The Archbishop of Bombay appealed for "peace, justice and unity" yesterday in a Christmas-time message that comes amid a wave of protests against contentious amendments to the citizenship law. In his statement Cardinal Oswald Gracias, who was appointed to his post by Pope Benedict XVI in October 2006, said religion "could never be" the test of citizenship for any country and reminded the central government there was "no harm in backtracking... if this is necessary for the good of the country and our people".