordained a priest for Kengtung diocese on April 4, 1982. According to Church sources, evangelization in Kengtung diocese began with the arrival in Shan State of missioners from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions in the early 20th century. In 1927, the apostolic prefecture of Kengtung was established. It was elevated to an apostolic vicariate in 1950, and became a diocese on Jan. 1, 1955. END Related UCAN Reports MYANMAR Youth Festival, Vocation Show Highlight Bishop's Anniversary, Jubilee (October 20, 2000) MYANMAR UCAN Short - Kengtung Diocese Gets An Auxiliary Bishop (June 27, 1997) MYANMAR Bishops Make Pastoral Visits To Tribals In Opium Growing Area (May 9, 1990) NP02418.1444 May 7, 2007 63 EM-lines (663 words) NEPAL    First Catholic Bishop Ordained In Nepal KATHMANDU (UCAN) -- In a historic moment for the local Catholic community, Monsignor Anthony Francis Sharma was ordained the country's first bishop. The ordination took place on May 5, at the newly renovated premises of Kathmandu's Assumption Church, attended by 3,000 worshippers, almost half of the total Catholics in the country, as well as a few Hindu and Buddhist well-wishers. The ceremony was officiated by the apostolic nuncio to both India and Nepal, Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, and two co-consecrators, Archbishop Benedict Osta of Patna and Bishop Thomas D'Souza of Bagdogra. Archbishop Osta and Bishop D'Souza are the leaders of the Indian Catholic territories neighboring Nepal. As the choir sang a hymn in Nepalese, more than 50 priests and the bishop-elect entered the overflowing church. The ceremony began with the parish priest of Assumption Church, Father Justin Lepcha, welcoming all and reading out a brief history of the bishop-elect. After he took his solemn vows, Bishop Sharma, wearing the miter and gold ring while holding the pastoral staff of his office, faced the audience, to thunderous applause. Archbishop Quintana outlined a bishop's ideal characteristics, saying, "A bishop is the image of Christ, the model of holiness." He also talked about many challenges in leadership for the country, which was, until a year ago, the world's only Hindu nation. Ethnic Nepalese Sister Teresa Yonjon, who knew Bishop Sharma in his youth, said, "what I liked about today's ordination ceremony was that it was entirely in the Nepalese language." The Daughters of the Cross of Liege nun, who was visiting from Darjeeling, told UCA News, "It was so good to see that the European nuncio learned the prayers for Mass, along with the Indian bishops reading the prayers in Nepalese." She called it "a good example for us Asians, who prefer to speak in English even with a local audience." Bishop Anthony Francis Sharma was born to a Hindu Brahmin family on Dec. 12, 1937 in Nepal. He entered the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, on July 29, 1956 and was ordained the first ethnic Nepalese Jesuit priest on May 4, 1968. For many years he taught in Catholic schools in Darjeeling in India and was rector and principal of St. Joseph's College in this hill station. He was appointed the Ecclesiastic Superior of Nepal Catholic Mission on April 9, 1984. Exactly 10 years after Nepal was elevated to Apostolic Prefecture by the Vatican on Feb. 12, 1997, the pope announced the elevation of the Apostolic Prefecture of Nepal to the rank of Apostolic Vicariate on Feb. 10, 2007. Largely mountainous and hilly Nepal has a population of 28 million, 80 percent of whom are Hindus, and most of the rest are Buddhists. There are 1 million Christians. The country on April 24 celebrated its first anniversary of the end of absolute monarchy. The "People's Movement" last year forced Nepal's King Gyanendra Shah to restore the dissolved parliament on April 24, 14 months after he seized power in what he said was a bid to crush a Maoist revolt that had been raging in the country. Weeks later, the restored Parliament declared Nepal, then the world's only Hindu country, a secular state. According to Bishop Sharma, the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal has 6,972 Catholics. Its six parishes, two quasi-parishes, 38 mission stations and 26 schools are served by 13 diocesan and 52 Religious priests from five congregations. A total of 131 Catholic nuns representing 17 congregations, live in 36 convents around the country and help run the Catholic institutions. The Catholic Church runs a variety of day-care centers, schools and literary programs, as well as centers for the poor and disadvantaged. Caritas Nepal, the social arm of the local Church, is now running programs in 60 of Nepal's 75 districts. It works mainly through local NGOs and organizations such as Jesuit Refugee Service, with poor children and women as the priority. Bishop Sharma has been Caritas