Renewed Church for a Renewed Society
Responding to the Call of Vatican
II
As reviewed by the Holy Spirit
tonight
The comments are in red in the original of this text.
The comments are in red in the original of this text.
1. We, the 187 member-bishops of
the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), came together at the
Alphonsian Pastoral Institute, Palai in Kerala, the place sanctified by St.
Alphonsa, from February 5 -12, 2014, for the 31st Plenary Assembly. In
continuation of the 30th Plenary Assembly’s theme, Role of the Church for a
Better India, the Bishops deliberated, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
on the theme: “Renewed Church for a Renewed Society - Responding to the
Call of Vatican II”. On the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican
Council (1962-1965), the CBCI Plenary Assembly reflected on this theme in the
light of the Second Vatican Council documents in order to draw inspiration for
her future course of life and ministry. We took into account the reflections of
the Catholic Council of India which studied the same theme at its December 2013
annual meeting in Varanasi.
2. We first recalled the Church’s
self-understanding, enshrined in the Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, as the
pilgrim People of God, a community rooted in a deep experience of the
Trinitarian God in Christ Jesus. Ad Gentes, reminds us that the Church is
a community with a mission to evangelize, to proclaim the good news of Jesus to
all, a mission entrusted to her by Jesus and the Spirit. The Church exercises
her mission in a world marked by a tremendous imbalance: a few very rich
and the vast majority poor struggling to eke out a living. The Document on the
Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes impels the members of the Church to
an involvement in the struggles of suffering humanity based on the principles
of respect for the human person, solidarity and effective social dialogue to
bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. Finally, the Council
document on the Laity, Apostolicam Actuositatem points out that the lay faithful,
who form the vast majority in this People of God, have a specific role in
society – that of penetrating and perfecting the temporal order in the spirit
of the Gospel. The above para looks like a recitation rather than a
reflection. This is old hat. What is new in it to ignite the interest of those
reading it?
3. When we look at our
country, we see corruption plaguing every sphere of society. Only a passing
reference to monumental and Himalayan corruption that has been uncovered almost
every week since November 2010? Rs 176,000 crores in telecom along, a similar
amount in coal, an FIR against Mukesh Ambani and Veerappa Moily only last week
and all you can do is make a passing reference? Is this being prophetic? Who
are you afraid of? Or are you afraid of meeting the fate of Sr Valsa John, the
IOC engineer and so many others who have been killed merely for speaking out against
corruption? In such a scenario, Church institutions must be an example of
transparency and probity. Are they? Why do we shy away from making a judgmental
statement? Isn’t that why God gave his creatures a mind and critical faculties?
How do you jump suddenly to internal migration? What is the connection
between corruption and migration? Another phenomenon is that of internal
migration which, while opening opportunities to people, has torn the cultural
and religious moorings that sustained them. What about the hatred of migrants
that we are seeing in our country and even in the church? Not wanting people
from other parts of India even in the church – witness the Church in Bangalore,
the recent killings in Delhi, the raids on Nigerians by a government minister
in Delhi – did the archbishop of Delhi and his people raise their voices
against this violation of their human dignity and the law itself? Globalization
too has brought in its wake problems like prolonged working hours which have
disrupted family life. What a childish statement on the church’s favourite
whipping horse! As if people did not work long hours before globalization – and
for less money! What about the benefits of connectivity that God has helped
through the Internet, the connectivity that has also created massive work
shifts – with pluses and minuses? And why this sudden jump from globalization to
fundamentalism as if it is a new phenomenon? We witness the trend to
fundamentalism which seeks to dilute the secular character of our nation.
Against this trend, we stand by the values upheld by the Indian Constitution
and appeal to governments to respect these values. Which government has been
known to heed appeals to respect these values? How often have you gone to court
to enforce those values? What are courts for? Do you remember how the right to
life itself was violated in Kandhamal and in Mangalore one Sunday afternoon in
2008 when 21 churches were attacked? What leadership did you show and what
legal action did you take to enforce your constitutional rights? Did you not
reject offers by a group of lawyers to help you enforce those rights? Have you
told your people why you did that?
