Parishioners at one of Melbourne’s most famous churches were yesterday urged to pray for forgiveness for dishonouring other cultures and failing to listen to the concerns of members of the Indian community, who were described by an Anglican bishop as “oppressed in this land”.<\/p>\n
Bishop of the northern and western regions, Philip Huggins, led prayers at St Paul’s Cathedral, in which he asked for forgiveness for “our prejudice and indifference” to people from different countries.<\/p>\n
“Forgive us for our arrogance in closing our eyes to other people’s cultures,” he said. “Forgive us for not honouring the culture of others, and thus taking away their self-respect . . . forgive us for not listening to the griefs of all who are oppressed in this land, especially for Indians who are feeling vulnerable.”<\/p>\n
The service — titled prayers for peace and the welfare of all Indians in Australia — is bound to add to the continuing debate about whether there is a problem with violence against Indians and racism in the community.<\/p>\n