Nepal's founding president since its inception in 1989. END Related UCAN Reports NEPAL Local Church Raised To Vicariate, Long-time Superior Appointed Bishop (February 12, 2007) NEPAL Church Leaders Meet To Prepare National Pastoral Plan (November 30, 2006) NEPAL Apostolic Prefect Officially Welcomed On Kathmandu Church Anniversary (August 29, 1997) NEPAL Church In Nepal Made An Apostolic Prefecture (February 14, 1997) PA02393.1444 May 7, 2007 67 EM-lines (700 words) PAKISTAN    Center Aims To Help Catholic Youth Appreciate Other Faiths, Strengthen Their Own LAHORE, Pakistan (UCAN) -- Sunaina Shehzad used to hear educated Muslim clerics, talking in train carriages or on television, proclaiming the superiority of Islam and twisting Biblical verses to suit their purposes. As a Catholic student at a government school, even at age 19 she has learned little about catechism or Christianity outside of Sunday sermons. Unable to explain basic points of her own faith, she and some other youths encouraged their parish priest to set up a center where they could find answers to questions concerning Christian beliefs. Shehzad explained the genesis of Tarbiyat (training) Center to the 250 students who attended the April 28 opening ceremony of the center at St. Mary's Parish in Gulberg, Lahore, 270 kilometers southeast of Islamabad. Father Morris Jalal set up the center with the aim of empowering Catholics through knowledge of their own and other religions. The parish priest told UCA News he wants "to encourage Christian youth to do research and compare religions, so they can address questions raised by their Muslim acquaintances regarding the Christian faith, dogma and teachings." He said he was concerned by what he sensed was their uneasiness over the preponderance of Islamic influence in the mass media, especially television, with no alternative Christian voice. "Somebody has to clarify Christian doctrine and dogma, especially since 70 percent of Christian youth study in government schools, where catechism is not taught," the Capuchin priest told UCA News. The center's main resource base is its collection of 2,000 books in English and Urdu, Pakistan's national language, on Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism. The library also contains books on topics such as culture, philosophy and sociology, as well as 200 compact discs. In addition, the center has a computer with Internet access. Located in a single-story building, it occupies a space equivalent to a medium-sized hall. Father Jalal confirmed to UCA News that it was Shehzad and other students who encouraged him to set up such a facility. In his view, "unless you have a general idea or concept of other religious teachings, you can never judge the true value of your own religion." And knowing only about Christianity is not enough for Catholics living in a Muslim-majority country like Pakistan, the priest continued. "Whether you are traveling on a train, studying in a college or working in an office," he explained, "you can always find mullah (Muslim clerics) taking the opportunity to discuss Islam with people of other faiths with the intention of converting them." Father Jalal is convinced that having access to Christian literature at the new center will strengthen parishioners' knowledge of their own faith. Father Andrew Nisari, vicar general of Lahore archdiocese, spoke at the opening ceremony and stressed the need for more such centers in Pakistan. He noted the increasing number of Islamic religious schools, or madrassa, and Islamic cable-TV channels, and highlighted the importance of proper spiritual formation of local Christian youths so they can acquire a strong faith. Shehzad told UCA News the center's books "can help many in their research and provide knowledge not available in a college library." She also values its audiovisual materials and Internet access. Church workers who attended the opening said they would donate materials to the library. Daughters of St. Paul Sister Magdaline Ishaq promised to donate books from her community's communications center. Father Nadeem John Shakir, director of the Church's WAVE studio in Lahore, said he would provide copies of the studio's audiovisual productions, which include songs and documentaries. Father Shakir, who is also executive secretary of the National Catholic Social Communications Center, told UCA News that government policies prohibit the establishment of any Christian radio or TV channel. Christians have been able to televise only a 50-minute Christmas drama and a 30-minute Easter program. The new center expands parish initiatives for Catholic youths including an annual fund-raising program for college freshmen and a discussion forum. A monthly parish magazine, also called Tarbiyat, discusses moral and religious issues. The