4. The Church in India has tried
to live up to the vision of Vatican II. Tried? Tried? For 50 years? Tell them, your
people, what commitments you made and where you failed and why. Several people
have been led to a deep experience of God through reading the Word of God
without action, through the traditional practices of piety again without
action, easy to do in the church compound, and through the Charismatic Movement
Praise the Lord Hallelujah! In many places Small Christian Communities, rooted
in the Word and Eucharist have been established. Really? Aren’t these SCCs
cynically referred to as Samosa-Chai Charcha “These communities are a sign
of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation and evangelization,
and a solid starting point for a new society based on a 'civilization of
love'" (Redemptoris Missio, 51). The Church has worked for the uplift of
the downtrodden. True but not because of the institutional church in the last
40 years but because of the courageous commitment of individuals and small
groups determined to be the Light in the darkness around. She has been
appreciated for the way she has responded immediately to natural calamities,
for her unbiased outreach to the needy and vulnerable sections of society.
Participatory structures have been established in several regions, dioceses and
parishes. The 2010 CBCI Gender Policy has been hailed as a step in the right
direction. How many church institutions have a Vishaka Committee or Grievance
Redressal Committees staffed and dominated by strong women? Youth have
experienced empowerment through training programs and services. Have they?
Is that why they are outstanding Catholics, outside the church doors and also
voting with their feet towards other new faith groups that demand more
involvement from them than the Catholic Church?
5. However, there is still
need for improvement. An understatement! The reflections of the Plenary
Assembly centred chiefly on seven areas:
5.i. Fostering God Experience:
What is needed is a deep experience of the Trinitarian God drawing on the
treasures of the Church especially the Word and Sacraments. For this, our
liturgies have to be well prepared, participative and meaningful. Hence, we
have decided to initiate a renewal in the celebration of the liturgy so that it
becomes an effective means for Christ-centred God experience. We bishops
have to be ourselves Spirit-filled men of God, giving priority to prayer and to
the Word of God, and helping our clergy and lay faithful to become aware of
God’s presence and activity in their lives. The God experience will will
did you say? Will in the future? Have you set a deadline? And what kind of
commitment have you made to bring about that conversion? lead to an inner conversion made visible in
the simplicity of our lives, in our attitude of love, compassion and
forgiveness. Following the example of Pope Francis, we will live a
genuinely simple, humble, welcoming and outgoing life reaching out to all
people. We will so orient the formation of future priests and religious
that they enter the ministry with an attitude of humility, ready to serve the
poor and marginalized of society. Aha! Now you are talking! At least you have
Pope Francis to follow, even though you forgot the Son of Man who had nowhere
to lay his head while the Holy Roman Pontiff had a whole palace to himself
which Pope Francis rightly refused to stay in! I am glad you are noticing these
changes brought about by Pope Francis.
5.ii. Addressing justice
issues: The experience of God will lead us to involvement in and solidarity
with the marginalized and the exploited, those suffering from disabilities,
those living in the peripheries of economic, cultural and social spheres. We
will speak out only speak out? How much have you spoken out against corruption?
Did you speak out against it to Sonia when you went to garland her a few weeks
ago? against all forms of injustice meted out to them and we will defend their
rights. Defend rights did you say? When you did not stand up for the
constitutional rights of the people of God in Kandhamal and Karnataka? We
listened to the call of Pope Francis urging us to “work to eliminate the
structural causes of poverty and to promote the integral development of the
poor.” (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 188). We want wanting is not enough, you wanted
that for a long time. What commitment have you made? the Church to be truly a
Church of the Poor. We reaffirm our solidarity with the Dalits in India
who continue to be oppressed. Talk, talk, talk again! The CBCI reiterates its
resolve to struggle for equal rights of Dalit Christians on par with their
counterparts in other religions. How many bishops are ready to go to jail, to
by clubbed by police batons, water cannon? We will continue the fight against the 1950
Presidential Order, which unjustly discriminates against Dalit Christians and
we demand that the Government remove this 64 year injustice. Justice delayed is
justice denied. We also commit ourselves to rooting out all forms of
discrimination within the Church and ensuring equal opportunities in leadership
roles for Dalit Christians. OK, so what commitments have you made there?
