By M K George, SJ
Jamshedpur, May 2, 2020: The Sars-Cov-2, Coronavirus Covid-19 is, experts say, like no other virus, in its speed, stealth and virulence.
As everyone knows it is a test for everything and everyone – healthcare infrastructure, disaster management ability, response and responsibility of governments as well as of citizens as individuals and community, resilience of economy and religious faith and life.
In this piece I would like to look at how consecrated religious life and priesthood are going to be tested in a post-Covid-19 world.
Three images from the social media pop up as I write these reflections. First, a group of habit-wearing nuns with spades preparing ground for some cultivation. Second, in the Easter week, a priest comes on with a question, ´is it proper to eat meat on Friday of the Easter Week. Many have asked me. So I am coming with this video´, said he in the clipping.
The third, is the number of songs, prayers and talks the religious have come out with during the lock down period. The Online retreat organized by the Indian Jesuits was a case in point.
The first among these images looks a welcome change — The religious willing to get back to mother earth, to plant vegetables and enjoy the fruit of their labour. It reminds us of the Rule of Benedict, Óra et labora´- work and labor. The second gives one creeps for the class bias and sheer insensitivity of the topic.
When ten million migrant workers are stuck in their dungeon like work places and longing to reach home, when almost 60 percent of the 400 million strong workers of India were struggling to have their rice and dal, how can we be talking about the rules of eating meat? Eat meat or do not eat meat. That is your choice. But the inappropriateness of such a discussion in this context of coronavirus strikes hard.
The third of course is a search for innovative ways to keep the people optimistic, hope-filled and trusting in the Divine Providence. So, indeed there is a search emerging among the priests and religious. Then, how should the Religious life and practice emerge post-Covid-19 scenario?
The first and obvious response would be to help people pray meaningfully, trust sensibly and continue to practice a religion that makes sense. We are used to a type of prayer, liturgical, noisy, ritualistic, based on popular devotion which is more demonstrative, collective with huge amount of singing, dancing and noise.
Should we persuade the faithful to get back to the old ways of praying or should we explore with the people who have been under lockdown, away from conventional prayer methods, how they survived, how they prayed and how they practiced their faith?
The Religious and priests must go through a process of learning from people how the virtual practice of religion influenced the laity. How the flood of sarcastic and downright insulting visual and audio materials on conventional forms of prayer influenced them and what kind of expectations do they have as they face the new world. What were the emotional and spiritual movements that they went through?
In other words, for once the priests and religious should stop preaching and start listening! They should search together with the people the meaning of ´praying in spirit and truth´. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4,24)
Service should become the core of religious practice. If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that the frontline warriors like health professionals, public officials, police officials and such other people were the real saints. Pope Francis said, ´these days, more than 60 (priests) in Italy have died, after giving attention to the sick in hospitals…. also doctors and nurses. They are the saints next door´.
The poor should become the center of our concern.
Every economist of worth has predicted that ´the pandemic is likely to impact 2.7 billion workers or 81 percent of the world´s work force. In India, with a share of almost 90 percent of people working in the informal economy, about 400 million workers in the informal economy are at risk of falling deeper into poverty during the crisis. `
There will be an explosion of poverty and deaths. Will the religious be there with them? It will be a very difficult transition for the Religious and Priests, large number of whose energies go in serving the middle and upper middle class.
Transparency should define the lives of Religious
There is a concerted amount of effort from many corners to discredit the Christian churches in terms of financial corruption. Even St Mother Teresa is not left untouched. The only way out is for priests and religious to let go of the control of finance and properties, being the sole proprietors. Will they have the audacity to establish structures of transparency and accountability? The world demands it.
We need prophets more than ever.
One fallout of the pandemic and the attendant constant surveillance is the possible death of democracy. You look around, the number of autocratic and fascist leaders is increasing all over the world. And anyone who calls out that “the emperor is naked” is getting locked up.
Let us come to India. You know how many are under arrest or under threat of arrest for calling out corruption and demanding justice? “That the raids are taking place on the homes of lawyers, poets, writers, Dalit rights activists and intellectuals – instead of on those who make up lynch mobs and murder people in broad daylight- tells us very clearly where India is headed,” said, Arundhati Roy.
We need to wake up to the fascist and anti-people trends in the country and raise our voice. If not we, Who? Have we forgotten Sr. Rani Maria, Sr. Valsa, Fr. A.T. Thomas and the like?
A new normal is emerging. We have no clear cut answers on how religious life would be? The hints listed above are in no way definitive answers but ways to search for a way out? Either the religious seek and search under the guidance of the Spirit or they make themselves irrelevant.
(Father George Mutholil heads the South Asian section at the Jesuit headquarters in Rome. He wrote this from Jamshedupur, where is currently locked down.)