Tarbiyat library is open 4-7 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday and already has 200 members. An annual fee of 100 rupees (about US$1.67) each entitles them to borrow books and CDs for a week at a time. END Related UCAN Reports PAKISTAN Parish-based Forum Helps Transform Families (November 21, 2006) PAKISTAN Archdiocese Plans Country's First Urdu Catholic Weekly (October 2, 2006) PAKISTAN Parish Fundraising Drive For College Freshmen Collects Highest Amount To Date (June 14, 2006) PL02420.1444 May 7, 2007 63 EM-lines (676 words) PHILIPPINES    First Mangyan Priest Finds Great Joy In Ministering To His People QUEZON CITY, Philippines (UCAN) -- Newly ordained Father Gabayno Oybad is glad to be serving as a priest among his Mangyan ethnic community, whose traditions he credits with introducing him to Gospel values. "Being a Mangyan is my advantage," Father Oybad told UCA News on May 3, five days after the 44th World Day of Prayer for Vocations. He was ordained priest about two weeks earlier, on April 17. The collective name Mangyan refers to eight indigenous groups on Mindoro Island, 135 kilometers south of Manila. "Although Mangyan people have different traditions and beliefs, they share the same good values with Christians," the 37-year-old priest said, speaking from Mindoro. He recalled first learning virtues such as "love, respect and forgiveness" from his indigenous culture. He also finds Gospel backing for Mangyan traditions such as communal stewardship of natural resources. "We are all equal before God," Father Oybad said. Holy Spirit Sister Victricia Pascasio, who has worked 33 years with indigenous Mangyan communities on Mindoro, described Father Oybad as a "blessing" and "grace." She shared with UCA News her hope that his priesthood would "set a precedent for other Mangyan people." The nun admitted she had been praying for a "gift of vocations to Mangyans," who she said "have always seen themselves as second-class citizens." Bishop Warlito Cajandig, who heads Calapan vicariate, ordained Father Oybad a priest for the vicariate at Santo Nino Cathedral in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro province. "This makes history in Oriental Mindoro, because it is the first time a Mangyan is ordained a priest," the bishop said during his homily. He added that Father Oybad "will serve his own native community." Mangyan men and women, dressed in traditional clothing, performed an indigenous ritual ahead of the ceremony, lighting a fire and fanning the smoke throughout the cathedral. The ritual is traditionally used to chase away bad spirits. They also brought local crops and fruit to the altar as offerings. The new priest belongs to the Hanunoo Mangyan group. The other seven groups are the Alangan, Bangon, Buhid, Iraya, Ratagnon, Tadyawan and Tau-buid. His first assignment is to St. Joseph Parish in Bongabong, a Hanunoo town. When asked about his first two weeks in the priesthood, Father Oybad said he felt "fulfilled" and "overjoyed" to attend to the needs of his parishioners, whether baptizing or officiating at weddings. He said he wanted to return to his community and serve them as a priest, because his fluency in the local dialect means he can easily relate to the tribal people. He added that, "it always feels good" to go back to one's "roots." Still, he acknowledged that the road to the priesthood was not without obstacles. He credits his perseverance to constant prayers and acceptance of the need to sacrifice. Father Oybad, who was the only Mangyan in all his seminary classes, said his parents did not easily welcome his decision to become a priest, since they expected him to help his family financially. "Once I entered the seminary, I accepted the fact that I needed to give up my desire to find a lucrative work," he continued. He also recalled that in 1996, while he was in his second year at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Tagaytay, 55 kilometers southeast of Manila, he decided to temporarily leave his vocational training to "reflect on what I really wanted to pursue in life." He wanted to reflect more deeply on his choice between priesthood and marriage. "I thought that getting out of the seminary would help me appreciate and weigh the two different desires of my heart," Father Oybad said. "Giving up my life outside the seminary was one of my greatest sacrifices during my formation," the priest acknowledged. "My vocation is really a blessing from God," he said, looking over his vocational journey. "Going through different challenges, I learned that it is important to never quit." Father Oybad's parish is just south of Calapan. The vicariate serves all of Oriental Mindoro province, where 83 percent of 707,676 people are Catholics according to available Church statistics. END Related