Commitment, my dear bishop, commitment!
5.iii. Ensuring for our lay
faithful their rightful place: Recognizing the God-given talents and
potentialities of the lay faithful, we will, in the first place, listen more to
their voice. Hence, we commit ourselves to establish Pastoral Councils in every
diocese. Is that all you can talk about 50 years after Vatican II? Aren’t you
ashamed to even say it? We realize that formation of the lay faithful is the
need of the hour. Really? Haven’t you destroyed formation through nominating your
yes-men and yes-women? To this end, we commit ourselves, as a priority, to
initiate programmes for lay formation to equip them to play their role in the
Church and society.
5.iv. Stamping out strong word! Discrimination
against Women. We commit ourselves to strive for the equal dignity of and equal
opportunities for women so will you start by paying women (nuns and lay women) on
par with priests, providing especially equal opportunities for the education of
the girl child. We wholeheartedly support the campaign against female foeticide
and domestic violence. In the face of increasing sexual abuse and
violence in Indian society, we will do all in our power to enforce discipline
so as to ensure a secure environment in our institutions for women and children
how cleverly you dodge commitment! Couldn’t you commit yourself to instituting
Vishaka committees in every church institution where there are women as per the
guidelines of the Indian Supreme Court? Why are you shying away? Are you aware
that when you were having your meeting in Palai, Maharashtra proposed that every
institution without a committee would be fined heavily till it set up one?
5.v.. Creating a Christian presence
in political and public life. We depend in a special way on our
youth, the future leaders of the Church and society. As bishops we realize much
more needs to be done for them. We want want to, always a want to, never a
commit to! Why are you bishops afraid of making the same commitment you seek
from others? As for leadership, do you forget that Ossie Gracias came to this
Palai meeting wearing three hats? Is that leadership? to embark on intensive programmes for them to
enter into the mainstream of public life so as to ensure value-based politics.
Hence, we request every region to set up, wherever possible, training centres
to prepare the youth for leadership roles in civic and political life.
5.vi. Promoting Dialogue.
India is home to a rich variety of ancient cultures and religions. The
Church in India has to be a Church in dialogue. We urge our lay faithful
to engage in the “dialogue of life”, mingling with our brothers and sisters of
other religious traditions, greeting them on their feast days and being with
them in life’s vulnerable moments such as sickness and death. Besides
strengthening the already existing Small Christian Communities, we will seek to
establish Basic Human Communities which would be a powerful means for communal
peace and harmony.
5.vii. Safeguarding Ecology.
The Bishops re-affirm their commitment to the protection of nature. We
stand for sustainable development of peoples and human ecology. Is this why you
still believe in putting up ugly concrete structures? The CBCI Plenary Assembly
shares the apprehensions of people living in the Western Ghats and in the areas
affected by the 2011 Notification of the Ministry of Environment on the Coastal
Regulation Zone. I love the way you pick something from the newspapers that
does not cost or demand anything from you and put it into this mish-mash of a
statement! We appeal to the Union Government to protect the civic rights of the
inhabitants in areas adversely affected by the proposals of the Madhav Gadgil
and Kasturirangan Reports. Have you read the two reports and how they are
different from each other! The CBCI also shares the similar concerns of the
tribal population in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand fast
coming under mining projects. Yes, of course, how can you not mention the
tribals by way of lip service!
6. The road ahead of us is
challenging. But we count on the presence of the Risen Lord who, through
the power of His Spirit, “makes all things new” God helps only those who help
themselves and this is where I find you wanting terribly! (Rev. 21:5). All
renewal is always the work of the Spirit. Remember, the Holy Spirit works only
if you let her! We place our efforts at renewing the Church in view of renewing
society in the hands of Mary, our Mother, the Star of Evangelization.
Fr. Joseph Chinnayyan
Deputy Secretary General &
Spokesperson, CBCI
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