UCAN Reports PHILIPPINES Mission Is Integral To Priesthood And Seminary Formation (January 19, 2007) PHILIPPINES Church Challenged To Nurture Vocations Postponed For Family's Sake (May 10, 2006) PHILIPPINES UCAN Interview - Church Should End 'Paternalism' In Work With Indigenous People (September 21, 2004) PHILIPPINES Tribals Celebrate Upcoming Divine Word Canonizations, Draw Inspiration (August 6, 2003) SR02399.1444 May 7, 2007 62 EM-lines (699 words) SRI LANKA    Catholic Leaflets Warn Of Fundamentalist 'Danger' NEGOMBO (UCAN) -- "Beware of Fundamentalists" warned the thousands of leaflets Church workers handed out to the 25,000 Catholics who gathered on Divine Mercy Sunday at Risen Christ Church. The volunteers were busy on the hot afternoon of April 15 in front of the church in Kadolkelle, Negombo, about 25 kilometers north of Colombo. According to local Church sources, the 4,000-seat church will be one of Asia's largest when it is completed in the coming months. Slogans printed across the yellow leaflets charged fundamentalists with "converting people by distorting the Gospel," "spreading false information regarding Lord Jesus" and "insulting Our Mother Mary." The leaflets warned: "Don't enter into their churches or partake in their activities. Avoid accepting help and gifts from them." Father Gyom Nonis, the Risen Christ parish priest, organized the campaign. "We used Divine Mercy day because there was a big crowd," he told UCA News. The campaign was aimed at new Christian groups that have sprung up the last few decades in the Catholic stronghold of Negombo, also known as "Little Rome." About 75 percent of the town's residents are Catholics. According to the priest, there are more than 25 "fundamentalist" Christian groups in Negombo. They including Apostolic Church, Assemblies of God, Calvary Church, Gethsamane Prayer Centre, Jeewana Divia Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, Spiritual Christian Fellowship and Swarna Church. "It is a trying time for us, because new theologies on the Gospel are being given to our people by the 'fundamentalists,'" continued Father Nonis. "They give money and materials to the people." To Stanislaus Logaraja, 53, it almost seems that "every day there is a new church." They all proclaim their views in the name of Lord Jesus, and "their activities have created confusion among our youth." the Catholic man said. W. Renuka Fernando, 45, found the leaflets useful. "Every word in these leaflets is very meaningful and answers many questions and challenges from the 'fundamentalists,'" he said. In his analysis, the new groups are effective because members go door to door with the Bible in hand. They will visit the same house and preach for several days, then invite the people to their church to see how they pray. "It is attractive, but I don't like it," he said, adding that some Catholics have taken up these invitations. "Now they attend church with their children all in white dress." Other Catholics do not like the new groups' way of praying. Suseela Jesuthasan finds the services too Western and raucous. "They mainly come from the West, but then they say they are locals," she told UCA News. Jesuthasan, 53, said she prefers hymns and prayers in moderation, as in the Catholic Church. "I don't like their big sound," she said, referring to Jesus Lives Church, which has churches around the country. One "fundamentalist" pastor said critics should first visit his church, where they will see "God's love in action." Pastor B.T.D. Mendis of Disciples for Christ Ministry preaches at Gethsamane Prayer Center in Negombo. "I know the comments from the Catholic Church," he told UCA News, "but I can say we are engaged in conversion through reality. People pray here and experience God. We preach and tell the truth. God's love is more than words." He also insisted that his group does not bribe laypeople with money or gifts. Lawrence Sebamalai, a former Catholic, now attends Jesus Lives Church. "Many people turn away from the Catholic faith and try other Churches," the middle-aged man told UCA News in Colombo. He joined Jesus Lives 20 years ago. "Two years ago the church council gave me a motorbike," he said. "I was having trouble traveling. It was hard to take goods to remote areas for business. Every member of Jesus Lives sets aside money to help the other poor people. They also provide materials for building houses and for farming." His story, however, also showed another side of the rapid rise in the number of new denominations. "Some laypeople openly criticized me. They said that I was not entitled to a motorbike, and that I influenced the pastor to get it," he recalled. "So it created a division among us. Now these dissidents have formed another Church." END Related UCAN Reports SRI LANKA Christian rally Against Conversion Bill After Second Reading in Parliament(May 12th 2005) SRI LANKA Churches Mobilize Against Anti Conversion Bill(July 6, 2004) SRI LANKA Archbishop Clarifies Church View On Claims Of 'Forced Conversion' (May 4, 2004) TJ02374.1444 May 7, 2007 62 EM-lines (674 words) TAJIKISTAN    As Tajiks Debate Change Of Surnames, Christians Unfazed DUSHANBE (UCAN) -- Christians in Muslim-majority Tajikistan, most of whom are ethnic Russians, say they are unperturbed by a trend to change Russian surnames back to Tajik-sounding ones. "I will never change my surname because I got it from my parents," Andrey Petrov told UCA News. "It is my choice. It is part of my culture and part of being Russian." Petrov, 26, a member of the only Catholic parish in Dushanbe, does not want to drop the "ov" at the end of his surname. Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon thrust the matter into the public spotlight on April 13 when he changed his surname from Rakhmonov. Local media reported the president changed his name as part of a campaign to return to Persian roots. He also appealed to Tajik parents to register newborn babies under Persian surnames after dropping Russian-style endings. The appeal is only a recommendation, media pointed out. "I don't see anything terrible when a Tajik has 'ov' in his surname, but they can do whatever they want, of course," Petrov said. The Slavic endings "ov," "ev" and "in" are ubiquitous in Tajik surnames. They became popular during the Soviet era, when many Tajiks added them to Persian-style surnames to make them sound more Russian. Russia dominated the region from the 19th century until 1991, when Tajikistan and the other four countries of Central Asia became independent with the collapse of the Soviet Union. About 80 percent of the 6.5 million people in Tajikistan are ethnic Tajiks, 15 percent Uzbeks and 2 percent Kyrgyz. They are almost exclusively Muslims, who form 96 percent of the population. The 3 percent of the people who are ethnic Russians almost all belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. About 250 people are Catholics, mostly ethnic Russians, Lithuanians and Armenians who settled here during the Soviet era. Igor Karin, a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, has observed that "since independence, Tajiks have refused everything Russian ... and that is not right." Many writers, journalists and intellectuals changed their names. "Thank God changing surnames isn't obligatory," Karin told UCA News. Like Petrov and Karin, other Christians say the trend is only cultural. They are not worried that keeping their original surnames might lead to discrimination against them as non-Tajiks. Some, however, told UCA News on condition of anonymity that the potential for linking the change of surnames with religion, which follows ethnic lines, is a "very sensitive" issue. Incarnate Word Father Carlos Avila, the Argentine missioner who heads the sui iuris (self-governing) Catholic mission in Tajikistan, considers the matter one of personal choice. "I don't have anything against Catholics who change their surnames or keep their old ones." Meanwhile, there is no clear consensus even among Tajik Muslims about changing surnames. "Changing surnames will help our nation preserve our culture," Khurshed Turaev told UCA News. "I don't see why I or my family have to have the Russian ending 'ov' in our surnames. I will definitely put a Tajik 'i' at the end." His surname would change to Turi. Conversely, 41-year-old Davron Akramov sees the trend as superficial. "So many young people have to leave their motherland to find a job," he noted. "These problems are more urgent than changing surnames. By solving them we can preserve our country and culture much more effectively, I think." People of Central Asia are Indo-European, ethnic cousins to both Europeans and Indians and some archeological evidence traces Indo-European origins to "Iranian" tribes. But local social anthropologists maintain that retracing Tajik ancestry is more about dismantling Russian influence than about linking up with Iran. Ikrom Kanaev, an ethnic Uzbek, pointed out that changing surnames will have side effects, such as the need to change passports. This is "absolutely useless and a waste of money," he told UCA News. "If I put the 'i' at the end of my surname," he added, "I would be denying my Uzbek heritage and appear as a Tajik. It is better for me to keep the Russian "ov" in my surname to be different from Tajiks." END Related UCAN Reports INDIA Tripura's Indo-Portuguese Catholics Fostered Faith Unassisted For Centuries (September 26, 2006) INDIA Youth Urged To Resist Hindu Nationalists' Cultural Imposition (January 22, 2001) KOREA UCAN Feature -- Civil Marriage Law Reform Defies Confucianist Tradition (April 22, 1987)